Using AI To Improve the Quality & Productivity of Your Student UCAS References

Summary: UCAS references are important, but they're also one of the biggest time sinks of the Autumn term. Teach Edge's UCAS Reference Generation Tool helps you produce high-quality, personalised drafts in minutes — with you firmly in control of the content.

The Autumn term time squeeze

Time is the most precious resource for a sixth-form teacher, and the start of the school year often feels like an impossible balancing act. You're juggling new students, open evenings, parents' evenings, endless marking — the list goes on.

One of the biggest drains on your time is the annual task of writing UCAS references. They matter enormously for students, but (being honest) they're also repetitive and highly time-consuming.

Teach Edge includes an AI-driven UCAS Reference Generation Tool designed specifically for busy UK sixth-form teachers. It's built to help you reduce workload while still producing high-quality, personalised references — in minutes rather than hours.

Why use the UCAS Reference Generation Tool?

Our tool streamlines the reference-writing process so you can create professional, tailored drafts quickly and consistently.

1) Time-saving

Transform your student information into detailed, individualised reference drafts fast — freeing up valuable time during the busy Autumn term.

2) Consistent quality, with enhanced control

Unlike tools that rely on generic banks of key phrases, our AI adapts intelligently to your specific inputs, helping each reference feel authentic and grounded in what you actually know about the student.

You remain fully in control of what goes in. The AI simply helps you shape it into a polished draft you can review and edit.

3) Improved personalisation

You can easily include essential details such as:

• academic interests and strengths
• skills and learning habits
• extracurricular activities and wider contribution
• future plans and aspirations

The AI then crafts a reference that reflects those details clearly and convincingly, helping you produce something far more tailored than traditional automated approaches.

4) Simple and efficient

No complicated prompts or extensive setup. Just enter the student details and generate a clean draft instantly.

Addressing a common concern: "Is this cheating?"

Some teachers worry that using AI tools means they're "copping out". That's not what this is for.

This tool is designed to empower teachers, not replace them:

• you choose what information to include
• you keep oversight and professional judgement
• you can edit and refine the output before it's final

Used properly, it helps you write better references more efficiently — without compromising integrity or quality.

How to access the tool

To use the UCAS Reference Generation Tool, you'll need an active Teach Edge subscription. That said, we know teachers want to test things properly before committing, so we offer a free trial that lets you explore and use the full set of tools, including the reference generator.

Getting started

1. Sign up for a free trial (or log into your Teach Edge account).
2. Navigate to the UCAS Reference Generation Tool.
3. Enter your student's details.
4. Generate a draft, then review and edit as needed.

If UCAS references are eating your September and October, this is one of the quickest wins you can give yourself.