Good things
to build on.
Research, practical tools and people sharing useful work. A growing notebook for the lab.
Selected for learning and exploration. No paid placements or affiliate links. Some resources come from commercial organisations; inclusion does not imply a partnership or endorsement. Not everything here is open source.
Education research
Start with the evidence. These resources help us ask whether a tool addresses a real learning need.
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EEF: digital technology ↗
The evidence review behind the EEF’s digital technology guidance. A grounding for thinking about teaching and learning before choosing equipment.
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Raspberry Pi Foundation research ↗
Research into how young people learn computing and digital making. Useful context for designing and evaluating learning experiences.
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micro:bit hardware accessibility ↗
Work on barriers to using physical computing hardware, including research with students with disabilities. A reminder to consider the whole classroom experience.
Hardware and technology
Documentation and tools for building, rather than a shopping list.
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BBC micro:bit ↗
A small programmable device for hands-on coding and digital making, with getting-started guides and free teaching resources. A useful route into classroom physical computing.
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Raspberry Pi documentation ↗
Official setup, configuration and hardware references for small computers. Relevant to a classroom display that needs a full browser.
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Pico documentation ↗
Official references for Pico boards. A starting point for small dedicated devices, buttons, sensors and displays.
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MicroPython ↗
Python for microcontrollers, with platform documentation. Useful for experimenting with a small device’s behaviour.
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MicroBlocks ↗
A live, blocks-based programming environment for supported microcontrollers. Explore ideas by running commands directly on the board.
People and projects
Examples of what others have made and shared. Inspiration is not evidence that a product improves learning.
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Makers Making Change ↗
A programme bringing disabled people, clinicians and makers together around affordable assistive technology. Its library shares designs for switches, access devices and other practical aids.
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Makers Making Change: source projects ↗
Explore the organisation’s published repositories, including assistive switches and interfaces. A useful example of sharing designs others can adapt and build.
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e-NABLE ↗
A volunteer network sharing open designs for low-cost upper-limb devices. An example of distributed making around individual needs, rather than a classroom product recommendation.
Communities
Places to learn, share problems and find people who make and repair things.
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GitHub Education community ↗
A discussion space for teachers and students using GitHub Education. Share experiences, ask questions and learn how others use GitHub in education.
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Raspberry Pi forums ↗
Community discussion around Raspberry Pi computers and microcontrollers. A place to look for existing answers and ask focused technical questions.
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Repair Café ↗
An international network of local repair groups. Useful inspiration for keeping equipment working and learning repair skills together.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Explore understanding and building with AI, rather than a directory of subscriptions. Open-source code and open-weight models are different; check each project and model licence.
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Aila — Oak National Academy ↗
Oak’s AI lesson assistant for creating and adapting lesson plans and teaching resources. Included as a practical example of teacher-facing AI; teachers still need to check its suggestions for their pupils.
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UNESCO: generative AI in education ↗
A human-centred starting point for questions about agency, privacy and appropriate educational use. Guidance, rather than evidence for a particular classroom tool.
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Experience AI ↗
AI and machine-learning lessons from the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind. The main lesson collection is designed for secondary classrooms; included for teacher understanding and inspiration, not as a primary-ready package.
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llama.cpp ↗
Software for running language models across a range of hardware. A technical starting point for exploring local AI; speed and suitability depend on the model and machine. This is not a Pico application.
What the main providers are offering
Official education pages from the larger AI providers. These are their own accounts of their tools and ambitions, not independent evidence of impact. They sit alongside the open projects above; inclusion is not an endorsement.
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Gemini for Education — Google ↗
Google’s education offer focuses on saving teachers time, generating ideas and supporting learning through Gemini and Workspace. The core education service is offered at no cost to qualifying institutions, with paid extras. School-account access depends on eligibility and administrator settings.
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ChatGPT — OpenAI ↗
OpenAI shares practical ways teachers can use ChatGPT for planning, adapting materials and thinking through learning activities. Its separate ChatGPT for Teachers plan currently targets verified US K–12 educators; that offer should not be assumed to apply to UK teachers.
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Copilot in Education — Microsoft ↗
Microsoft puts the emphasis on saving time in familiar tools, from drafting materials to working with school documents. Its education page explains Copilot Chat alongside the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot offer; access and features depend on the school’s licences and settings.
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Claude for Education — Anthropic ↗
Anthropic’s education offer is centred on universities and colleges, covering teaching, research and administration. Its learning mode is designed to guide thinking through questions. Worth following, while recognising that this is a higher-education offer rather than a primary-school package.
Offers checked 8 November 2026. Availability, licences and terms can change. ChatGPT for Teachers eligibility ↗
Something worth sharing?
Send a useful paper, an open project or a community we should know about.
Please do get in touch ↗Links checked 8 November 2026. External resources can change.