Shaping Plan Assist AI tool with our global network of teachers

9 April 2026
2 min read

We are pleased to announce the launch of the first in a series of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, designed to help teachers save time, personalize learning, and navigate some of the biggest challenges faced in the classroom.听

The tool,听, has been developed in partnership with leading global edtech provider , combining our pedagogical expertise with advanced AI technology.

With resource generation at its core,听Plan Assist听works to help teachers to create custom materials, such as lesson plans, glossaries, flashcards, and much more. When generating questions and answers through Avallain鈥檚 technology, it leverages trusted OUP content in the prompts to produce high-quality, curriculum-aligned outputs. By simplifying the planning process, it helps to save time for teachers while delivering results tailored 鈥嬧嬧媐or鈥 them and their students.鈥

Ensuring value through teacher-led testing

Thetechnology that powers听Plan Assist听has already been recognized in major edtech awards, including BETT and the Learning Technology Awards.

Ahead of launch, we carried out a rigorous research and testing programme involving external subject matter experts, pilot trials with UK and international teachers, and extensive testing across four languages and multiple regions. This ensured the tool is robust, reliable, and provided real value for diverse classrooms, with participating teachers reporting听鈥媡hat听鈥媡he tool provides 鈥a range of resources to support a teacher successfully in the classroom with ideas, content,听and activities鈥澨and praising 鈥渋ts ability to instantly rewrite the same content for different audiences鈥.

Teacher voices driving more effective support

To reflect the realities of classroom life, we gathered feedback from our global teacher network to provide insights into the pressures they are currently facing and what they need from digital platforms to work more efficiently.

Across the responses, three challenges were highlighted in particular:听

  • not having enough time and feeling over-stretched (74%)听
  • mental health and wellbeing (55%)听
  • budget restrictions (54%)听

Alongside these pressures, teachers also outlined what an effective digital platform must offer to truly support their work. Teachers said they needed:听

  • The ability to download, adapt, and print ready鈥憁ade teaching and planning resources (56%)听
  • Tools to support front鈥憃f鈥慶lass teaching using high鈥憅uality presentations (54%)听
  • Functionality to听monitor听and report on student progress (52%)听
  • AI features to help create lesson plans and teaching resources (50%)听

They also emphasized the importance of:听

  • Immediate, actionable feedback for learners听
  • Auto鈥憁arking and data tracking听
  • Exam听board or subject specificity听
  • Student interactivity and engagement features听

These insights provided a clear picture of the challenges teachers face and the digital capabilities they value most, shaping the focus of our support to ensure all products and services make a real difference.

Fiona Fortes

International Product Director in our Education division

鈥淭eachers everywhere are being asked to do more with less time. By combining OUP鈥檚 trusted content with responsible, innovative AI capabilities, we are giving teachers practical tools that make a real difference in the classroom. At OUP, our focus has always been to lead with learning and ensure that technology is there to support teachers. Our key principles听remain听at the heart of everything we do 鈥 creating resources that have real purpose and a human in听the听loop, while听prioritizing听quality content and pedagogy and safe, ethical use.

As we continue to innovate, we look for opportunities where technology can deliver meaningful, positive change within education, when developed responsibly and in collaboration with our global teaching community.鈥

Monika Morawska, COO at听Avallain,听said:听

鈥淏uilding on our听expertise听in digital content creation technology and the rich feedback of the 60,000 highly engaged educators actively using our existing AI toolset听TeacherMatic, we are delighted to bring proven, practical, and ethical AI features to more teachers through Plan Assist. Our collaboration with OUP has been one of shared goals and values: putting humans, educational outcomes,听and creative, impactful content first.鈥

Plan Assist听will be available on听,听our online learning platform which supports teachers to save time and engage students with a range of resources. It will continue rolling out听to courses听in 2026.

You can find out more about Plan Assist .

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