Teachmate University Partnership Programme launches with 25 universities and Teach First in inaugural cohort
From September, trainee teachers at partner universities will have a year's free access to Teachmate, a school-safe AI platform built by teachers, giving them the confidence and professional judgement to use AI responsibly from the very start of their careers.
Teachmate has today confirmed the inaugural cohort of its University Partnership Programme, with 25 universities and initial teacher education providers (including Teach First) signing up to give trainee teachers 12 months of free access to the school-safe platform from the start of the 2026/27 academic year.
The programme, first announced in January, offers PGCE students, final-year BA Education students and relevant course leads full access to Teachmate at no cost. The aim is for new teachers to enter the profession with the confidence and professional judgement to use AI responsibly, rather than working it out alone once workload has started to increase.
From an idea in January to a national cohort by September
Partner university institutions in the first cohort include Bath Spa University, Birmingham City University, Birmingham Newman University, Canterbury Christ Church University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Lincoln Bishop University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Oxford Brookes University, Sheffield Hallam University, Ulster University, the University of Bedfordshire, the University of Derby, the University of Gloucestershire, the University of Huddersfield, the University of Northampton, the University of Reading, the University of Roehampton, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, the University of the West of England, the University of Wolverhampton and the University of York.
The response has been unlike anything we could have expected. The programme was advertised in the UCET (Universities' Council for the Education of Teachers) Weekly Bulletin earlier this year, and UCET has been supportive of the initiative throughout, something the Teachmate team is incredibly grateful for.
Dr Jon Chippindall, CEO and Co-founder of Teachmate, said:
"When we introduced this programme in January, we hoped a handful of universities might want to take part. To have 25 institutions and Teach First on board before the academic year has properly started tells us something about where the sector is. Course leads know their trainees will be using AI in schools whether or not anyone has prepared them for it, and they would rather that preparation happens on their watch, with a platform built for teachers and with proper data safeguards in place."
Built on research with The University of Manchester
The programme grew out of Teachmate's ongoing research collaboration with the University of Manchester, a three-year study into AI and teacher development led by Liz Birchinall and colleagues from the Manchester Institute of Education.
The first-year report found that AI integration appeared to enhance trainees' professional judgement, creativity and contextual awareness, with many producing resources they would never normally have had time to create and adapting AI outputs thoughtfully to the needs of the students in front of them.
Liz and the primary PGCE team chose Teachmate because it was designed specifically for teachers, and because trainees' data was protected in a way that free versions of generic AI tools do not offer. Trainees were encouraged to explore what AI can and cannot do (use of the tool was entirely voluntary) and the report found that this approach strengthened, rather than replaced, professional practice. It also prompted the team to introduce new sessions on AI literacy and prompt engineering into the programme itself.
What partners are saying:
Professor Claire Ball-Smith, Director of Initial Teacher Education at the University of York, and Freya Fowles, PGCE Curriculum Area Leader for English and ITE AI Lead, said:
"Integrating an effective use of AI into the training programme of our Beginning Teachers at York has already been a characteristic of our teaching for the last couple of years. But what we were lacking was a bespoke AI platform and toolkit which was made for teachers specifically, within a closed AI system. When we found out about Teachmate at last year's UCET conference from our Manchester colleagues, we decided that it was worthwhile asking to be part of the Teachmate pilot.
"We are now carefully integrating Teachmate's features into both our general and subject/age specific training components and we are excited to be a part of their pilot with university HEI providers this year. We see a lot of potential in the flexibility of the Teachmate platform and the bespoke nature of the training which Teachmate colleagues offer. This will help our Beginning Teachers start to use AI appropriately as they commence their placements.
"At York, we aim to produce teachers who enter their careers not only aware of AI but able to responsibly use a closed AI platform like Teachmate to speed up their workloads as busy ECTs. Teachmate's staff have been incredibly helpful as we continue on the journey of AI discovery and as we have embarked using this specific platform."
Jonny Usherwood, Head of Computing – Transformational Programmes at Teach First, said:
"We're delighted that our trainee teachers will have free access to Teachmate from the very start of their careers. At Teach First, we're committed to developing reflective, evidence-informed teachers who can make the greatest difference for children and young people. Giving trainees access to safe and responsible AI tools from the outset will help them work more effectively, focus more of their time on excellent teaching, and build the skills they need to thrive in modern classrooms."
How partners are approaching the rollout
Universities have been given the freedom to introduce Teachmate in whatever way suits their programme. Some are rolling it out to trainees from day one, while others have chosen to wait until after the first placement so that students experience planning without AI before they are introduced to it. One partner is extending access to its international iPGCE cohort, and another is beginning with staff and final-year undergraduates before adding PGCE students later in the year.
That flexibility is deliberate. The programme is not about replacing professional judgement – it is about developing it alongside the tools trainees will encounter in schools.
About Teachmate
Teachmate is the UK's leading AI platform for teachers, trusted by over 420,000 educators. Built by teachers, for teachers, it is fully GDPR-compliant and offers more than 160 AI tools covering planning, resource creation, assessment, SEND & adaptation for every learner, and school leadership. Teachmate is also part of Deloitte's Trustworthy AI in Education programme and Comic Relief's official education partner, and works regularly with the Department for Education on the safe and responsible use of AI in schools.
Universities and ITE providers interested in joining the programme for 2027 can contact Sophie Gornall at sophie.gornall@teachmate.com.