Microsoft’s introduction of Microsoft Classroom gives schools a new way to access familiar teaching and learning tools. But if your school already uses Class Teams, should you consider switching?
Our advice is simple: for most schools already using Class Teams successfully, we recommend staying with it.
Class Teams isn’t going anywhere, and it continues to offer a richer communication and collaboration experience alongside Microsoft’s education tools.
Microsoft Classroom is an exciting alternative, particularly for primary schools looking for a simpler student experience or schools that decide not to license Microsoft Teams for students.
The good news for Cloud Design Box customers is that we’ll support both options. Our aim is to ensure schools can continue benefiting from automation, centralised resources and our education solutions whichever approach they choose.
There’s also no need to rush into a decision. With Classroom entering preview in early 2027 and general availability expected for summer 2027, schools have time to explore their options.
Class Teams and Classroom share the same education tools
One of the most important things to understand is that Microsoft Classroom isn’t an entirely new learning platform with a different set of teaching tools.
Both experiences are built on the same Microsoft 365 Education foundation, including Microsoft 365 Groups and SharePoint.
Both provide access to the familiar education components, including:
- Assignments: Create, distribute, mark and provide feedback on student work.
- Classwork: Organise learning materials, resources and assignments into modules.
- Grades: Track student performance and assignment results.
- Class Notebook: Provide students with their own notebook spaces and shared learning content.
- Education Insights: Understand student engagement and progress.
- Learning Accelerators: Support reading, maths, research and other learning activities.
- Reflect: Support student wellbeing and check-ins.
- Teach: Access Microsoft’s AI assisted teaching and lesson planning tools.
Microsoft Classroom brings these familiar tools together in a new, more focused interface, including personalised homepages for teachers and students.
The fundamental teaching and learning capabilities are shared. The biggest difference is the experience surrounding them.
Why we recommend Class Teams for most schools
If your school already has Microsoft Teams licences and staff and students are comfortable using Class Teams, we believe there are significant advantages to keeping it.
Class Teams combines teaching and learning with the wider communication and collaboration functionality of Microsoft Teams. That means teachers and students can do more than access assignments and resources. They can also:
- Communicate: Use posts, conversations and channels to share updates, ask questions and keep everyone informed.
- Collaborate: Work together on documents, presentations and projects in a shared environment.
- Organise learning: Create dedicated channels for topics, groups or activities.
- Meet online: Use Teams meetings for lessons, discussions and remote learning.
- Integrate other tools: Bring applications, websites and additional Microsoft 365 resources into Class Teams using tabs and apps.
- Work together: Give students opportunities for group work, discussions and collaboration beyond completing assignments.
These are valuable capabilities that extend well beyond distributing and marking work.
For many schools, Class Teams has become an important part of their digital learning environment. It provides a central space where teaching, communication and collaboration happen together.
If your school has invested time in adopting Class Teams, and it’s working well, we don’t see a compelling reason to move away from it.
When might Microsoft Classroom be the better choice?
Although we recommend Class Teams for most existing users, we also think Microsoft Classroom is a positive development.
There are two situations where it could be particularly useful.
1. Schools that don’t have Teams licences for students
Microsoft’s updated education licensing provides greater flexibility for schools to choose which users need Teams. Some schools may decide that students only need access to teaching and learning tools, rather than the wider Teams communication and collaboration experience.
Microsoft Classroom gives these schools a way to continue using Microsoft’s education tools without requiring Teams for the classroom experience. Teachers can still manage assignments, provide feedback, organise resources and access the familiar education components.
Schools should confirm the relevant Microsoft 365 Education licensing requirements with their licensing provider before making a decision.
2. Primary schools that have struggled with Class Teams
We also recognise that Class Teams hasn’t been the perfect experience for every school. Some primary schools have found Teams more complicated than they need, particularly for younger pupils. Navigating channels, conversations, tabs and applications can sometimes distract students from the task they’re trying to complete.
Microsoft Classroom is being designed to provide a simpler experience where students can quickly find their classes, assignments, learning materials and feedback. For primary schools that have previously struggled to adopt Class Teams, Classroom could make Microsoft 365’s teaching tools more accessible and easier to use.
Of course, this doesn’t mean every primary school should switch. Many already use Class Teams very successfully and will benefit from keeping its additional functionality.
Class Teams vs Microsoft Classroom: At a glance
| Feature | Class Teams | Microsoft Classroom |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments, Classwork and Grades | Yes | Yes |
| Class Notebook, Insights and Reflect | Yes | Yes |
| Learning Accelerators and Teach | Yes | Yes |
| SharePoint and Microsoft 365 foundation | Yes | Yes |
| Teams conversations and channels | Yes | No native Teams channels |
| Teams meetings and collaboration | Yes | Not part of the native Classroom experience |
| Teams tabs and integrated apps | Yes | Not part of the native Classroom experience |
| Student experience | Teaching and collaboration combined | Simpler teaching and learning interface |
| Cloud Design Box support | Supported today | Support planned for general availability |
Both approaches have a place. The best choice depends on how your school uses Microsoft 365, the age of your students and whether you need the wider Teams functionality.
Cloud Design Box will support both options
For Cloud Design Box customers, we want this transition to be as straightforward as possible. We’ve spent years helping schools automate Microsoft 365, create consistent learning environments and make it easier for teachers and students to access their resources. That isn’t changing.
Our plan is to support both Class Teams and Microsoft Classroom, giving schools the flexibility to choose the experience that best suits their needs.
We are working closely with Microsoft’s worldwide education team as Classroom develops, ensuring that our solutions continue to support the Microsoft education platform.
This includes our existing areas of functionality such as:
- Automated class creation and management using school MIS data
- Centralised SharePoint resources for subjects and departments
- Class Dashboard and My Classes
- My Assignments and Student Assignment Lookup
- Assignment Analytics
- Class Drop-in and other connected teaching tools
We are already aligning our solutions with Classroom ahead of general availability so that schools can continue to benefit from Cloud Design Box automation and integrations.
Whether you remain with Class Teams or choose Microsoft Classroom, Cloud Design Box will be there to support your decision.
Our advice: Don’t switch during the January 2027 preview
Microsoft Classroom is expected to enter public preview in early 2027, with January currently anticipated.
We’re looking forward to seeing how the experience develops, but we strongly recommend that schools don’t move their teaching and learning over to Classroom during the preview period. The preview is an opportunity to explore the product, understand its potential and provide Microsoft with feedback. It’s not the point at which we would recommend adopting Classroom across an entire school.
There are several reasons for this:
- The product is still developing. Features, interfaces and functionality may change before general availability.
- Automation and integrations won’t be ready. The Microsoft APIs required for Cloud Design Box’s Classroom automation and integrations will not be available during the preview.
- Schools need a reliable learning environment. It’s important that class provisioning, resources and connected tools work consistently before any wider rollout.
Our recommendation is for interested schools to allow a small number of teachers to explore Classroom during the preview, perhaps with test classes, rather than introducing it across the school. Cloud Design Box will also use this period to work with Microsoft, test integrations and prepare our platform.
We recommend waiting until Classroom reaches general availability, expected in summer 2027, and its integrations have been tested before considering a wider move.
Even then, there’s no requirement to switch. Schools can continue using Class Teams for as long as it remains the right solution for them.
Our recommendation for schools
We see Microsoft Classroom as a positive addition to Microsoft 365 Education. It gives schools more flexibility and helps make Microsoft’s teaching and learning tools accessible to a wider range of institutions. But more choice doesn’t mean everyone needs to change.
- For schools already using Class Teams successfully, especially those making use of channels, conversations, meetings and collaboration, our recommendation is to continue with Class Teams.
- For schools that don’t license Teams for students, or primary schools that have found Teams unnecessarily complicated, Microsoft Classroom could be an excellent alternative.
The important thing is choosing the approach that works for your teachers and students, rather than switching simply because something new is available. And whichever route you take, Cloud Design Box will continue helping you get the most from Microsoft 365.
How Cloud Design Box can help
Cloud Design Box helps schools and multi academy trusts create a joined up Microsoft 365 learning environment through automated class management, centralised SharePoint resources, intuitive dashboards and powerful assignment analytics.
Whether you use Class Teams today or are considering Microsoft Classroom in the future, our solutions are designed to simplify Microsoft 365 for staff and students.
Want to get more from Microsoft 365 in your school?
Explore Cloud Design Box’s education solutions or get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Classroom replacing Class Teams?
No. Microsoft has confirmed that Teams for Education will continue to be available. Schools can choose to continue using Class Teams or adopt Microsoft Classroom if it better suits their needs.
Should our school move from Class Teams to Classroom?
For most schools already using Class Teams successfully, we recommend staying with it. Class Teams provides communication, collaboration, meetings and integrated applications in addition to the familiar teaching and learning tools.
Does Classroom have the same education functionality as Class Teams?
Both use the same core Microsoft education components, including Assignments, Classwork, Grades, Class Notebook, Insights and Learning Accelerators.
Classroom presents these through a different, more focused interface, while Teams adds wider communication and collaboration capabilities. Some functionality and interface details may evolve before general availability.
Does Microsoft Classroom still use SharePoint?
Yes. Classroom uses the Microsoft 365 foundation, including Microsoft 365 Groups and SharePoint. Schools will still benefit from the familiar Microsoft 365 storage, identity and class management infrastructure.
Is Microsoft Classroom better for primary schools?
It could be, particularly for primary schools that have struggled with the complexity of Class Teams. Its more focused experience may make accessing assignments and learning resources easier for younger pupils. However, primary schools already using Class Teams successfully don’t need to switch.
Do we need Microsoft Teams licences to use Classroom?
No. Microsoft Classroom is designed to operate independently of Teams and is included with eligible Microsoft 365 Education A2, A3, A5 and A7 licences. Schools should check their specific licensing arrangements with their Microsoft licensing provider.
Can our staff continue using Teams if students use Classroom?
Yes. Microsoft has confirmed that schools can use Classroom for teaching and learning while continuing to use Teams for staff communication, meetings and collaboration.
Will Cloud Design Box work with Microsoft Classroom?
Yes. We plan to support Microsoft Classroom alongside Class Teams, including class provisioning, dashboards and our connected education tools.
We’ll be validating integrations as Microsoft releases the necessary APIs, with the aim of having Classroom support ready for general availability.
Can we start using Classroom during the preview in January 2027?
You can explore the preview if your school has access, but we don’t recommend adopting it across the whole school.
The product is still under development, and the APIs needed for Cloud Design Box Classroom automation and integrations will not be available during preview.
We suggest using a small number of teachers to explore its features and provide feedback, then considering wider adoption once the product and integrations are ready.
What happens to our existing Class Teams and resources?
There’s no requirement to delete or replace your existing Class Teams. Schools can continue using their current Teams, assignments, resources and collaborative spaces.
Microsoft is also exploring ways to reuse existing learning content in Classroom. Schools should wait for confirmed migration functionality before planning any move.
When should we make a decision?
There’s no immediate need. We recommend continuing with your existing setup while Microsoft completes Classroom and Cloud Design Box tests the integrations.
For schools considering a change, summer 2027 is the earliest sensible point to reassess, once the product reaches general availability and its capabilities can be properly evaluated.
Further reading
- Introducing Microsoft Classroom: What schools need to know (Cloud Design Box Blog)
- Introducing Microsoft Classroom: A new experience built for teaching and learning (Microsoft Education Blog)
