There are now dozens of AI lesson planners, and most promise the same thing. For UK teachers, the ones worth your time are those that understand the national curriculum, produce something you can actually teach, and fit your school's rules. Here is our shortlist.
What makes a good AI lesson planner
Before the list, the test. A lesson planner is worth using if it:
- Knows UK year groups and the national curriculum, not US grade levels.
- Produces usable resources — slides, quizzes and worksheets, not just a paragraph of text.
- Lets you edit easily in plain English and export to PowerPoint or Google Slides.
- Needs no pupil data, keeping data protection simple.
The shortlist
| Tool | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Aila | Free, curriculum-aligned lessons with quizzes and slides | Free |
| Chalkie | Polished lesson slideshows fast | Free to try; paid plans |
| TeachMate AI | UK-built toolkit covering planning, reports and letters | Free tier; paid plans |
| TeacherMatic | Schemes of work and planning, strong in FE | Free tier; £99/yr individual at time of review |
| Kuraplan | Unit and weekly planning | Free to try; paid plans |
| MagicSchool | Breadth of tools on a generous free plan | Free; paid Plus |
| Copilot / Gemini | Flexible planning with your school's existing licence | Usually included |
Our picks by situation
If you want free and curriculum-aligned
Start with Oak Aila. It is free, built by Oak National Academy, and produces a full lesson with quizzes and slides. Our step-by-step Aila guide shows how to get the best from it.
If you want slides fast
Chalkie is built around slideshow output, which saves the step of turning a plan into slides.
If you want one tool for everything
TeachMate or TeacherMatic cover planning plus reports, letters and more, in UK English.
If your school already has Copilot or Gemini
Use it. With a good prompt, general assistants plan well, and they come with your school's data protection. See is Copilot free for teachers?
Want a straight answer for your school?
Ask me anything about AI in your school — policy, tools, training or safeguarding. I reply personally, usually the same day.
A prompt that works in any tool
"Plan a [length]-minute [subject] lesson for [year group] in England on [topic]. It is lesson [number] of [number]; pupils already know [prior knowledge]. Include a retrieval starter, a clear explanation with a worked example, guided and independent practice, common misconceptions, and a short exit check. Use UK English."
Cautions for every tool
- Check facts. Every AI planner can be confidently wrong.
- Your curriculum sequence comes first. AI plans a lesson; you plan the learning journey.
- Adapt for your pupils. SEND, EAL and prior attainment are your judgement calls. See adapting a lesson for mixed ability with AI.
- Stay within your school's approved list.
For secondary teachers
Secondary planning has its own pressures — exam specifications, departmental schemes and heavy timetables. See AI tools UK secondary teachers use to save planning time.
How to choose for your school
If you are choosing a planning tool for a whole school or department, compare them on the same task:
- Pick one lesson that several teachers will teach.
- Generate it in two or three tools using the same prompt.
- Have teachers rate each on accuracy, pitch, usefulness and editing time.
- Check each tool's data terms and cost.
Primary vs secondary priorities
Primary teachers plan across many subjects, so breadth and speed matter — Aila, Chalkie and Kuraplan's weekly planning suit this. Secondary teachers need exam specification accuracy and subject depth, so model answers and specification-aware prompts matter more.
What good AI planning looks like in practice
- The curriculum sequence is decided by teachers or the department.
- AI speeds up materials for individual lessons.
- Every lesson is checked before teaching.
- Good lessons are shared, so the team benefits.
- No pupil data is ever entered.
For a primary picture of this in action, see what AI looks like in a primary school on a Tuesday morning.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free AI lesson plan generator in the UK?
Oak National Academy's Aila is the best free starting point: it is built for the national curriculum in England and produces full lessons with quizzes and slides.
Are AI lesson plans aligned to the national curriculum?
Some are designed to be, such as Aila, TeachMate and TeacherMatic. Always check objectives against your own scheme of work.
Can I use Copilot or Gemini for lesson planning?
Yes. With a good prompt, general assistants plan well and usually come with your school's data protection if you use your school account.
Do AI lesson planners need pupil data?
No. Lesson planning should never need pupil names or personal information, which keeps it low risk.
Are AI lesson plans good enough to teach from?
They are good first drafts. Check facts, fit them to your sequence and adapt for your pupils before teaching.