This week on The Business of Tech, I talk to Inspired Education founder Nadim Nsouli to explore a bold experiment in AI‑driven schooling that will reach Auckland primary students from 2027.

Inspired Education operates seven ACG private primary schools in New Zealand, including five in Auckland, focusing on personalised learning. A new learning programme, Inspired Edge Academy, compresses the traditional core curriculum – English, maths, science, computing and languages – into three highly structured, interactive hours each morning. 

Afternoons are turned into a lab for real‑world skills: financial literacy, entrepreneurship, public speaking and problem‑solving.

Underpinning it all is an adaptive AI learning system that changes questions and pathways in real time, depending on where each child is struggling or racing ahead, making progression based on mastery rather than age.

AI can personalise learning

Nsouli told me that Inspired has already invested tens of millions of dollars in technology across its 125 schools, using platforms like Century Tech to personalise homework and classwork for 95,000 students. In some subjects, students using these adaptive tools have lifted assessment scores by the equivalent of a GCSE grade boundary in just six weeks.

Nsouli walks through what this looks like for an eight‑year‑old: short 20–25 minute learning blocks, small clusters of students regrouped by mastery for each subject, a teacher‑to‑student ratio of about 1:8, and AI dashboards that show educators exactly where to intervene.

The philosophy behind the empire

Nsouli also tells Inspired's origin story. He left a successful private equity career after a personal tragedy, the death of his daughter Lyla, who died in 2012 at age 3 from a rare, aggressive brain cancer.

It was a turning point in Nsouli’s life, inspiring him to build a global group of premium schools that now employ 15,000 staff and educate 95,000 students on six continents. He sees the use of AI as “digitally native but human‑centred”. Smartphones are banned in all Inspired schools globally, teachers remain central, and technology is used where it can clearly outperform paper – in adaptive practice, feedback and assessment.

What it means for New Zealand

From 2027, the Edge model will appear in Auckland’s Inspired schools, after an early access launch in London, with the potential to spread faster where parent demand is strongest. 

We also discuss whether AI‑powered mastery learning will widen the gap between private and state schools or eventually filter through to the public system as costs fall and evidence grows.

Listen to the conversation with Nadim Nsouli, streaming on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on The Business of Tech, I talk to Inspired Education founder Nadim Nsouli to explore a bold experiment in AI‑driven schooling that will reach Auckland primary students from 2027.
Inspired Education operates seven ACG private primary schools in New Zealand, including five in Auckland, focusing on personalised learning. A new learning programme, Inspired Edge Academy, compresses the traditional core curriculum &ndash; English, maths, science, computing and languages &ndash; into three highly structured, interactive hours each morning.&nbsp;
Afternoons are turned into a lab for real‑world skills: financial literacy, entrepreneurship, public speaking and problem‑solving.
Underpinning it all is an adaptive AI learning system that changes questions and pathways in real time, depending on where each child is struggling or racing ahead, making progression based on mastery rather than age.
AI can personalise learning
Nsouli told me that Inspired has already invested tens of millions of dollars in technology across its 125 schools, using platforms like Century Tech to personalise homework and classwork for 95,000 students. In some subjects, students using these adaptive tools have lifted assessment scores by the equivalent of a GCSE grade boundary in just six weeks.
Nsouli walks through what this looks like for an eight‑year‑old: short 20&ndash;25 minute learning blocks, small clusters of students regrouped by mastery for each subject, a teacher‑to‑student ratio of about 1:8, and AI dashboards that show educators exactly where to intervene.
The philosophy behind the empire
Nsouli also tells Inspired's origin story. He left a successful private equity career after a personal tragedy, the death of his daughter Lyla, who died in 2012 at age 3 from a rare, aggressive brain cancer.
It was a turning point in Nsouli&rsquo;s life, inspiring him to build a global group of premium schools that now employ 15,000 staff and educate 95,000 students on six continents. He sees the use of AI as &ldquo;digitally native but human‑centred&rdquo;. Smartphones are banned in all Inspired schools globally, teachers remain central, and technology is used where it can clearly outperform paper &ndash; in adaptive practice, feedback and assessment.
What it means for New Zealand
From 2027, the Edge model will appear in Auckland&rsquo;s Inspired schools, after an early access launch in London, with the potential to spread faster where parent demand is strongest.&nbsp;
We also discuss whether AI‑powered mastery learning will widen the gap between private and state schools or eventually filter through to the public system as costs fall and evidence grows.
Listen to the conversation with Nadim Nsouli, streaming on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Business of Tech, hosted by leading tech journalist Peter Griffin. Every week they take a deep dive into emerging technology and news from the sector to help guide the important decisions all Business leaders make.

Issues such as cybersecurity, retaining trust after a cyberattack, business IT needs, purchasing SaaS tools and more.

New Episodes out every Thursday. Follow or subscribe to get it delivered straight to your favourite podcatcher.

@petergnz

@businessdesk_nz

Proudly sponsored by 2degrees Business!

 

The Business of Tech, hosted by leading tech journalist Peter Griffin. Every week they take a deep dive into emerging technology and news from the sector to help guide the important decisions all Business leaders make.
Issues such as cybersecurity, retaining trust after a cyberattack, business IT needs, purchasing SaaS tools and more.
New Episodes out every Thursday. Follow or subscribe to get it delivered straight to your favourite podcatcher.
@petergnz
@businessdesk_nz
Proudly sponsored by 2degrees Business!
&nbsp;

The Business of Tech

How AI is transforming the classroom, with Nadim Nsouli 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/79d3ced5-d962-434f-9741-b417014a44f5/transcript