Research · 001 · AI in Education

Custom AI tutoring systems
for UK schools.

Students are already using AI. Teachers are already using AI. But the systems schools are deploying are generic, off-the-shelf and built for nobody in particular. This research explores what genuinely bespoke AI tutoring looks like — and why schools need it now.

Status: Active research · Schools conversations ongoing · 2026
92%
of UK university students now use AI tools in their academic work
HEPI Student AI Survey 2025
76%
of teachers using AI have received no formal training in it
Twinkl UK Teacher Survey 2025
54%
higher test scores for students in AI-powered learning environments
Engageli Research 2025
£10tn
projected global education economy value by end of this decade
Education Economy Report 2025
The problem

Students are using AI.
Schools aren't ready.

AI adoption in education has outpaced institutional readiness at every level. The 2025 HEPI survey found that 92% of full-time UK undergraduates now use AI tools in their academic work — up from 66% just a year earlier. Meanwhile, 76% of teachers report receiving no training whatsoever in how to use or manage AI tools.

The result is a widening gap. Students are using generic tools like ChatGPT in unstructured, unguided ways. Schools are attempting to respond with blanket policies rather than purpose-built systems. And the opportunity to use AI as a genuine learning accelerator is being lost to improvisation.

"A 2025 randomised controlled trial found AI tutoring outperformed in-class active learning — with effect sizes between 0.73 and 1.3 standard deviations. The tools work. The question is whether schools are deploying them properly."

AI in education research

Research · 001 · AI in Education · Ernex Ltd · 2026

The opportunity

What bespoke AI tutoring
actually looks like.

SYSTEM · 01
Personalised tutoring

AI systems that adapt to each student's learning pace, style and knowledge gaps in real time — rather than delivering the same content at the same speed to every student in the class.

SYSTEM · 02
AI onboarding for staff

Structured AI onboarding programmes that take teachers from zero confidence to competent use in weeks — built around their subject, their year group and their school's specific policies.

SYSTEM · 03
Admin automation

AI handling the administrative load that consumes teacher time — report generation, feedback drafts, attendance analysis, timetabling support — freeing staff to focus on teaching.

SYSTEM · 04
Curriculum-aligned AI

AI tutoring tools built specifically around the UK national curriculum — not American or generic content — so every interaction reinforces exactly what students need to know for their assessments.

SYSTEM · 05
Ethical AI literacy

Structured programmes that teach students how to use AI tools responsibly, critically and effectively — building the skills they'll need throughout their education and into employment.

SYSTEM · 06
Progress analytics

AI-generated insight dashboards giving teachers and school leadership real-time visibility on individual student progress, engagement patterns and areas of concern — before they become problems.

The evidence

What the research says
about AI in education.

The data is compelling and consistent. AI-powered learning environments produce measurable improvements in student outcomes across multiple dimensions.

70%
improvement in course completion rates in AI-enhanced learning environments
Engageli Research · 2025
30%
improvement in retention rates through personalised AI learning — students learn what they need at the pace they need it
ArtSmart AI Education Report · 2025
15%
reduction in dropout rates at institutions using structured AI learning tools alongside traditional teaching
Engageli Research · 2025
12%
increase in graduation rates at universities deploying AI tools — per a 2025 meta-analysis of outcomes across institutions
ArtSmart AI Education Report · 2025
Research status

Active concept.
Conversations underway.

Ernex is currently in early conversations with UK schools about the practical needs, constraints and opportunities for bespoke AI tutoring systems. This research project is building the evidence base and product concept ahead of a formal offering.

If you work in education and want to be part of this — as a pilot school, a research partner or simply to share your experience — get in touch.

Get in touch
RESEARCH TIMELINE
Q1 2026
Research initiated. Evidence base compiled. Concept development underway.
Q2 2026
School conversations ongoing. Pilot programme scoping begins.
Q3 2026
Target: first pilot school engagement. System prototype development.
2027
Target: formal product launch. First bespoke school AI systems deployed.
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