Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Thamesview School
At Thamesview School, we are committed to providing a forward-thinking and effective learning environment for our students. We recognise the significant potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance educational experiences, support our dedicated staff, and equip our students with the skills they need for the future. This page outlines our approach to using AI, ensuring it is integrated into our school in a responsible, ethical, and secure manner.
Our Approach to AI
Our primary goal is to harness the power of AI to enrich the educational journey for our students and to support the wellbeing of our staff.
Enhancing Teaching and Learning:
AI provides new opportunities to personalise learning. We use AI tools to:
- Create tailored resources: Teachers can develop customised lesson plans and materials that cater to the diverse needs of students within a group.
- Analyse learning trends: By understanding student performance data, teachers can identify areas where students might need extra support and implement targeted strategies to help them succeed.
- Develop the curriculum: AI helps us stay current with educational trends, suggesting improvements to our curriculum to ensure it is relevant and robust.
Supporting Staff Wellbeing:
We are dedicated to the wellbeing of our staff. By using AI to automate administrative tasks such as generating reports, creating presentations, or drafting communications, we can reduce workload. This allows our teachers to dedicate more of their valuable time to what they do best: teaching and inspiring our students.
Our Commitment to Ethical and Safe Use
Integrating any new technology requires a thoughtful and cautious approach. The ethical and safe use of AI is our highest priority.
Data Protection and Privacy:
We are rigorous in ensuring that any AI tool used in our school is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We have a clear process for vetting new technologies to ensure they meet strict data protection standards. We are committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our entire school community.
Academic Integrity:
We teach our students to use AI as a powerful tool for research and learning, but we are also clear about the importance of academic honesty. The misuse of AI, such as submitting AI-generated work as one's own, is a violation of our academic integrity policy and is treated with the utmost seriousness, in line with our existing policies on malpractice.
Professional Oversight:
While AI tools can provide valuable support, they do not replace the professional judgement and expertise of our teachers. Our educators maintain full oversight of the educational process, critically evaluating any output from AI tools to ensure its quality and appropriateness for their students.
Staff Training and Continuous Review
To ensure the effective and appropriate use of AI, we are committed to the continuous professional development of our staff.
Comprehensive Staff Training:
All staff receive ongoing training to understand the capabilities and limitations of the AI tools we use. This ensures they are confident and skilled in integrating these technologies into their teaching practices in a way that is both effective and aligns with our ethical standards.
A Process of Constant Review:
The world of AI is constantly evolving. We have a designated leadership team that oversees the implementation of AI across the school. Any new AI tool is subject to a formal approval process, which includes a detailed assessment of its educational value, its security, and its ethical implications. This ensures we are always using the best and safest tools available to support our students and staff.
We believe that by embracing innovation responsibly, we can provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares our students for a future in which technology will play a central role. We are committed to maintaining transparency with our entire community students, parents, and governors as we continue on this journey.