Two Years of ChatGPT in Schools
November 15, 2024
Two years after ChatGPT’s launch, schools worldwide have moved from panic and plagiarism fears to more mature, policy-aligned use. This article offers a longitudinal “report card” on ChatGPT in education, comparing 2022–23 with 2023–24 across policy, classroom practice and student outcomes. Through concrete case vignettes and a simple self-audit maturity model, school leaders and teachers can benchmark where they sit on the adoption curve, spot gaps, and plan the next two years of AI integration with confidence and care.
AI Tools for Parents’ Evening
November 11, 2024
Parents’ evening can be exhausting: stacks of reports, rushed conversations and notes you can barely read the next day. Used well, AI can help you turn existing gradebooks, comments and behaviour logs into clear, student-friendly summaries and focused talking points for every family. This step-by-step “evening-in-a-box” workflow walks you through how to prepare your data safely, generate balanced discussion points, rehearse difficult conversations and capture follow-up actions – all while respecting privacy, school policy and professional judgement. Practical prompts included, ready to copy and adapt.
What Research Says About AI Tutoring
November 8, 2024
AI tutoring tools are being heavily promoted to schools, often with bold promises of “personalised learning” and rapid progress. This briefing cuts through the marketing to summarise what robust research actually shows about AI tutoring: typical learning gains, which subjects and age groups benefit most, and where equity concerns are emerging. Drawing on case studies of Khan Academy’s Khanmigo, Duolingo’s AI features and large-scale efficacy trials, it outlines the implementation conditions that matter in real schools and offers a practical decision guide for leaders considering when, where and how to deploy AI tutoring.
Claude Computer Use in Schools
November 4, 2024
Anthropic’s new Claude Computer Use feature turns Claude from a chat assistant into an “agent” that can click, type and navigate on your computer. For schools, this opens powerful possibilities – and serious risks – if treated as a student toy rather than a staff tool. This playbook explores how teachers and leaders can use Claude as a safe “school systems assistant” for admin, resource curation and audits, while putting in place clear guardrails, policies and human sign-off to avoid data leaks, safeguarding issues and over-automation.
Report Writing Season Survival Guide
November 1, 2024
Report-writing season does not have to mean late nights, rushed comments and exhausted staff. Used well, AI can slot into your existing reporting process and quietly remove hours of admin, without lowering standards or losing pupil voice. This practical, two-week playbook walks teachers and school leaders step by step through low-friction, policy-safe workflows – from gathering assessment evidence to drafting comments, checking tone and supporting parent communication – while keeping professional judgement and safeguarding firmly in charge.
ChatGPT Voice as a Speaking Partner
October 28, 2024
Many learners lack regular, low‑pressure opportunities to speak their target language. ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode can act as an always‑available conversation partner, offering realistic dialogue, patient repetition and personalised prompts. This playbook shows language teachers how to design safe, structured routines that build fluency, pronunciation and confidence without replacing real human interaction. You will find concrete examples you can assign as homework or independent practice, plus practical guidance on safeguarding, privacy and avoiding over‑reliance on AI support.
Digital Citizenship and AI
October 24, 2024
As AI tools move into everyday schoolwork, they must become part of digital citizenship, not an optional extra. This article gives teachers age-banded, ready-to-teach mini-units that weave online safety, ethics and academic integrity into practical AI activities. With examples from primary through to upper secondary, and options for low- or no-device classrooms, you can help pupils actually practise responsible AI use rather than simply memorising rules. Includes ideas for classroom routines, pupil agreements and ways to link lessons with school policy and home.
Half-Term AI Challenge Ideas
October 18, 2024
This playbook shares simple, self-directed AI mini challenges that pupils can explore over October half-term with almost no teacher prep. Using free tools and clear guardrails, families can choose from creative, curiosity-driven projects that balance on-screen and off-screen time. From primary to upper secondary, each age band has ideas that build confidence, digital literacy and independent learning. Schools simply share a one-page “AI challenge menu” so pupils can pick and mix tasks that suit their interests and access to devices. Perfect for keeping curiosity alive without turning half-term into homework.
AI in Science Labs: A Practical Playbook
October 15, 2024
AI is already reshaping how we plan, run and review practical science – but many teachers are unsure how to use it safely and effectively with real students, real data and real risks. This lab‑first playbook walks science teachers step‑by‑step through embedding AI into existing practicals, from planning and piloting experiments to analysing student data and enforcing non‑negotiable safety rules. With ready‑to‑copy routines that work in low‑device, mixed‑ability secondary and FE labs, it focuses on scaffolding thinking rather than doing the work for students, and keeps academic integrity and data protection front and centre.
OpenAI Canvas Drafting Guide
October 11, 2024
OpenAI Canvas is a new collaborative writing space where teachers, students and AI can draft together in real time. This guide walks you through a practical approach to introducing Canvas in your classroom. You will find clear classroom workflows, from brainstorming and outlining to peer critique and redrafting, along with firm guardrails on academic integrity, privacy and behaviour. The focus is on helping students write more thoughtfully, not outsourcing their thinking to AI.
AI in Art & Design Education
October 9, 2024
AI is rapidly reshaping creative industries, from concept art to product design, animation and advertising. For secondary and FE art and design teachers, the challenge is to bring these tools into the studio without letting them replace students’ own making. This playbook explores how multimodal and iterative AI tools – image, video, 3D, layout and critique – can support full creative workflows, from research and sketchbook development to prototyping, portfolio curation and reflective practice, with clear guardrails that keep human creativity firmly at the centre.
Google NotebookLM for Students
October 3, 2024
Google NotebookLM is an AI-powered notebook that lets you turn scattered notes, PDFs and lecture slides into structured study companions. This practical guide walks secondary and university students through concrete workflows for readings, revision and exam prep, while drawing clear lines on what counts as cheating. You will learn how to organise sources, generate practice questions, and use AI explanations safely. We also cover privacy, consent, and how to align your use of NotebookLM with school or university AI policies.
AI for EAL/ESL: Beyond Translation
October 1, 2024
Many multilingual learners sit in mainstream classrooms understanding far less than they could, even with translation tools open on their phones. This article shows subject teachers how to use AI as a live scaffold during regular lessons, going beyond simple translation to support vocabulary, reading and listening comprehension. You will find practical prompts, classroom routines and low-prep workflows you can adapt across subjects and age groups, plus guidance on safeguarding and equity. The focus is always clear: AI supports the learner, it does not replace teaching.
Redefining Originality: Assessment in 2024
September 25, 2024
As generative AI becomes a normal part of students’ lives, traditional ideas of “original work” are under pressure. Instead of trying to catch AI-assisted cheating, teachers can redesign assessments so that authentic process, personal voice and contextualised evidence matter more than the final product. This article offers a practical playbook for reworking existing tasks into “originality by design” assessments, with concrete examples, rubrics and classroom routines. You will find strategies that make AI a transparent, bounded part of learning, rather than something to fear or detect.
Explaining AI to Parents
September 24, 2024
As schools adopt AI tools, parents are asking understandable questions about safety, learning and the future of teaching. This practical guide offers a ready-to-use script bank to help you explain AI in clear, calm language that works across cultures and languages. You will find FAQ-style talking points, adaptable email and newsletter templates, and phrases that align with existing AI, safeguarding and data policies. Use it to support consistent messages across your website, parent meetings and everyday conversations, while building trust and partnership with families.