With over 30 years’ experience in education, Neville Coles brings invaluable leadership insight to the Fruitify advisory team. He began teaching in 1988 and went on to serve as a secondary Headteacher and later as CEO of a successful Multi-Academy Trust, leading nine schools and over 5,000 students.
Under his leadership, Neville’s school achieved Ofsted Outstanding status in 2014, and he has also worked as an Ofsted inspector and National Leader of Education (NLE), supporting schools and leaders across the UK and beyond.
Today, alongside his advisory role with Fruitify, Neville also works as Development Director for The Coreus Group, and chairs The Coreus Foundation, a community interest company driving initiatives across education, health, and conservation.
At Fruitify, Neville’s experience as a teacher, school leader, and MAT CEO brings invaluable perspective, ensuring our platform is built around the real challenges and priorities of educators.
We asked Neville a few questions about his journey in education, the evolving role of technology and AI in schools, and the potential impact of Fruitify. With a breadth of experience, he offers a grounded perspective on how innovation can genuinely support teachers, and improve learning outcomes.
How have you seen the education landscape shift over the last decade, especially with technology?
Massively. Schools have often been risk-averse when it comes to adopting new technology. Of course, it’s essential that we protect children and young people from its potential harms, but the best educators recognise that we can’t turn back time. Instead, we need to embrace technology and teach students how to use it wisely.
Over the last 20 to 30 years, especially since the rise of the internet, education has been transformed in terms of how we both teach, and learn. However, in many schools, technology still isn’t being used as effectively as it could be. We need thoughtful, mature solutions that meet the needs of a generation that has grown up digitally.
What is your perspective on the role AI can (and can’t) play in schools today?
AI needs to be approached thoughtfully. It shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement for skilled teachers or support staff, but as a tool to enhance what we do and how we do it. We have only just begun to scratch the surface of what AI can offer and the impact it can have in education. The next 5 to 10 years will likely bring a creative explosion in how it’s used. My hope is that AI can take on more of the routine, time-consuming tasks, such as marking, freeing teachers to focus on what really matters: working directly with students, planning great lessons, and driving meaningful learning forward.
From your experience, what are the biggest misconceptions school leaders and teachers have about AI?
The biggest misconception is that AI will, or could, replace a teacher. I do not see it this way. I think we should see AI as a way in which students can access even more expert advice and guidance overseen by a teacher or a member of support staff. It also has huge potential to be a game-changing tool to free up time and resources, helping school managers and leaders be even more productive in the running of the school.
What role do you see AI playing in supporting teacher wellbeing and retention?
It almost goes without saying that if teachers can find ways to spend more time on delivery and less time on tedious, yet vital, marking then the profession will become more attractive. I have yet to find a teacher who enjoys marking! Most enjoy finding what students don’t know and filling the gaps; AI should allow this to happen more often and more efficiently. We fill the right gaps in the right way, with teachers remaining central to this process. We need to exacerbate the joyous part of teaching which will improve teacher wellbeing, and in turn retention within the profession.
How can AI tools be introduced in a way that genuinely reduces teacher workload instead of adding “one more system” to manage?
It all comes down to the quality, and simplicity, of the AI product. The best tools make teachers’ lives easier, not harder. A great AI solution, like Fruitify’s marking platform, identifies the problem quickly and delivers clear, useful results without adding complexity.
When teachers are involved in shaping these tools, the solutions are far more likely to ‘stick’ because they genuinely meet classroom needs. Over time, both the technology and its users learn and improve together, creating a virtuous circle where innovation continuously enhances teaching, rather than interrupting it.
What excites you most about what Fruitify is building for teachers and schools?
What excites me most about Fruitify is its partnership approach with teachers and support staff to develop a product that truly responds to real classroom needs. Gaining insight and feedback from real teachers will help identify key teacher pain-points which require solutions, and shape a product truly built to help educators. It’s exciting to see how early adopters will shape the platform and guide the team in creating new solutions that build on Fruitify’s innovative approach.
How do you see Fruitify helping MATs and individual schools tackle real issues like workload, marking consistency, or student progress?
Fruitify’s tools can significantly reduce teacher workload by taking on routine marking tasks, freeing up time for teachers to focus on addressing learning gaps with students, and enabling them to make faster progress. The result is a more enjoyable and productive teaching and learning experience for both students and teachers, which is the overarching mission Fruitify is seeking to achieve. Schools and MATs that fully embrace the platform should expect to gain a competitive advantage in the market by streamlining processes and improving outcomes in the classroom.
Where do you think education is heading in the next 5-10 years, and what role will AI play?
AI will play a pivotal role in education over the next 5-10 years, and education leaders should seek to fully embrace the technology. Nonetheless, this does not mean adopting any technology labelled with ‘AI’, tools should be assessed and only implemented when they can provide real benefits and address pain-points for educators, much like the Fruitify platform.The UK sector can learn a great deal from global leaders in AI-driven education, particularly the US, China, and India. Education can be truly personalised – leading to each learner (with the right support and attitude) making huge leaps in all sorts of ways from the early years right through to post 16 and adult learning. The potential of AI has not been fully realised yet, but it will.
If you could give one message to teachers who are nervous about AI, what would it be?
Be thoughtful, but also be creative disruptors – use AI wisely to enhance learning. It’s the future of education.
With over 30 years’ experience in education, Neville Coles brings invaluable leadership insight to the Fruitify advisory team. He began teaching in 1988 and went on to serve as a secondary Headteacher and later as CEO of a successful Multi-Academy Trust, leading nine schools and over 5,000 students.
Under his leadership, Neville’s school achieved Ofsted Outstanding status in 2014, and he has also worked as an Ofsted inspector and National Leader of Education (NLE), supporting schools and leaders across the UK and beyond.
Today, alongside his advisory role with Fruitify, Neville also works as Development Director for The Coreus Group, and chairs The Coreus Foundation, a community interest company driving initiatives across education, health, and conservation.
At Fruitify, Neville’s experience as a teacher, school leader, and MAT CEO brings invaluable perspective, ensuring our platform is built around the real challenges and priorities of educators.
We asked Neville a few questions about his journey in education, the evolving role of technology and AI in schools, and the potential impact of Fruitify. With a breadth of experience, he offers a grounded perspective on how innovation can genuinely support teachers, and improve learning outcomes.
How have you seen the education landscape shift over the last decade, especially with technology?
Massively. Schools have often been risk-averse when it comes to adopting new technology. Of course, it’s essential that we protect children and young people from its potential harms, but the best educators recognise that we can’t turn back time. Instead, we need to embrace technology and teach students how to use it wisely.
Over the last 20 to 30 years, especially since the rise of the internet, education has been transformed in terms of how we both teach, and learn. However, in many schools, technology still isn’t being used as effectively as it could be. We need thoughtful, mature solutions that meet the needs of a generation that has grown up digitally.
What is your perspective on the role AI can (and can’t) play in schools today?
AI needs to be approached thoughtfully. It shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement for skilled teachers or support staff, but as a tool to enhance what we do and how we do it. We have only just begun to scratch the surface of what AI can offer and the impact it can have in education. The next 5 to 10 years will likely bring a creative explosion in how it’s used. My hope is that AI can take on more of the routine, time-consuming tasks, such as marking, freeing teachers to focus on what really matters: working directly with students, planning great lessons, and driving meaningful learning forward.
From your experience, what are the biggest misconceptions school leaders and teachers have about AI?
The biggest misconception is that AI will, or could, replace a teacher. I do not see it this way. I think we should see AI as a way in which students can access even more expert advice and guidance overseen by a teacher or a member of support staff. It also has huge potential to be a game-changing tool to free up time and resources, helping school managers and leaders be even more productive in the running of the school.
What role do you see AI playing in supporting teacher wellbeing and retention?
It almost goes without saying that if teachers can find ways to spend more time on delivery and less time on tedious, yet vital, marking then the profession will become more attractive. I have yet to find a teacher who enjoys marking! Most enjoy finding what students don’t know and filling the gaps; AI should allow this to happen more often and more efficiently. We fill the right gaps in the right way, with teachers remaining central to this process. We need to exacerbate the joyous part of teaching which will improve teacher wellbeing, and in turn retention within the profession.
How can AI tools be introduced in a way that genuinely reduces teacher workload instead of adding “one more system” to manage?
It all comes down to the quality, and simplicity, of the AI product. The best tools make teachers’ lives easier, not harder. A great AI solution, like Fruitify’s marking platform, identifies the problem quickly and delivers clear, useful results without adding complexity.
When teachers are involved in shaping these tools, the solutions are far more likely to ‘stick’ because they genuinely meet classroom needs. Over time, both the technology and its users learn and improve together, creating a virtuous circle where innovation continuously enhances teaching, rather than interrupting it.
What excites you most about what Fruitify is building for teachers and schools?
What excites me most about Fruitify is its partnership approach with teachers and support staff to develop a product that truly responds to real classroom needs. Gaining insight and feedback from real teachers will help identify key teacher pain-points which require solutions, and shape a product truly built to help educators. It’s exciting to see how early adopters will shape the platform and guide the team in creating new solutions that build on Fruitify’s innovative approach.
How do you see Fruitify helping MATs and individual schools tackle real issues like workload, marking consistency, or student progress?
Fruitify’s tools can significantly reduce teacher workload by taking on routine marking tasks, freeing up time for teachers to focus on addressing learning gaps with students, and enabling them to make faster progress. The result is a more enjoyable and productive teaching and learning experience for both students and teachers, which is the overarching mission Fruitify is seeking to achieve. Schools and MATs that fully embrace the platform should expect to gain a competitive advantage in the market by streamlining processes and improving outcomes in the classroom.
Where do you think education is heading in the next 5-10 years, and what role will AI play?
AI will play a pivotal role in education over the next 5-10 years, and education leaders should seek to fully embrace the technology. Nonetheless, this does not mean adopting any technology labelled with ‘AI’, tools should be assessed and only implemented when they can provide real benefits and address pain-points for educators, much like the Fruitify platform.The UK sector can learn a great deal from global leaders in AI-driven education, particularly the US, China, and India. Education can be truly personalised – leading to each learner (with the right support and attitude) making huge leaps in all sorts of ways from the early years right through to post 16 and adult learning. The potential of AI has not been fully realised yet, but it will.
If you could give one message to teachers who are nervous about AI, what would it be?
Be thoughtful, but also be creative disruptors – use AI wisely to enhance learning. It’s the future of education.