Wednesday, 9th September and Thursday, 10 September 2026
2.30pm-6.00pm | 2.30pm-5.30pm
ONLINE ONLY

Descriptions of the main themes and topics that our speakers intend to cover in their sessions are outlined below to assist you in gaining a strong overview of the conference and to help you choose the workshop sessions that best suit your needs and areas of interest:

DAY ONE: WEDNESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER

14:35-15.15 The Big AI Project: Challenges, risks and solutions
What are we seeing in schools when it comes to the leadership of AI? What are the biggest challenges – the biggest risks we face? And how are schools tackling these issues? Drawing on the lessons learned and the solutions created through The Big AI Project, this session will offer practical advice, examples and guidance for senior leadership teams on how to manage the AI revolution in your schools. Big Education is a Multi-Academy Trust that is working to transform the education system to ensure young people receive a balanced education. In the last year, Big Education has launched nationally The Big AI Project, which aims to equip schools with the skills they need to approach an AI-infused world safely, ethically and strategically. In this workshop, we will hear about the project's progress and impact so far, including the free training and resources on offer for schools. We will discover examples of effective leadership of AI in schools and how schools are supporting students, staff, governors and families. Ultimately, this session will consider what school leaders need to keep in mind as AI technologies continue to develop in the months and years ahead.
Ali Gellett, The Big AI Project Lead, Big Education

15:30-16.10 Lessons Learned: Building a sustainable whole-school strategy for AI
In this practical session, we will discover the journey taken by Anthony David, executive headteacher of two schools in north London, as he has sought to develop an effective and relevant strategy and vision for AI-use. From being an enthusiastic early adopter, to hitting the brakes and reversing gear, and finally developing a sustainable and future-proof approach, Anthony will describe his lessons learned and offer his advice for other schools. Anthony will consider what the minimum standard is for an AI strategy, including the top risks and most potent opportunities that schools must be aware off, and how schools can begin this work without becoming overwhelmed with the many possible uses of AI in education. Anthony will touch upon practical considerations, such as ICO compliance, risk assessments, Ofsted considerations, and more. He will also consider specific uses of AI that have worked in his schools, including assessment technologies and other AI resources.
Anthony David, Executive headteacher, St Mary’s, St Paul’s and Monken Hadley CE Primary Schools in north London ; author of AI with Education

16:10-16.50 Using AI to make assessment accessible
For too many students, the way we assess acts less as a valid measure of what they know and can do, and more as a barrier that prevents them from showing it. If the curriculum is their entitlement, then assessment is the gateway to demonstrating that entitlement has been realised. When that gateway is narrow, inaccessible, or biased towards a particular type of student, we risk misjudging attainment and, worse, limiting opportunity. Teachers have a professional and ethical duty to make reasonable adjustments. This is not about lowering expectations; rather, it’s about removing unnecessary barriers so that students can meet high expectations. AI can help teachers design more accessible assessments and support students in engaging with those assessments in ways that suit their needs. In this session, Matt Bromley will explore: How to use AI to adapt formative assessments such as multiple choice quizzes, think-pair-share, debates, and exit tickets, how to use AI to adapt summative assessments such as exams, essays, onscreen tests, presentations, and practicals, and how to ensure AI is used responsibly and accurately, and does not lower the bar for students.
Matt Bromley, Education Author and Advisor, BEE, Yorkshire

16:50-17:25 Build versus buy: A teacher's case study in scaling AI coaching
The AI marketplace is crowded and evolving fast, and school leaders are increasingly asking whether to buy off-the-shelf, build something in-house, or take a third route few consider: working with – or founding – a specialist provider. In this case study session, Adam Sturdee draws on his experience as Assistant Headteacher at a secondary school in Wiltshire and Co-Founder of STAR21, the company he set up to develop an AI coaching platform. Adam will walk delegates through the build-vs-buy decision honestly: why off-the-shelf wasn't enough, why in-house DIY is rarely the right answer, and what he learned by taking the founder route instead. The session covers the practical questions every school leader needs to ask before committing – data protection, safeguarding, staff/union engagement, costs, and integration with CPD – and offers a framework for evaluating any AI tool or development path, regardless of which route a school chooses. Grounded in classroom and leadership reality, the session is designed to be useful to every delegate, whatever stage they're at in their AI journey.
Adam Sturdee, Assistant Headteacher for Teaching, Learning and Coaching, St Augustine's Catholic College, Wiltshire; Co-Founder and Director, STAR21 Limited

17:25-18:00 Teaching AI: What students want to know
In this workshop, delegates will discover the bespoke year group assembly and lessons that have been created at King Ecgbert School to support student learning when it comes to the use of AI. The materials were created to support students from years 7 to 11 to use AI effectively and to help them understand the risks and opportunities. As well as age-appropriate guidance on key issues, each year group focuses on a different “ethical issue” – the environment, deepfakes, AI in the future workplace etc. This work has been inspired by an annual student AI survey undertaken at the school which reveals what students most want and need to learn about AI. The workshop will distil some of the key findings from the most recent of these surveys, offering insights into what young people themselves want to know about AI.
Ben Merritt, AI Lead and Head of Modern Foreign Languages, King Ecgbert School, Mercia Learning Trust, Sheffield

DAY 2: THURSDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER

14:35-15:15 How to build a comprehensive AI curriculum
Since its inception, the AI in Schools conference has followed the AI curriculum development work of the Three Spires Trust. In this session we will go on a journey from key stage 1 to key stage 5, finding out about how the MAT has structured its teaching of AI and what factors informed its decision-making processes and how it has sequenced key content. The trust has designed a progressive, age-appropriate approach that develops technical fluency, ethical awareness, and critical thinking. We will find out how AI has been embedded across different subjects, including computing, STEM, and project-based learning. We will discuss particularly the teaching of AI in key stage 1 and the particular challenges this brings. Finally, we will hear about the key stage 5 curriculum which is accredited by BCS and has been built in conjunction with Harper Adams university. The session will offer valuable curriculum insights, lessons learned and advice for school leaders across primary and secondary phases.
Aimee Williams, Director of School Improvement, Three Spires Trust & Practitioner for AI in Education
Chris Leek, Digital Lead, Three Spires Trust, Staffordshire

15:30-16:10 Supporting students' emotional intelligence in a world of AI
One of the biggest risk factors associated with AI is the impact on student wellbeing and mental health. In this workshop, behaviour and inclusion expert Samantha Dholakia will consider the importance of that intersection between AI and emotional intelligence, offering practical advice and ideas for how we can best support children and young people to navigate increasingly AI-rich environments in a safe, balanced, and developmentally appropriate way. The workshop will help us to understand the impact of AI on wellbeing, relationships, and identity and will outline practical strategies for supporting pupils to develop critical thinking and healthy boundaries around AI use. We will address just how our curriculum and teaching can help school staff to guide students in using AI as a tool without over-reliance and how we can embed EI alongside AI within the curriculum and wider school culture. The session will be practical, with clear takeaways for both primary and secondary settings.
Samantha Dholakia, Behaviour, Inclusion and Emotional Regulation Coach, Consultant and Trainer

16:10-16:50 The procurement challenge: How do you choose a good AI tool?
In a crowded AI marketplace, how do you tell the difference between tools that really deliver and the ones that just look impressive? In this straight‑talking session, AI in education specialist Laura Knight shows you how to use the latest DfE AI and digital standards as a lens for cutting through the sales spin, shaping a robust AI procurement strategy, and asking smarter questions about impact, data, and compliance. You’ll walk away with a practical checklist for choosing AI that is safe, evidence‑informed and genuinely helpful for your staff and students, while strengthening your school’s approach to governance and compliance.
Laura Knight, Founder, Sapio Education

16:50-17.30 Creating a culture of AI literacy in your school
If schools are to thrive in the ever-developing AI world, then we need to achieve a cultural shift. For our teachers, a "sit down and listen", top-down approach will not give them the required skills and confidence to navigate AI in education. Instead, we must shift from "skill-based" training to "pedagogical stewardship", empowering teachers to be able to make judgements about where AI has a place and where it does not. For our students, a cultural shift involves moving from them seeing AI as a shortcut to seeing it as a tool for higher thinking. For our families, we must tackle anxiety over AI with transparency about our curriculum and the support we are offering young people. In this workshop, Jon Garner-Richardson, the author of You, AI and Your Teaching, will consider how schools can achieve this culture shift. Drawing on research findings and his own work, Jon will consider how school's AI strategies can ensure teachers remain the stewards of pedagogy, how we can inspire our students, and how parents can be empowered in the conversation about AI.
Jon Garner-Richardson, Founder of Handi.Education; Former AI and Digital Learning Lead; Author of You, AI and Your Teaching