Approved Tools Register
The AI policy, as Appendix A.
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¶ Approved Tools Register · Appendix A to the AI policy · [School name]
Approved Tools Register
Nothing is used for school work until it appears here. Owner: [policy owner role]. Last checked: [date]. The first row shows the kind of entry the policy builder produces; the second shows what each column wants. Eight columns, one row per tool. A school with three approved tools has three rows, which is a perfectly respectable register.
| Tool and supplier | Approved for | Who may use it | Personal data allowed | Conditions | DPIA | Approved by, and when | Next review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copilot Chat, signed in with school Microsoft 365 accounts | Drafting, summarising, planning, adapting resources | All staff | None | Rules 5.1 to 5.4 apply. No pupil work pasted in. | Not needed: no personal data | [approving role], [date] | [date] |
| [Tool name, version and supplier] | [the tasks] | [staff group] | [None / listed data only] | [any limits on use] | [Done, date / Not needed] | [approving role], [date] | [date] |
To propose a tool, tell the [policy owner role] what it is and what you would use it for. No use takes place before approval. Declined tools are listed overleaf with the reason, so nobody has to propose them twice.
Page 2: keeping this register #
Four steps, about an afternoon the first time and a few minutes whenever something changes.
- Write down what is already in use. Ask every team; include free tools, trials and the AI features switched on inside software the school already has.
- Decide each row, one at a time: the vendor questions answered in writing, a check against the DfE's product safety standards, and a DPIA where personal data is involved.
- Publish it where staff will find it, and say so in the four rules poster.
- Put the review dates in the calendar, and read the whole register through once a term.
Review log
| Date | Reviewed by | What changed |
|---|---|---|
Retired and declined tools
| Tool | Retired or declined on | Why | Data deleted or returned |
|---|---|---|---|
The facts behind this template
Every claim above is numbered to one of these records. Each gives the source’s own words where it can, the paragraph or section, and the date it was last read.
- 01
The DfE's product rules for generative AI are now "Generative AI: product safety standards". First published as expectations on 22 January 2025, they were renamed and extended on 19 January 2026 with new standards on cognitive development, emotional and social development, mental health, and manipulation.
“to include new standards on cognitive development, emotional and social development, mental health, and manipulation”
Generative AI: product safety standards, publication page, change history. Dated 19 January 2026. Read 28 September 2026.
- 02
A section on procuring educational technology was added on 9 July 2026. It says a DPIA must be completed when processing is likely to result in a high risk, as early as possible, with the DPO's advice, and kept updated as and when the processing changes; suppliers must be able to explain how their tool works, including how AI outputs are moderated and whether data is used to train the model; the DPO and DSL must be consulted before purchase; and tools must be monitored after it.
“Suppliers must be able to explain how their tool works, including: how the AI (artificial intelligence) outputs are moderated; if the data is used to train the AI (artificial intelligence) model”
Data protection in schools: Procuring educational technology (EdTech), the section. Dated 9 July 2026. Read 28 September 2026.
- 03
Microsoft calls the free chat for work and school accounts "Copilot Chat (Basic)" and says it includes enterprise data protection for eligible work and school accounts (Microsoft Learn, updated 10 September 2026).
Microsoft Copilot overview (Microsoft Learn), the page. Dated 10 September 2026. Read 28 September 2026.
- 04
Google calls its core service "Gemini for Education" and says that with Google Workspace with Gemini data is not reviewed to improve AI models, used to train AI models, or shared with other users or institutions.
Google Workspace with Gemini (Google for Education, UK), the page. Read 28 September 2026.
Cite this template
Wes (2026). Approved Tools Register. School AI Governance. https://schoolaigovernance.co.uk/templates/approved-tools-register
Free to use, adapt and share in education under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Each section heading carries its own link, so a reference can point at one part.