NEWS & IDEAS / SCHOOL AI POLICY
What makes a strong school AI policy?
An AI policy is the document in which a school sets out acceptable use of AI in learning, teaching and administration, and how it responds when those rules are breached.
The scope can be quite different from one school to another, ranging from a single paragraph on academic integrity to a detailed policy covering staff practice, student data and wellbeing alongside classroom use.
This article looks at what a strong AI policy includes, how it should reflect the tools a school uses and its stance on AI, and what gaps in that policy could mean for the school in practice.
What a strong AI policy includes
A strong AI policy begins by defining a clear scope. It establishes what the school defines as AI, who the policy applies to and which activities it covers. It then sets out the rules, responsibilities and processes that apply within that scope.
| AREA | WHAT THE POLICY SHOULD SET OUT |
|---|---|
| Definition and scope | What counts as AI under the policy, including whether it covers generative AI alone or other AI systems. Which members of the school community and activities it applies to, and how it connects to existing policies. |
| Acceptable use | The uses permitted and prohibited in learning, teaching and administration. Any conditions attached to permission, and how expectations are set for individual learning and assessment tasks. |
| Responsibility and oversight | Who authorises AI tools and uses, who checks generated material before it is used or shared, and who makes the final decision when AI informs a judgement. |
| Privacy and information handling | What information users may and may not enter into AI tools. Who checks how a tool collects, stores and shares information, and what conditions must be met before it is approved. |
| Transparency and acknowledgement | Which uses of AI must be declared, who must be informed and what the acknowledgement must contain. How these expectations apply to students and staff. |
| Learning and understanding | What students and staff are expected to understand about AI, including accuracy, limitations and bias. Who provides that learning and where it is incorporated into the curriculum or staff development. |
| Fairness and wellbeing | How access to permitted tools is provided, what arrangements apply when someone cannot use them, and how concerns about bias, exclusion or harm are identified and addressed. |
| Concerns and breaches | Where concerns are reported, who investigates them and which school procedures apply. How decisions and outcomes are communicated, including how a disputed decision can be reviewed. |
| Ownership and review | The role responsible for maintaining the policy, its review schedule, the changes that trigger an earlier review and how updates are communicated. |
Matching the policy to the school’s tools and stance
An AI policy should reflect the school’s decisions about the role AI has in learning, teaching and administration. This includes what the school wants AI to contribute, where it places limits on its use and which work or decisions remain the responsibility of students and staff. Those decisions provide the basis for the permissions and restrictions set out in the policy.
The school’s AI policy sets the baseline and defines where teachers may set conditions for individual tasks. One assessment might permit AI for planning, while another is completed in class under supervision, without AI. Those conditions should be stated with the task and remain within the school’s rules on approved tools, information handling and acknowledgement.
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE · ASSESSMENT PERMISSIONS
SCHOOL POLICY
Shared baseline
- Approved tools only.
- Protect personal information.
- Acknowledge permitted AI use.
What gaps in the policy can mean in practice
When an AI policy leaves important details unclear, students and staff may interpret the same rules differently. A student might assume that access to an approved tool means permission to use it in an assessment. A staff member might understand the school’s position on AI but remain unsure about what information they can enter into it. If responsibilities are also unclear, concerns can pass between staff without anyone knowing who should act.
These gaps can lead to inconsistent expectations, disputed assessment decisions and inappropriate information sharing. A strong policy gives the school a shared basis for making those decisions, with clear responsibilities and a process for resolving questions the policy has not yet addressed.
A school’s AI policy should give students and staff a clear basis for deciding what is permitted, what they are responsible for and where to turn when the rules leave something uncertain. Keeping that guidance aligned with the school’s tools and practices requires ongoing review. As AI use changes, the policy should continue to reflect the decisions the school has made and the expectations it can explain and apply.
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