Over the last year, interest in and use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has rapidly increased. Although GenAI is not new, recent advances in the underlying technology and greater accessibility mean that the public can now use it more easily. This poses opportunities and challenges for the education sector. The Digital Strategy Division in the Department for Education (DfE) asked HM Government's Open Innovation Team (OIT) to explore the opportunities and risks for GenAI in education. This report contains insights from interviews with teachers and educators at 23 educational institutions, 14 interviews with experts from academia and the education technology (EdTech) industry, a range of quantitative data sources, and key themes from academic and grey literature. This report covers: (1) How the sector has responded to and adopted GenAI technology; (2) Applications and opportunities for GenAI in education; (3) Reported impact and benefits of GenAI use in education; (4) Barriers to adoption and risks that GenAI presents for education; and (5) Support the sector would like to receive from the DfE and government.