Our verdict
Being tested. An editor is using Aila hands-on; the verdict and score appear here once they sign it off.
What it does
Aila is a free AI lesson assistant from Oak National Academy. You describe the lesson you want to teach, and it works through it with you step by step, pausing for your changes, to produce a lesson plan, a slide deck, two quizzes and a worksheet. It can also make stand-alone resources such as glossaries and comprehension tasks.
It draws on Oak’s library of teacher-made resources for the national curriculum in England, so it is a closer fit for English classrooms than tools built for US schools. Teachers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will need to adapt lessons to their own curriculum.
Why use it
- Free for every teacher, and Oak says it always will be.
- It draws mostly on Oak’s own resources, which expert teachers have checked for accuracy.
- One conversation gives you a full lesson: a plan, slides, two quizzes and a worksheet.
- Oak says its AI tools exceed the Department for Education’s latest safety standards, and Aila blocks topics with serious safeguarding risks, such as self-harm.
How it works
- Create a free account on Oak National Academy’s website.
- Describe the lesson you want to teach, including the subject and Key Stage.
- Work through each section with Aila, asking for changes as you go.
- Adapt it to your class, such as your local area or your pupils’ reading age.
- Download the finished resources and check them before you teach.
How hard is it to use?
Beginner Easy to start. You need an account, not any technical know-how.
It asks you questions and builds the lesson in stages, so there is nothing to set up. It takes longer than one-click tools because it pauses for your input at each step.
What it costs
Free. Completely free, with no paid plan: Oak National Academy says Aila, like all its resources, is free and always will be.
Prices change often, so check Aila’s own site before you pay.
Watch out for
- AI can still get facts wrong, so check every slide and quiz answer before you teach it.
- It is built around the national curriculum in England, so teachers elsewhere in the UK will need to adapt lessons.
- Don’t type in pupils’ names or personal details: it doesn’t need them to plan a lesson.
Your data
Oak says teachers’ use of Aila isn’t used to retrain the AI behind it, though Oak staff may review examples to improve its safety features. It doesn’t need any details that identify pupils, so leave them out.
We haven’t confirmed that Aila can keep your data in the UK, so check where it keeps your data before you share anything private or about other people.