Teach-Secondary-14.1

A s the head of a secondary school responsible for both the education and the wellbeing of 800 or more children – not to mention the professional development and work-life balance of their teachers and support staff – I make it my business to keep abreast of technological developments that could help with all of those responsibilities. And as a computer science specialist who still makes time for teaching alongside my SLT commitments, it would be strange if I weren’t at least a little excited by the possibilities and opportunities that could lie ahead, thanks to the increasing availability and sophistication of AI solutions. As a serious fan of the Terminator franchise, however, I have to confess that when I’m thinking about AI, it’s hard to get Skynet out of my head... Mixed feelings I suspect I’mnot alone in this. When I speak to fellow school leaders about where we see artificial intelligence fitting into our practice and our organisations, the conversations tend to be pretty evenly balanced between enthusiasm and caution. Despite the fact that we’ve all been happily making use of AI-driven technology for many years (hands up if you rely on Google Maps), there’s something about explicitly bringing it into the education sphere, in a way that goes beyond the algorithms which make Times Tables Rock Stars and other learning apps so effective, that seems genuinely, and perhaps worryingly game-changing. It would appear that the families and communities we serve are similarly conflicted. In August 2024, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology published the results of a research project undertaken in partnership with the DfE, which looked into ‘Public attitudes towards the use of AI in education’ (see tiny.cc/ts141-AI1) . The report makes for interesting reading, though it was largely overlooked by the media at the time. For me, one of the most telling findings was that, “ While awareness of AI is relatively high, understanding does not run deep. ” The parents and children participating in the research study weren’t against the use of AI in schools by any means, but they did have serious concerns about the implications of introducing it irresponsibly. However we may feel about it, though, as Gillian Keegan said back in December 2023, ‘ AI is here to stay. ’ At Honywood School, we know our learners are already regularly exposed to generative AI tools, and that our staff are increasingly making use of them too. Much like early adopters in WHY WAIT? Drafting an AI policy might seem daunting - but if you put it off, it’s your staff and students who will miss out, says James Saunders … “I want our staffand learners to reap the benefits ofAI as soonas possible” 70 teachwire.net/secondary