Game-based learning: what schools now expect from teachers using games in lessons

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Game-based learning is increasingly mainstream in UK schools. Teachers are expected to integrate board games, card games, and educational digital games into their lessons—not as occasional treats, but as deliberate pedagogical tools. However, schools vary widely in what they expect from teachers using games: some want rigorous evidence of learning outcomes, others expect games to be embedded in cross-curricular projects, and others prioritise engagement and motivation. Understanding these expectations helps teachers design games into lessons confidently and explain their pedagogy to colleagues and parents.

What schools mean by game-based learning

Game-based learning (GBL) is the deliberate use of games to teach a specific skill or content area. It differs from gamification (adding game mechanics like points or leaderboards to non-game tasks) and from games as rewards or filler activities. Effective GBL requires that:

The game has clear learning outcomes aligned to the curriculum
The game’s rules and mechanics teach or reinforce the target knowledge or skill
Teachers assess what students learn through the game, not just whether they enjoyed it

Examples include using chess to teach strategic thinking, Catan to explore resources and trade, Hangman or Wordle for vocabulary, or digital games like Prodigy or Minecraft Education Edition for maths or problem-solving.

What schools expect from teachers using games

Curriculum alignment: Games must map to specific learning outcomes in the National Curriculum. A teacher cannot simply play Monopoly because it is fun; they must demonstrate how Monopoly teaches numeracy, probability, or financial decision-making. Schools expect lesson plans to state the link explicitly.

Preparation and rules clarity: Teachers must understand the game well enough to teach the rules efficiently, troubleshoot confusion during play, and help students focus on the learning objective rather than getting lost in mechanics. A teacher introducing a new board game should have played it beforehand and prepared a clear explanation of how it works and why it matters for the lesson.

Assessment of learning: Schools increasingly expect teachers to assess what students learn during or after game play—not just observe engagement. This might involve:

Questioning during or after play (“Why did you make that move?” “What strategy worked?”)
Reflection sheets where students explain what they learned
Peer or self-assessment of strategy and decision-making
Pre- and post-game tasks that measure knowledge gain

A game-heavy lesson without any assessment or reflection looks, to a school leader, like fun but not learning. Teachers must document what students learned, not just that they played.

Differentiation: Games must be accessible to all students, including those with additional needs or high ability. Schools expect teachers to modify game rules, provide supports (written rules, visual aids, vocabulary lists), or create variants that suit different learning needs. A single-difficulty game is seen as insufficient for mixed-ability classes.

Balance with other teaching: Schools expect games to be part of a balanced diet of teaching strategies, not a substitute for direct instruction or practice. Game play might be 20–30% of a lesson, with other time spent on instruction, reflection, or extension tasks. Teachers using games too liberally—multiple game-heavy lessons each week—may be asked by leaders to diversify their methods.

Behaviour and inclusion management: Teachers must establish norms for game play—turn-taking, dealing with losing, respecting others’ decisions, including quieter students. Schools expect teachers to use games as an opportunity to teach collaboration, not assume games automatically create good teamwork. A teacher should be ready to pause the game and address domination, exclusion, or frustration if it arises.

Selecting games for teaching

Board games and card games that work well in classrooms:

Maths: Dice, dominoes, Uno, Splendor (strategy and probability)
Language: Scrabble, Codenames, Dixit (vocabulary, deduction, communication)
History and geography: Catan, Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders (resource management, historical patterns)
Science: Pandemic (system thinking, probability, cooperation)
Critical thinking: Chess, Hive, Blokus (strategy, planning)

Digital games with clear learning links:

Maths: Prodigy, Mathway, Khan Academy games, Desmos challenges
English: Quill (narrative writing), Kahoot (quizzes and vocabulary)
Science: PhET simulations (physics, chemistry), Minecraft Education Edition (problem-solving)

Schools increasingly curate lists of approved or recommended games mapped to curriculum objectives. Teachers are expected to know a few games well and use them repeatedly with different cohorts rather than constantly searching for new ones.

Common mistakes schools want avoided

Games as filler: A game used because there is “time to fill” or as a reward with no connection to learning looks like procrastination. School leaders want to see every game choice justified.

Over-reliance on luck: Games where outcomes are purely random (like snakes and ladders) teach very little. Schools prefer games where player decisions affect the outcome, which teaches strategy.

Ignoring quiet or anxious students: Competitive games can isolate quieter students or those with social anxiety. Teachers should offer non-competitive variants, partner play, or small-group games to include everyone.

No reflection: A lesson that ends with “Well done, you had fun!” without discussing what was learned wastes the learning opportunity. Reflection or review is seen as essential.

Behaviour unmanaged: If a game becomes chaotic, loud, or exclusionary, the school sees this as a teaching failure. Teachers are expected to set and maintain norms.

Game-based learning in formal assessment

Schools are beginning to accept game-based evidence in portfolios for younger students, but formal exams (KS2, GCSE, A-level) are still traditional pen-and-paper or computer-based assessments. Games are a teaching tool, not an exam format. Teachers should frame games as scaffolding that prepares students for conventional assessment, not as a replacement.

What schools do NOT expect

Schools generally do NOT expect:

Teachers to be game designers or to create custom board games from scratch (unless it’s an explicit project)
Every lesson to use a game
Expensive equipment; simple card games and well-chosen board games are sufficient
Teachers to run a game whilst assessing simultaneously (it’s fine to pause a game to assess)

Key points

Game-based learning is mainstream in UK schools; teachers are expected to use games deliberately and thoughtfully
Every game must map to a clear learning outcome and be aligned to the curriculum
Teachers must assess what students learn through games, not just whether they were engaged
Games should be one tool among many; balance game play with direct instruction and practice
Behaviour and inclusion must be managed actively; teachers should not assume games create good teamwork automatically
Reflection and discussion after game play are essential to consolidate learning
Digital educational games and traditional board games both have a place; choose based on the learning objective