AI is arriving in classrooms whether schools plan for it or not. Marking assistants, chatbots, attendance analytics and content generators are already in everyday use. The opportunity is real, and so is the responsibility. Governance does not have to be heavy, but it does have to exist.
Start with a simple inventory
You cannot govern what you cannot see. Begin with a short list of every AI tool in use, who introduced it, what data it touches and whether it makes or supports decisions about pupils. This single document does more for your risk posture than any policy.
Know where the data goes
Many AI tools send data to processors outside the UK. That triggers international transfer obligations under UK GDPR. For each tool, confirm the provider, the sub-processors behind it, and the safeguards in place for any transfer.
Watch for decisions about children
Profiling and automated decision-making involving children carry heightened expectations. Where a tool influences outcomes such as setting, support or behaviour, document the logic, keep a human firmly in the loop, and be ready to explain it to parents.
The goal is not to ban AI. It is to use it with your eyes open.
A practical next step
Pair your AI inventory with a one-page acceptable-use position for staff. Name the tools that are approved, the data that must never be entered, and the person to ask when in doubt. Small, clear and enforceable beats long and ignored.
If your school would like help building this out, including staff training and supplier assurance, get in touch.