Microsoft has announced Microsoft Classroom, a dedicated teaching and learning experience expected to be generally available for the northern hemisphere summer back-to-school period in 2027. It brings familiar Microsoft education tools into one focused app, including Assignments, Classwork, Grades, Insights, Reflect, Class Notebook and Teach.
For schools that found Class Teams too busy, Classroom offers a simpler route. Students can focus on their classes, resources, work and feedback without Teams channels, chats, tabs and apps surrounding every class.
Microsoft Teams is not being discontinued. Schools can continue using Teams for communication, meetings, collaboration and teaching. We think Microsoft Classroom is a positive development because it gives schools a genuine choice: retain the full Teams experience where it adds value, or give students a simpler route to Microsoft’s teaching and learning tools.
“Microsoft Classroom should give schools a useful new choice. Schools that value the communication and collaboration in Teams can continue using it, while those wanting a simpler student experience can use Microsoft’s education tools without the additional complexity.”
Tony Phillips, CEO and Founder of Cloud Design Box
What Microsoft Classroom is
Microsoft Classroom is a purpose-built Microsoft 365 Education app for teaching and learning. Microsoft is building Classroom around the tasks teachers and students complete every day rather than the wider communication and collaboration features of Teams.
A Classroom continues to use Microsoft 365 Groups and Microsoft School Data Sync (SDS) will provision Microsoft Classroom classes or Microsoft Teams Class Teams (depending on your licensing choices).
Classroom will include personal and class home experiences, school branding and options for teachers to show the education tools they need.
What can teachers and students do in Classroom?
Microsoft Classroom is designed to include the main education tools familiar to Class Teams users:
- Create, distribute, complete and mark assignments
- Organise curriculum materials through Classwork
- View grades and feedback
- Use OneNote Class Notebook
- Review activity and progress through Education Insights
- Use Reflect for student check-ins
- Access Teach and its AI-assisted teaching tools (including all the learning accelerators)
- Reuse assignments and other content across classes
Microsoft may also refine individual features before Classroom reaches general availability.
Why Classroom should be simpler for students
Teams is a broad communication and collaboration platform. That flexibility works well for many schools, but it can introduce more navigation than students need when their main task is to find resources, complete work and read feedback.
Microsoft Classroom separates the education workflow from Teams channels, chats, tabs and apps. This should make it easier for younger learners and for schools that already use another system for communication. The experience is closer to the simplicity many schools associate with Google Classroom while retaining the powerful Microsoft AI powered learning services and deep Microsoft integration they are already used to.
What happens to Microsoft Teams
Teams is staying. Schools that continue to license it can keep using Class Teams with channels, posts, meetings, tabs, apps and the full range of education features.
However, if the school opts to remove Teams licensing for students, students can use Microsoft Classroom as an alternative learning platform. It’s available for all students and teachers at no extra cost.
Schools might decide to transition over the next few years depending on their licensing choices. They may also decide that Teams is the right platform and can continue to use it without moving to Microsoft Classroom. Read more about Microsoft’s licensing changes here.
Microsoft Classroom and Class Teams compared
| Area | Class Team | Microsoft Classroom |
| Main purpose | Teaching, communication and collaboration | Focused teaching and learning |
| Assignments and Classwork | Available | Available |
| Grades, Insights and Reflect | Available | Available |
| Class Notebook | Available | Available |
| Teach and Learning Accelerators | Available | Available |
| Teams channels and chat | Available | Not part of a native Classroom class |
| Teams tabs and apps | Available | Not part of a native Classroom class |
| Microsoft 365 Group, Calendar and SharePoint site | In the background behind the class | In the background behind the class |
| Mobile access | Teams apps available | Dedicated Classroom apps planned |
What Microsoft Classroom means for Cloud Design Box customers
Cloud Design Box will support Microsoft Classroom provisioning. Customers will be able to choose whether a new class is provisioned as a Class Team or a Microsoft Classroom class. Cloud Design Box features will continue to work with Classroom data, including Class Dashboard, My Classes, My Assignments, Class Drop-in, Student Assignment Lookup and Assignment Analytics.
Classroom is still in development, so we will test each feature during Microsoft’s preview and make any necessary updates ahead of general availability. Our priority is to give Cloud Design Box customers a straightforward choice between Class Teams and Microsoft Classroom while retaining the provisioning, dashboards and assignment insights they rely on.
When will Microsoft Classroom be available?
Microsoft Classroom is expected to reach general availability for the northern hemisphere back-to-school period in 2027. Microsoft plans to share more information at Bett 2027 while the product is still being developed and tested.
Cloud Design Box will use the preview period to test provisioning at scale, integrations, and the features our customers rely on. We work closely with the Microsoft worldwide education team to ensure it works not only for Cloud Design Box customers but for the millions of teachers and students using Microsoft education worldwide. We will share confirmed guidance as Microsoft finalises the product.
A short note on Microsoft Teams licensing
From November 2027, Microsoft Teams will require a separate licence rather than being included within Microsoft 365 Education licence packages. Schools will be able to decide which staff, teachers and students need the wider Teams experience.
Some schools may have options to extend their existing licensing arrangements (with 3-year contracts available) before the new model takes effect. Agreement dates, eligibility and pricing will vary, so schools should discuss their position with Microsoft or their usual licensing partner well before May 2027. Cloud Design Box does not sell Microsoft licences and cannot advise on individual licensing agreements.
What schools should do now
There is time for schools to plan; no action is required unless the school changes their licensing arrangement. Cloud Design Box will continue to keep you informed with Microsoft’s progress over the next 12 months.
- Continue using current Class Teams while Microsoft completes Classroom
- Review which staff and students use Teams channels, chat, meetings and apps
- Ask your licensing partner how the November 2027 change applies to your agreement
- Follow Cloud Design Box updates as we test Microsoft Classroom, provisioning and integrations
Microsoft Classroom is a positive addition for schools. Teams remains available where its broader features are valuable, while Classroom offers a simpler home for teaching and learning.
Microsoft Classroom frequently asked questions
Microsoft Classroom is a dedicated Microsoft 365 Education app for teaching and learning. It brings Assignments, Classwork, Grades, Insights, Reflect, Class Notebook and Teach into a simpler experience outside of Teams.
Microsoft Classroom is expected to reach general availability for the northern hemisphere back-to-school period in 2027. Microsoft may refine the timetable while the product is in development.
Classroom is designed to include Assignments, Classwork, Grades, Insights, Reflect, Class Notebook and Teach. Microsoft also plans school branding, content reuse, deep links and dedicated mobile apps. Some AI features may require a separate entitlement.
No. Teams is staying for communication, meetings, and collaboration, and can still be used for teaching where schools prefer to do that. Classroom provides a simpler alternative for schools that want Microsoft’s education tools without Teams channels, chats, tabs and apps around every class.
Students can still use Microsoft Classroom for teaching and learning. They can receive assignments, use Classwork, view grades and access education tools without the Teams communication experience.
Yes. A school could retain Teams for staff and teachers while using Classroom as the main student learning experience. However, all teaching and learning would take place in Classroom rather than Teams. Staff and teachers would continue to use Teams for communication and collaboration.
Existing Class Teams and their content do not need to be abandoned. Microsoft plans to let educators reuse assignments, classwork modules and more from archived Class Teams.
No. A newly provisioned class will be created either as a native Classroom class or as a Class Team. Microsoft also plans to allow existing Class Teams to be moved into Classroom.
Yes. Classroom classes use Microsoft 365 Groups and retain an associated SharePoint site. However, classroom does not have the SharePoint class home feature that was previously available in Class Teams.
Yes. Class Notebook is part of the planned Classroom experience. Microsoft also plans content reuse, including notebook sections created in existing Class Teams.
Yes. Microsoft plans school branding that includes a logo and colour theme. The final administration and personalisation options may change before General Availability.
Yes. Microsoft plans dedicated Classroom apps for iOS and Android with notifications. Final release details have not yet been confirmed.
Microsoft plans to let students and staff browse archived classes in Microsoft Classroom. Cloud Design Box has also asked Microsoft to support direct links into archived classes so previous learning remains easy to reach. It is not yet clear if archived Class Teams will be available in Classroom.
Yes. A native Classroom class removes Teams channels, chats, tabs and apps from the class experience. It concentrates on resources, assignments, progress and feedback.
Yes. There are similarities in their focus on classes, resources, assignments and feedback. Microsoft Classroom is designed for schools using Microsoft 365 and connects with services such as Assignments, Classwork, Class Notebook, Insights, Reflect and SharePoint. Schools should assess the wider Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace environments rather than comparing the classroom applications alone.
That is a wider decision involving identity, devices, data, training and the school’s Microsoft 365 strategy. Watch our free Google to Microsoft 365 webinar before planning a migration.
Yes. Cloud Design Box will support Microsoft Classroom provisioning. Cloud Design Box web parts will continue to work with Classroom data, including Class Dashboard, My Classes, My Assignments, Class Drop-in, Student Assignment Lookup and Assignment Analytics.
Teams is expected to require a separate licence from November 2027. Some schools may have options to extend their existing arrangements, but agreement dates, eligibility and pricing will vary. Schools should discuss their position with Microsoft or their usual licensing partner well before May 2027. Microsoft may change these dates, so it’s best to check directly with them.
How to keep up to date
Visit the Cloud Design Box stand at Bett 2027 to discuss Microsoft Classroom, or subscribe to the Cloud Design Box newsletter for confirmed product updates and practical guidance.
