Use of AI

Chalk is built in a way that is informed by the Department for Education's Generative AI: product safety standards. This page sets out how we use AI and the checks we have in place.

Most Chalk tools help teachers make resources, so a teacher sees everything Chalk produces before pupils do.

Our AI safety measures

Checking pictures and text

Pictures our tools find in image libraries (Noun Project, ARASAAC, Unsplash, Wikimedia and Pixabay) are checked against a blocklist and by OpenAI's Omni moderation model before they appear.

AI-written text and AI-generated images rely on the safety filters built into our providers' models, and on instructions we write for classroom use.

Data protection and privacy

Our AI providers don't use what you type, or what Chalk produces, to train their models.

Monitoring and evaluation

We have an AI evaluation process, which involves monitoring logs of what our tools produce and feedback from teachers.

Moderation results are tracked in moderation dashboards for Chalk's tools and for Chalk Access.

Red-team testing

We've red-team tested our chat-style tools, including the Strategy Hub and the Visual Sentences writing assistant. We deliberately tried to make them produce harmful or off-task answers, and changed them where they failed.

Risk assessment

We keep a risk assessment for each Chalk product. Schools and councils can ask for a copy by emailing [email protected].

What each tool is for

Chalk's tools are for teachers, not pupils. A teacher chooses the topic and the age group, and checks what a tool makes before using it in class. The tools work across primary and secondary, and each tool's help explains the research it draws on. We group them using the DfE's use-case categories.

Content creation and delivery

Making lesson resources, such as slides, worksheets, diagrams and vocabulary activities.

Personalised learning and accessibility

Adapting resources for pupils who need extra support, including pupils with SEND and pupils learning English.

Digital assistant

Talking a lesson through with an AI assistant that drafts the plan and materials as you go.

Our other products

Chalk Access
For school staff. Helps plan support for pupils with additional support needs, using information the school chooses to add. Use cases: digital assistant, and personalised learning and accessibility.
Chalk Tutor
For pupils. Short practice courses, such as apostrophes and GCSE writing. Pupils work through pre-written practice and don't chat with an AI model. Use case: learner engagement and interaction.

AI providers we use

Chalk uses models from several AI providers:

  • •
    Anthropic (Claude) - Powers most of our teacher tools, plus Chalk Access and its Strategy Hub.
  • •
    OpenAI (GPT) - Used in many teacher tools, often as a backup when another provider is down, plus picture moderation and image generation.
  • •
    Google (Gemini) - Used for image generation, some teacher tools, and scoring how well pictures match their words.
  • •
    Groq - Runs an open-weight model for quick, interactive tools such as Visual Sentences.
  • •
    ElevenLabs - Creates spoken audio.

How we build Chalk

We use AI-assisted coding tools, such as Claude Code from Anthropic, to help us write and test the code behind this website and its tools.

The tools help us work faster, but people decide what to build. Every change is checked by our team and by automated tests before it goes live.

Questions or concerns

We review these checks as the tools and the DfE guidance change.

Anyone can raise a concern using our Report a concern form, with or without an account, or email us at [email protected].