Virtual reality technology is reshaping the education system by offering interactive learning through computer-generated environments. These virtual environments allow students to explore abstract ideas, historical sites, or even the human body, enhancing the learning process across all levels, from primary to higher education.
In this evolving digital age, adopting virtual reality and other emerging technologies like augmented reality is enabling teachers to rethink traditional teaching methods. The immersive nature of VR lessons helps provide students with richer, more engaging learning experiences while supporting better academic performance.
Virtual reality in education is rapidly advancing, transforming classrooms with immersive experiences and simulation-based learning. From VR field trips to virtual laboratories, schools are rethinking how they teach complex concepts in a safe and controlled environment.
To better understand how this technology is shaping education in the UK, the GoStudent Future of Education Report 2025 surveyed over 5,800 parents and students aged 10–16, including 1,000 respondents from the UK, as well as 300 teachers. This article explores the findings of that report, alongside UK-specific statistics, to assess the current state and future potential of virtual reality in education.
As UK schools accelerate their digital transformation, incorporating VR and augmented reality into classrooms has become a powerful way to enhance student engagement. These tools create immersive user experiences that replicate real-life situations, helping students build both communication skills and critical thinking.
Simulation-based learning is becoming a preferred assessment method in UK schools.
Simulation-based assessments (SBAs), which are already widely used in healthcare through virtual reality scenarios and diagnostic exercises, are now entering UK classrooms. 74% of teachers believe VR-powered SBAs are an effective way to assess students’ real-life skills like decision-making and critical thinking.
This is part of a broader push to move beyond traditional exams, which 62% of parents believe no longer reflect true student potential.
The introduction of affordable educational VR headsets has led to a 35% increase in VR adoption in UK schools in 2024.
According to the UK Department for Education’s 2022–23 Technology in Schools Survey:
The lower rating for VR highlights the technical and training challenges schools still face. Access is also uneven: just 15% of non-fee-paying schools and 20% of fee-paying schools currently have VR headsets available for students.
This shift reflects how digital tools and virtual environments are transforming education. VR equipment like headsets and interactive simulations enables a new way to align learning objectives with practical, experience-based teaching.
These technologies also support vocational training and medical training, where learners can practise skills in a controlled environment before applying them in the real world.
(Source: GoStudent Education Report 2025, GOV.UK, Global Growth Insights)
As the education sector explores how to modernise the learning experience, VR education has shown its power to transform how students interact with educational content. Through virtual objects, virtual characters, and immersive scenarios, virtual reality learning helps students visualise complex theories and develop real-world capabilities.
PwC’s study revealed that VR training became 52% cheaper than classroom training once scaled to 3,000 learners, making it highly cost-effective for large cohorts. Additionally, 75% of participants in VR courses experienced a "wake-up call" realising their inclusivity shortcomings, showcasing VR's impact on empathy and awareness.
At the same time, proper integration of VR technologies requires careful planning, teacher training, and consistent access to technical infrastructure. Without these, the benefits of VR learning can remain out of reach, especially in under-resourced schools.
(Sources: GoStudent Education Report 2025, NIH, ClassVR, PwC UK, Global Growth Insights)
Even in the most sophisticated virtual world, teachers remain the cornerstone of effective education. Virtual reality tools can enrich lessons, but it’s the teacher who translates immersive content into deeper understanding, guiding students, personalising support, and aligning lessons with core learning outcomes.
A study found that 93% of UK teachers believe VR is beneficial for teaching in classrooms.
Teachers remain central in VR-enhanced classrooms. While VR can deliver content and simulate scenarios, it’s the teachers who guide discussions, foster emotional intelligence, and personalise follow-ups.
VR technology has the potential to revolutionise teacher education by creating real-time classroom scenarios and innovative virtual teaching environments.
According to GoStudent’s research:
VR in education doesn’t replace teachers, it enhances them. When used alongside human instruction, VR technology creates new pathways for fostering empathy, nurturing intrinsic motivation, and building stronger engagement in the classroom.
(Sources: GoStudent Education Report 2025, MATSH, ITARI)
Science: In subjects like physics, biology, and chemistry students can run virtual experiments in safe and controlled environments, explore the human body in 3D, or simulate space missions, making complex concepts more accessible and engaging.
Geography: With virtual field trips, learners explore volcanoes, rainforests, and urban landscapes, bringing the physical environment into the classroom.
History: VR allows students to walk through historical sites, interact with virtual characters, and relive key events, fostering empathy and deeper understanding.
Languages: Whether learning English, Spanish, or another modern language, students can practise conversations in immersive environments like cafés or airports, helping build communication skills and confidence through interactive learning.
Maths: VR helps visualise 3D shapes, graphs, and symmetry, supporting problem-solving and boosting engagement with abstract ideas.
Art & Design: Learners create digital art in a virtual environment, enhancing creativity and introducing them to modern digital technologies.
For students with learning difficulties, virtual reality education offers adaptive, personalised support. Through immersive learning experiences, SEN students can progress at their own pace, revisit difficult content, and thrive in educational settings designed to reduce overwhelm.
For students with SEN, VR provides an alternative route to learning:
44% of UK parents of SEN students believe AI and VR tools can deliver essential personalised support.
Whether through mobile devices or headsets, VR provides an inclusive digital learning environment that gives every child the chance to succeed. These interactive learning tools are helping the education system become more responsive to diverse learner needs.
(Source: GoStudent Education Report 2025)
Looking ahead, VR learning is expected to play a pivotal role in bridging gaps between theory and practice. Whether in science education, vocational training, or personalised instruction, the immersive nature of VR experiences allows students to interact with content in ways previously impossible within the physical environment of a classroom.
VR and AI aren’t just trends, they’re shaping the future of UK education:
Learning Techniques Children Have Engaged With
Trends in AI and Metaverse Interest Among Students
The immersive VR market in the UK is expected to reach USD 5.25 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 27.2%.
This expansion of educational technology highlights the growing influence of digital technologies on student development, teacher workflows, and national curriculum goals. As more institutions invest in VR headsets and related tools, the next generation of learners will grow up with virtual field trips, real-time feedback, and immersive assessments as part of their daily routine.
(Source: GoStudent Education Report 2025, Grand View Research)
The rise of virtual reality in education marks a turning point in how we teach, learn, and grow. By blending immersive experiences with traditional instruction, schools can create an inclusive, effective, and future-ready learning environment. From outer space to historical sites, virtual reality technology lets students explore the world without leaving the classroom.
Yet, to fully unlock the power of VR tools in the education system, we must address access, training, and infrastructure challenges head-on. With proper training and strategic investment, VR in education can shift from novelty to necessity, redefining what it means to learn in the digital age.
To explore how AI in education and other digital innovations are shaping the future of learning, check out the GoStudent Future of Education Report.