AI maths tutoring programme: Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust is helping to lead the conversation around the use of artificial intelligence in education, demonstrating how schools can use the technology to provide high-quality, personalised tuition for students at scale.
The Trust’s work with AI-powered maths tutoring is attracting attention beyond its own academies, with Academy Improvement Advisor for Maths and Numeracy Natalie Thompson recently sharing FMAT’s approach on the national Education Showroom podcast, as well as speaking at conferences and webinars.
Through a partnership with Third Space Learning, students across the Trust have access to an AI tutor called Sky, which provides personalised, one-to-one maths support that adapts to individual needs. By allowing pupils to ask questions through speech or text and receive tailored guidance instantly, the programme is helping to make high-quality tutoring accessible to more young people, regardless of their background.
Natalie said such support would never have been scalable in the past.
“It would be impossible to hire human tutors for every student in the Trust, but we still want to provide the best learning opportunities for our pupils.
“Of course, AI tutoring could never replace teaching, but as teachers you have to embrace new technology, especially when it means you can better support disadvantaged students. It’s been a really valuable tool.”
There are two pathways involved in the AI maths tutoring programme – one where the AI explains a subject in depth to build understanding, and another focused on practising skills.
AI maths tutoring programme trialled across trust
Third Space Learning was trialled in all four FMAT schools earlier this year, with a particularly positive response at Bournville All-Through School, where some less confident students felt more comfortable asking the AI questions because of the lack of judgement.
“In education, there are benefits to using AI as well as dangers,” said Natalie. “You have to be selective. We knew Third Space Learning’s maths tutoring was one of the great opportunities AI could provide and it’s brilliant to be providing a blueprint for what other schools can accomplish with this software.”