Microsoft has made the new Teach module in Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Notebooks and the Study Guide feature available to Microsoft 365 Education users. The tools help teachers create lesson plans, learning activities and resources, and give learners new ways to organise and revise material.
Microsoft Education is also running webinars for IT administrators on deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat securely, covering tenant settings, options for students aged 13 and over, provisioning, licensing and security controls.
Why it matters
As AI becomes built into Microsoft 365, schools face real decisions about licensing, who is eligible, age-appropriate access, data protection and safeguarding. Those decisions are much easier to make before staff and pupils start using the tools than after.
Before you roll it out
- Confirm which Copilot features your Microsoft 365 licensing actually includes.
- Review data protection and safeguarding implications, and complete a DPIA.
- Check Conditional Access, Microsoft Purview, data loss prevention and audit settings.
- Set appropriate age-based access for students.
- Start with a small, staff-only pilot.
- Update your acceptable use policy and staff guidance to cover generative AI.
Done well, these tools can save teachers real time. Done in a hurry, they can create safeguarding and data protection headaches. A short, structured rollout plan makes all the difference.
How we can help
This story first appeared in School IT Intelligence Week 4, our free weekly briefing for school IT teams and leaders. Read the full issue or subscribe free to get it every week.
Not sure where your school stands? Give us one day in your school and we’ll review your systems, licensing and security, and show you where money is being wasted and where risk is hiding. Book your IT review day →