Stimulating Imagination through Interactive Experiences

The attention to detail in many modern computer games in astounding. Players can explore fantasy and historical worlds that are rich in environmental and man-made details.

• To what extent can this level of simulation be leveraged in primary education to meet the needs of learners?

  
  

• Can the time spend playing computer games be justified in a school setting, where time is scarce and demands are so high?

  
  

• How would use of computer games look like in schools, where resource constraints may precent purchase of expensive gaming PCs?

We will explore some computer games with educational potential and then return to these questions.

Discovery Tours

The Discovery Tours games are educational versions of the Assassin's Creed games by Ubisoft. The Discovery Tours games feature the game world and characters, with the elements of combat removed from the games.

There are three versions of Discovery Tours, one set in Ancient Greece, one in Ancient Egypt at the time of the Romans and one in Britain at the time of the Viking invasions.

The Ancient Greek version of the game is perhaps the most fully developed for education. It features well-designed tours set around themes, including politics, the Olympic Games and Philosophy. The games set in Egypt and Britain are also astounding in their detail, but slightly harder to navigate; the tours in the Egyptian game are not as compelling as the Greek game and the game set in Britain features a narrative story, that may may it harder to use (though not impossible) in schools. To be clear, all three games are incredible, absorbing and let children experience settings in breath-taking detail.

For schools that decided to use the tours in lessons, they would likely purchase a single gaming PC for the class to use together via a projector. A graphics card with at least 6GB of VRAM would be needed to run the games at their full potential. It is also worth changing some of the graphics settings to ensure smooth gameplay, things like VSync can be toggled on or off to affect this.

I have shared lesson resources for Discovery Tours on this website here.

I would suggest using Discovery Tours as a means to ask and answer questions, a bit like going on a field trip. The teacher can also guid the class on the in-game tours, which guide players through interesting aspects of ancient life.

The interactive Greek environment in Discovery Tours is breathtaking and designed with education in mind.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is an amazing achievement. It is a complete, 3D representation of the planet Earth, modelling mountains, hills, forests, valleys, cities and rivers.

There are two modern versions of Flight Simulator, one from 2020 and one from 2024. The 2020 version is more than adequate for schools wishing to use this program.

Due to the level of detail in the games, schools could use Microsoft Flight simulator to explore human and physical geography of locations they were learning about. This could prompt questions for further investigation, or answer questions that children had posed beforehand.

Through using Flight Simulator, children will also learn about mathematical concepts, including height, speed and bearing. Some children will have prior interest in flying and others will develop this through using the software!

Like other games, perhaps the most out of this selection, Microsoft Flight Simulator needs a powerful gaming PC to run smoothly and in high detail.

Flight Simulator offers children the chance to explore localities that they are studying or might visit.

No Man's Sky

I remember showing a Year 4 class I was teaching a trailer to No Man's Sky before it was released. The children were astounded and inspired by just a couple of minutes' footage, which showed them alien creatures on procedurally generated worlds.

No Man's Sky lets players explore the universe, visiting planets that are generated by complex algorithms. The size of the game means that each player is likely the first player to have ever set foot on any give planet and experience its wildlife (or lack thereof!)

No Man's Sky could be a great stimulus for creative writing about science fiction or fantasy settings. Teachers would have to set the game up themselves, choosing the 'sandbox' version of a game and preparing a world to explore together. There are combat elements in the game, although these are fairly easy to avoid of players focus on exploration.

It is difficult to imagine a better stimulus for creative sci-fi writing than the worlds of No Man's Sky.

Manor Lords

Manor Lords lets players build a medieval town, collecting food, timber, stone and using this to build a wide range of buildings including houses, farms, churches and castles.

The game is incredibly detailed and atmospheric, from its medieval soundtrack, to the sounds that villagers and animals make as they move around the town.

There is a combat element to the game, although this can be switched off when setting up a world.

Children might use Manor Lords to explore and imagine medieval life and some of the challenges of building a medieval city. As well as generating historical understanding, the game could prompt writing about some of these topics and medieval life. The game is not aimed at children, so teachers would need to try the game and consider carefully whether it is suitable for children in their school.

Manor Lords simulates the development of medieval towns.

Kerbal Space Program

Kerbal Space Program lets players build rockets and aeroplanes to transport fictional aliens, known as Kerbals, into space.

There are different types of gameplay within the game. Schools would likely make the 'sandbox' version available to children, giving them access to the full range of parts and infinite money for building.

Through playing Kerbal Space Program, children can learn about forces, engineering and principles of flight control and orbital dynamics. Reaching orbit with a rocket is surprisingly easy, landing again not so much! Players can potentially reach other moons and planets in the system too, but this requires understanding of orbits and careful timing.

Kerbal Space Program is a delightful introduction to engineering and rocket science and may inspire some children to pursue these fields further. In terms of whole class use, it could be a way for children in Upper Key Stage 2 to explore engineering, or a great after-school club activity.

Kerbal Space Program allows children to explore physics and engineering with often explosive results!

Conclusions

To return to the questions we stated with:

To what extent can this level of simulation be leveraged in primary education to meet the needs of learners?

As with all use of technology in school, use of computer games in lessons needs to be considered against the objectives that are being aimed for. Would use of a computer game to explore Ancient Greece be better than a visit to a museum, a practical, hands-on activity, or research using books and concrete resources? Would use of a computer game as a prompt for sci-fi writing be a better prompt than use of practical objects, images, text or other resources? These are the conversations that teachers and school leaders can engage in.

Can the time spend playing computer games be justified in a school setting, where time is scarce and demands are so high?

Ultimately, the decision to use games like these in the classroom will depend on the school curriculum, views of teachers and resources available. The games above are some of the best examples of immersive experiences, suitable for children, and if used well, have the potential to stimulate enquiry and learning.

How would use of computer games look like in schools, where resource constraints may precent purchase of expensive gaming PCs?

It is likely that schools that decided to use these kinds of games would invest in a single PC capable, costing in the region of £500-£1000. This would restrict use to whole-class use, led by the teacher or groups of children at a time. This kind of experience can still be impactful, if the teacher has planned class activities carefully, or given smaller groups a focus that they can achieve in a short time. It is worth noting that of these games, Kerbal Space Program has significantly lower requirements and may work on computers without specialised graphics cards.

Developing Agency in Primary Education

What is agency?

Pupils have agency when they have ownership of their learning. They are active participants in the learning process with awareness of their achievements and needs. They understand why they are learning the current information and make decisions during the learning process including about what to spend time on and how to learn most effectively.

Agency involves choice, but does not equate to pupils making every decision about their learning. Teachers possess the expertise and experience needed to structure the curriculum and set tasks to enable development. Similarly, at some point in the learning process, pupils will need to trust the advice of educators that particular methods are more effective, striking a ball in sport, performing a calculation in maths or structuring a sentence as examples.

In her article, Pupil voice and agency: Exploring the evidence-base, Dr Julia Flutter explores research on pupil voice and agency in primary schools. She recommends that the curriculum contain 'opportunities for pupils to experience choice, ownership and agency in their learning', as well as 'opportunities for active engagement in collaborative, real-world problem solving.' Through exploring research on agency, Dr Flutter addresses benefits to motivation, enthusiasm for learning and the ability to self educate.

The paper, 'Student Agency for 2030', OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 Conceptual learning framework, explores the concept of agency and interestingly, how this can vary between different cultures.

Fundamentally, expecting pupils to demonstrate agency means treating them like young people, with different needs, but not entirely different to adults. 'Student Agency for 2030' states, 'Some have considered pupils to be the most ignored members of society.' Many adults who have been subject to learning without agency will have found this a frustrating experience, agency recognises that this also applies to children.

How can schools leverage technology to provide agency?

Any use of technology in schools must be based on needs, and a decision that the technology is the best solution to address that need.

Technology is not the only way to provide agency for children in primary education. Children can achieve agency through simple tracking sheets in their books, keeping track of their times table progress, vocabulary used or success criteria shared with them by the teacher. It is always worth bearing these simple approaches in mind before selecting any technology to address an identified need.

Technology that provides children with agency often offers them speed and convenience in making their own choices.

Book Creator - creating eBooks, portfolios, recordings and flashcards

Book Creator is a simple, but powerful app for iPads, also available through the browser. Using Book Creator, children can collect photos, videos, voice recordings, drawings, maps and test and add these to an eBook. This can give ownership of the things they choose to collect relating to their learning, whether things that make a sound for phonics, or photographs and commentary of a scientific experiment.

Children can use the simple voice recorder tool in Book Creator to rehearse sentences before writing them, making decisions themselves about the effectiveness and quality of their writing. (Children can also use other tools life the Voice Memo app on iPads for this purpose).

Book Creator is also an excellent tool for making flashcards. Children can make a page with a concept that they wish to learn, adding an explanation on the next page that they can flick between. This can be useful for vocabulary, number facts or more complex concepts. By making their own flashcards, children choose what to focus on and take ownership of reviewing and learning the content.

Book Creator is a simple, but effective tool that can be used to give even young children agency over their learning

Digital portfolios - pupil self assessment

Teachers can share slide decks with children as templates for them to store and organise their learning. By providing headings for slides, teachers can make expectations clear to children, who then add to the slides to meet these expectations. Teachers can easily share copies of presentations using Google Classroom and choosing 'make a copy' when attaching slides to an assignment.

Children could also add to their own portfolios using other tools, such as adding to a Google Site, or adding their work to an iMovie or equivalent.

Project-based learning

As Dr Julia Flutter observed, offering pupils opportunities to contribute to meaningful projects with real-world applications can be an important means of giving them agency over their learning. Pupils who work on projects are often highly motivated. They see the purpose for the writing they are doing, the maths they are using or the coding they are working on. They also have opportunities to apply their learning, communicate and collaborate and shape the direction their work is going in.

I would offer a couple of caveats to advocating project-based learning (which I wholeheartedly do!). Firstly, children must have the skills and knowledge in the first place. They must have practised calculation before undertaking a maths project, or scientific method before carrying out an investigation. Secondly, children must be taught how to engage in projects. They must be taught how to research, communicate, prioritise, manage time and all other aspects of project work.

The Apps for Good project is an incredible opportunity for school children to engage in project-based learning. I have written about Apps for Good separately here.

Apps for Good is a challenging, but highly motivating course, suitable for children in upper key stage 2 and secondary education.

Accessibility

Children can often use the built-in accessibility features of technology to remove barriers for themselves and increase their role as active participants in their learning. Most web browsers have built in accessibility tools, such as the 'reading' mode in Google Chrome, which can filter out text, change background colours and read text aloud. Google Chrome also features translate tools, giving children who speak English as a second language ways to help themselves when reading.

Teaching children to set up and use bookmarks in a browser is another way of helping them to simplify the process of using technology and accessing resources.

Teaching children to use accessibility tools, such as those found in browsers like Google Chrome, or in iPad settings helps them to remove barriers themselves and make decisions to facilitate their own learning.

Google Classroom - sharing resources of different types

Teachers can share resources using a virtual learning environment (VLE) such as Google Classroom. Resources can include examples, prompts, vocabulary, quizzes for self-assessment and instructional videos. Organising resources by topics helps children access resources easily, at their own pace.

AI-generated content

Teachers can harness the power of AI tools like Google Gemini to offer students new ways of making choices about their learning.

Generative AI tools like Google Gemini give teachers ways to quicky create different types of content to address the needs and preferences of learners.

Teachers can ask generative AI tools to create different ways for children to learn and review content, from quizzes based on online videos, to audio content based on learning materials, to flashcards and differentiated texts. With careful consideration, teachers may choose to give children a choice over which method they choose to use for independent practise, allowing children to use personalised content as much as is needed to understand a topic or concept.

Self-directed learning

There are many online learning platforms and courses available for children to use, which can guide them through learning at their own pace and allow them to repeat topics as needed.

One of the most effective that I have experienced has been the coding courses on code.org. Once teachers have created a class and assigned a unit to a class, children can practise computing concepts at their own pace, supported by excellent videos and tasks.

Children often enjoy the freedom to work at their own pace and take charge of their learning using online platforms. Of course, use of such platforms will always be balanced with teacher input and interaction.

The courses on code.org are engaging and well designed and can give children agency over how they learn concepts in computing

Conclusion

As ever with technology, it is easy to become confused with so many tools available, wondering which to choose and whether the benefits justify the investments.

In this case, we always return to the issue at hand, the need for children to have more agency in their learning; to be active participants who value and understand what is happening to them at school.

Having established this, schools should feel confident in selecting one, or none of the types of technology mentioned above to offer students greater agency, with the benefits of agency that we have explored.

AI in Primary Education

How should primary schools approach the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools?

As with the use of all technology in schools, the answer to this question comes from schools having a clear strategy that considers needs, evaluates opportunities provided by digital tools, and aims for clear and measurable outcomes.

In this blog, we consider children's and teachers' needs in schools and explore how incorporation of AI addresses these. We also explore the AI Framework for Primary and Secondary Education, which provides valuable insight into ways that AI tools might address the needs of pupils and teachers in schools.

Children's needs

Primary education aims to equip children with the skills and knowledge they need in the early parts of their lives. Primary children expand their horizons from their immediate vicinity to their classmates and the wider world around them. They develop their own interests and are introduced to new possibilities, skills and ways of expressing their ideas and creativity.

Many of the skills that children learn in primary education are 'soft skills'. These include resilience, communication, negotiation, listening, empathy, logical thinking, independence confidence and self-esteem. These skills are not listed in the curriculum, although are referenced in some subjects and particularly in the early years framework.

To what extent are digital literacy and AI literacy part of children's needs at primary level?

The 2025 Curriculum Review identified five areas of learning that needed more attention within the curriculum. These were oracy, financial literacy, media literacy, digital literacy and education on climate change and sustainability.

The review addressed understanding of AI, stating,

'Recent advancements in AI and generative AI have made digital literacy even more critical. While the long-term impact of AI remains uncertain, young people should understand how it works, its capabilities and limitations.'

I covered the review in detail here, discussing how the review will impact secondary computing more than primary computing. The review recommends that a GCSE in computer science replace that of computing, incorporating digital literacy and specifically, teaching about AI

The review recognises the need to educate children about safe, critical and responsible use of technology. Children need to be taught to recognise misinformation and to critically evaluate example of AI use. The review is concerned about current provision, stating,

"a lack of digital literacy has a negative impact on the ability to safely use, and critically engage with, digital technology for personal and work purposes. Those who are digitally disengaged can struggle to navigate a digital society and access work opportunities."

With the rapid development of technology use, including by primary-age children, the curriculum should be evaluated to ensure that children are literate about the technology around them. In 2026, the new Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum will apply to schools in England, setting out more detailed requirements concerning e-safety, sources of information and healthy online activities.

A 2025 Ofcom report found that almost one fifth of 3-5 year olds use social media apps independently. 44% of 8-9 year olds were aware of algorithms used to send them content and half of 8-17 year olds reported using AI, a rise from 46% in the previous year. This increase was primarily driven by 13-15 year olds.

In terms of owning a phone, 19% of 3-5 year olds did, 30% of 6-7 year olds, 42% of 8-9 year olds and 82% of 10-12 year olds. This figure rises to 97% of 13-15 year olds.

It is highly likely that any children with access to a phone will encountered AI tools, whether as apps or online. It is also likely that these children will encounter social media and content that is not appropriate for them. Schools must often tread a fine line between discussion of technology which is not age-appropriate, and giving children information they might need about things they encounter. One way to approach this is by teachers deciding on age-appropriate messages and principles that children should be clear upon, such as questioning online content and telling adults if they are concerned. At the same time, children have a safe and supportive environment in which to discuss their experiences. This already happens in E-safety lessons in computing and PSHE, lessons may now need to be adapted to include opportunities to discuss application of AI, specifically.

AI literacy needs will ultimately, stem from the school's overall digital strategy, which forms part of the whole school strategy. Schools may decide that children need opportunities to discuss the AI tools that they are encountering and incorporate use of AI into lessons to facilitate this. Some schools may decide that the benefits of personalised learning, or opportunities for immediate feedback justify the student-use of AI tools in school. What is important, is that these decisions are strategic and considered at whole-school level, as well as regularly reviewed.

Teachers' needs

In September 2025, the National Literacy Trust provided data about teachers' use of generative A.I. The percentage of teaching using generative AI had nearly doubled, from 31% in 2023, to 58% in 2025. Of teachers using generative AI once a month, 58.7% said they had used it to create lesson resources, 46.4% to create quizzes and comprehension tests, 31.4% to summarise documents and 20.7% to model writing styles for pupils.

In this survey, teachers expressed reservations about student use of AI, with 43% of teachers believing that it would have a negative impact on children's writing overall. 86.2% of teachers believe that students should be taught to engage critically with AI tools and 66.9% of teachers reported that they needed more training.

In Summer 2025, the UK Government published its paper, 'The biggest risk is doing nothing: insights from early adopters of artificial intelligence in schools and further education colleges.' This paper provides useful insights into the rationale for schools using AI, benefits and methods of implementation, particularly among early adopters.

The paper stated,

"Generative AI can be used to streamline administrative tasks, plan lessons and support assessment. This has made it particularly attractive for reducing teacher workload, so that teachers can focus on delivering high-quality teaching and working directly with pupils."

The report recognised a wide range in use in AI in schools, from, "using AI to streamline administrative tasks to allowing pupils to use it in a direct and interactive way."

The report noted the potential for teachers to save time on lesson panning and administrative tasks, highlighting a study where teachers used Chat GPT for lesson planning and resource creation, reducing planning and administration by 31%, or 25 minutes per week.

The report also noted the potential benefits of providing formative assessment and feedback. AI has the potential to provide detailed and immediate feedback at a scale that teachers would not be able to. Resources can be tailored to pupil needs in real time, based on needs. However, the report noted the limitations of AI feedback, in terms of not being able to give reasons for decisions and being unable to correctly assess nuance and creativity.

Despite the title of the report, which highlights the risks of doing nothing, the report noted a cautious approach being taken by many schools and MATs regarding AI, stating,

"The speed of AI development after the launch of Chat GPT, and inconclusive evidence about its impact, meant these leaders typically took their time to research and understand AI and the different tools available."

Strategy was highlighted as being important, with the report stating,

"The leaders we spoke to emphasised that senior leaders needed to have a clear vision for AI and know how they wanted staff to use it as part of their own practice."

As the report stated, strategy is often still developing,

"Very few (leaders) had a longer-term strategy beyond the initial testing and piloting stage."

Interestingly, the report found that,

"Adoption of AI was split equally between those who gave teacher workload as the main reason for its adoption and leaders who prioritised pupils...Teacher-facing AI tools support teaching and are used by staff for lesson planning, creating resources and suggesting activities. They can also support with administration and giver personalised feedback. Learner-facing tools are used by pupils themselves and include intelligent tutoring systems and AI chatbots."

The report gave valuable insights into the experience of leaders, AI champions and MATs in incorporating AI into education. The experiences and perspectives vary, and this is part of what makes the report such a compelling read. However, what comes across clearly throughout the report is the need to use AI tools in schools according to strategic goals, in order to ensure that changes made to schools are impactful and long-lasting.

The A.I. Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education

The AI Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education is a document produced jointly by the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), supported by code.org and leading experts.

The framework makes the case for teaching AI literacy in schools, explaining that AI is already part of the world for young people and that they need guidance in understanding and working with it.

The AI Framework for Primary and Secondary Education highlights the need to organise teaching about AI literacy to ensure a coherent and useful message for young people.

The framework provides examples of what AI literacy might look loke, in terms of both teacher use and pupil experience at primary-level. As the framework states,

"It is up to educators to decide when to introduce AI tools, how to scaffold understanding, and what it means to assess student learning in a rapidly changing landscape."

The framework gives explanation of what AI literacy might look like for pupils of different age groups.

The framework identifies four aspects of AI literacy: engaging, creating, managing and designing AI. Usefully, for each of these both primary and secondary examples are provided. For schools that have decided that developing pupil AI literacy is part of their digital strategy, these examples of primary AI literacy are useful staring points for discussion and lesson activities.

The framework identifies four aspects of AI literacy: engaging, creating, managing and designing. For each of these, primary and secondary examples are provided.

The A.I. Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education lays out the case and a pathway for teaching AI literacy in schools

Conclusions

As with all incorporation of technology in schools, incorporation of AI should be strategic. The school's overall strategy will inform its digital strategy, which will inform the school's approach to use of AI. Although AI technology and possibilities are evolving rapidly, schools should make decisions that are based on well-considered and long term goals, and avoid being led solely by the promises of a particular product.

It is important that schools are well-informed when it comes to making decisions about AI. Schools can learn from each other, from reports such as those listed above and from the literature that companies produce when describing their products. Again, with all of these sources, it is important to consider them alongside the school's considered strategy.

In terms of pupil experience of AI, there is undoubtedly a need to educate pupils about this increasingly prevalent and relevant field. Just like areas such as E-safety, health and road safety, children should have the opportunity to understand what AI means and to discuss its implications, at age appropriate levels. This may be, for example, involve discussing how video platforms suggest videos based on previous activity. AI literacy may involve discussions about sorting data and drawing conclusions, fairly far removed from any actual use of technology, as in the examples given for primary children in the AI Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education.