Microsoft Copilot for Students: What UK Schools Need to Decide

Microsoft has extended Copilot Chat to students with school accounts, which means many UK secondary schools now have a decision to make: switch it on for pupils or not? Here is what to weigh up and how to do it safely if you go ahead.

What has changed

Microsoft has made Copilot Chat available to students signed in with school Microsoft 365 Education accounts, subject to age requirements and school settings, with the same enterprise data protection staff get. In practice, that means secondary schools on Microsoft 365 can give older pupils a protected AI assistant without a separate subscription. Check Microsoft's current education guidance for exact eligibility and age rules, as these have changed over time.

For staff, the picture is covered in is Copilot free for teachers? This article is about pupils.

Why some schools are switching it on

• It is safer than the alternative. Pupils are using AI anyway. A school account with data protection and monitoring beats personal accounts with neither.
• It enables teaching about AI. You cannot teach good AI use, source evaluation and critical thinking with tools pupils cannot use. See teaching AI source evaluation at KS4.
• It is already paid for as part of your Microsoft licence.

Why some schools are waiting

• Assessment integrity — especially for coursework under JCQ rules. See JCQ guidance on AI.
• Safeguarding checks not yet done — filtering, monitoring and DSL oversight need to cover it first.
• Policy not ready — pupils need clear rules before access, not after.

A safe rollout plan

1. Update your AI policy to cover pupil use: what it is for, what is not allowed, and consequences. See how to write a school AI policy.
2. Complete a DPIA covering pupil use — see AI DPIAs for schools.
3. Check safeguarding. Your DSL should review it against the DfE's generative AI product safety expectations and your filtering and monitoring arrangements.
4. Start with one group — for example, sixth form or a single year group — rather than the whole school.
5. Teach it before you release it. A lesson on good use, checking outputs and academic honesty should come first.
6. Tell parents what is being introduced and why. See explaining AI use to parents.
7. Review after a term — what worked, what went wrong, and whether to extend.

Primary schools

For primary pupils, age requirements mean pupil access to general AI assistants is usually not appropriate. Primary schools are better served by teacher-led AI use and carefully chosen child-safe tools. See safe AI classroom activities for KS2.

Classroom uses that work

• Explaining concepts in different ways — "explain photosynthesis as if to a Year 7".
• Revision questions — pupils generating practice questions on a topic.
• Feedback on drafts in low-stakes work, where allowed.
• Critiquing AI output — spotting errors and bias as a critical thinking exercise.

Rules pupils need to hear

1. AI can be wrong — always check.
2. Never share personal information about yourself or others.
3. Follow the rules for each piece of work — some allow AI, some do not.
4. If you see something upsetting or inappropriate, tell a teacher.
5. Your school account use can be monitored, like school email.

Measuring whether it works

After a term, ask pupils and teachers what they used it for, check for any safeguarding or assessment incidents, and decide whether to extend, adjust or pause. Report the outcome to governors. See setting up an AI steering group for a simple governance structure.