Artificial Intelligence and the Queenswood Curriculum

Whilst we take great pride in the progress we have already made in implementing our girl-centred digital strategy, we acknowledge the constantly shifting and evolving nature in this area of education. The emergence of Large Language Model based generative AI marks a transformative step for humanity, and this will be reflected in the education sector as in our broader society. AI's myriad applications, such as tailoring educational experiences, delivering real-time feedback, enabling low-stakes self-assessment, and offering personalised 1-on-1 support outside the classroom, underscore its potential to completely revolutionise education.

AI also presents an evolving area of risk, one that requires careful thought and management to minimise any potential negative impacts.

At Queenswood we are committed to carefully evaluating the implications of this profound change, ensuring that our students are able to harness the power of AI correctly and responsibly, whilst concurrently educating our students about the potential pitfalls they may encounter. This commitment is woven into our broader strategy to cultivate a dynamic and forward-thinking learning environment.

We have established the following "Guiding Principles" for AI usage.

At Queenswood, we commit to:

1. Embrace AI as a core component of learning:
   We recognise AI's growing importance in our students' lives and are committed to providing a safe environment for them to explore and understand its use and application.
2. Foster AI literacy for all:
   Students, staff, and parents will be empowered to become knowledgeable and confident in using AI tools and understanding their implications.
3. Integrate AI across the curriculum:
   AI will not be an isolated topic but instead woven into various subjects, enabling students and staff to utilise it daily to enhance teaching and learning.
4. Address unintended consequences: We acknowledge potential challenges, particularly related to academic integrity, and will proactively work to mitigate any negative impacts arising from AI use.
5. Collaborate and share expertise: Staff will actively engage with colleagues, other educational institutions, and professional development opportunities to ensure Queenswood becomes a leader in AI education.

Senior Management and Heads of Faculty have been actively discussing AI for the past 18 months, and in that time a huge amount of progress has been made. We would draw your attention to our initial assessment of AI conducted in March 2023 which is still relevant today and provides a list of recommendations you can use to discuss the use of AI with your children.

Throughout the 2023/24 academic year Senior Management have been attending courses about AI and upskilling themselves. Beginning in September 2024, all academic staff have been given initial training on the use of AI in the classroom. It is essential as part of our roadmap that our staff become proficient in the use of AI so they can then discuss and engage our students with confidence. We are in the process of establishing and “Academic Integrity” policy which will help us to address the obvious concerns around AI and plagiarism.

The next step is to engage with students and parents. Students have been asked to read and accept the terms of a summarised version of the “Digital Technology Usage Policy” (full version can be found here), where the use of AI is explicitly discussed in Appendix 4. Students will also be given the opportunity to undertake the OSA Certified AI User course as part of their PSHE studies this year, in order to gain new skills and better understand some of the ethical risks posed by AI. Parents were invited to the fascinating and thought provoking talk on AI by Dr Andy Kemp, a recording of which can be found below.

We look forward to all of our stakeholders joining us on this exciting journey into the future of education.