Why AI is the New ‘Pedagogical Partner’ in the Primary Classroom?
In the fast-moving world of educational technology, it is easy to get caught up in the constant stream of updates and announcements. Recently, I have found myself stepping back from the "noise" to consider how we are actually going to use AI within the classroom. It is akin to the idiom of not seeing the wood for the trees. Everybody seems to be talking about shiny new AI tools but struggling to think about how the wood looks as a whole. As educators often say, the "magic" of a primary classroom is not found in a textbook, a software platform or a new tech gadget. It happens in those tiny, individual sparks: the moment a child finally "gets" a phonics sound, the understanding coming from creating a podcast from their own ideas or the sense of independence from completing a task that shifts a pupil's entire day.
At hi-impact, we deliver over 500 workshops with pupils each year. When the team comes back to the HQ and gets around the table, they like to talk about the impact of the tech on pupils and teachers, not just the tech itself. The tech we use just works but we also know the reality of the maths: one teacher, maybe a teaching assistant, thirty children and only six hours a day. It is a constant battle for time. We have been partnering with Google for several years and have helped bring Google tools to schools to make sure those moments can happen seamlessly with technology. As one of their official professional development partners, we engage with Google’s education strategy closely and there is a fundamental shift happening. It is not about replacing that classroom magic with a screen; it is about building a new type of learning tool in every classroom.
We are moving away from AI as a "search box" and toward AI as a "pedagogical partner." I was privileged to attend the recent Google Global Partner Summit in London at the beginning of the year. Google was very clear about how they see technology can be used in schools to benefit learners directly in ways we have struggled previously to achieve. I have taken Google’s 2026 roadmap for Learning Models (LMs) and reflected on how it is tackling the challenges that matter to school leaders.
There is a valid fear that AI leads to "metacognitive laziness," the classic copy-paste culture. Google’s strategy is moving from Generative AI (which just gives answers) to Pedagogical AI. These models are being "taught" to think like tutors. Instead of fulfilling a prompt with a finished story, the AI is instructed to "guide, not tell." It nudges learners with hints and scaffolding, keeping them in that "sweet spot" of learning where they are challenged but supported. Prioritising the process over the product, you can try Gemini's Guided Learning mode for a start.
A conversation for this year is that AI should augment the teacher and not replace them. Think of Gemini in the classroom as a learning and admin tool that handles the heavy cognitive load of admin. By helping a teacher take one lesson plan and adapt it for five different ability groups or learning needs instantly, or drafting parent communications, the AI "buys back" the time staff need for face-to-face mentorship and human connection. For primary schools, data privacy and "hallucinations" (AI making things up) are non-negotiable risks. This is where grounding comes in, specifically through tools like NotebookLM. Rather than letting an AI roam the internet, teachers can "ground" the assistant in specific and trusted sources, such as your own curriculum PDFs or a verified website. The result is that the AI only answers based on the safe content you have provided. It stays within the walls you build.
Primary learners have diverse needs, from EYFS through to KS2. Google’s LMs are multimodal (processing text, images and audio simultaneously), accessibility is central rather than a bolt-on feature. Features like creating a podcast you can share with a group of learners about the Romans in Britain, creating a sequencing activity in Gemini Canvas for the Little Red Hen and Read Along in Google Classroom which allows the AI to act as a "listening ear." This provides real-time and supportive feedback on pronunciation while the teacher is busy leading a guided reading group. It is support that actually scales.
Interestingly, Google is also helping schools shift from "AI-proofing" assignments to "AI-integrating" them. Although this is more of a concern in the secondary and HE sector, beginning this journey in primary is vital. The goal is to build digital resistance and critical thinking in our pupils. This means moving toward an assessment that AI cannot replicate, such as oral presentations, discussions and portfolios, while teaching children how to use AI ethically as a brainstorming partner. We are not just teaching them to use a tool; we are teaching them to understand the world they are growing up in.
What does all this mean? For some time, we have talked about how the true value of classroom technology lies not in the gadget but in the positive impact it has on the moments of learning and inspiration. The introduction of AI, though, has made that impact so personal to each pupil. How many schools have mottos that say something like "to do the best each of us can do in mind, body and spirit"? We are now able to make sure that each of our pupils can aspire to this in ways meaningful to them. In the beginning, classroom technology was a repository of information: CD-ROMs, the internet, research and word processing. We saw an explosion of creative tools with Web 2.0 technology and with mobile devices from 2006. Today, with AI and LM, it is becoming a partner in the process of understanding. Technology tools are being designed to do the heavy lifting of data planning and admin, giving your teachers and teaching assistants the one thing they always need more of: the time to do what only we can do, inspire.
What steps will your school take this year to ensure the time AI "buys back" for your staff is dedicated to the connection and inspiration that only a teacher can provide?
Alan Crist, Director of Education at hi-impact.
