AI TRAINING
AI Foundations for Small Schools and Training Centres
Equip school heads and admin teams to use AI responsibly for communications, planning, and administration.
What it covers
A practical one-day workshop designed for independent schools and adult-training centres looking to adopt AI tools without compromising student data or institutional trust. Participants learn to automate routine admin tasks, draft parent communications, assist with lesson planning, and build an acceptable-use policy tailored to their organisation. The session combines guided demos, hands-on exercises, and a policy-drafting template. No prior AI experience is required.
What you'll be able to do
- Draft AI-assisted admissions emails and parent updates that match the school's tone and pass a human review checklist
- Generate a structured lesson plan outline using a prompt template and identify where to apply professional judgement
- Map at least three repetitive admin tasks to appropriate AI tools while flagging GDPR data-handling requirements
- Complete a one-page acceptable-use policy draft for AI in their institution using a provided framework
- Recognise common AI failure modes — hallucination, bias, data leakage — and apply basic mitigation steps
Topics covered
- Using AI tools for admissions communications and follow-up emails
- Drafting and iterating lesson plans with AI assistance
- Automating routine admin: scheduling, reminders, and report templates
- Writing parent and learner update messages with AI
- Student data privacy rules and GDPR obligations in an AI context
- Crafting an acceptable-use policy for AI in your institution
- Spotting AI errors and maintaining human oversight
- Selecting low-risk, GDPR-compliant AI tools for education
Delivery
Delivered in-person or live-online (half-day theory, half-day hands-on practice). Materials include a prompt library for education use cases, a GDPR checklist for AI tools, and an acceptable-use policy template. Hands-on exercises make up approximately 50% of the session. A follow-up 60-minute Q&A call within 30 days is recommended. Minimum technical setup: participants need a laptop and a free or institutional ChatGPT or equivalent account.
What makes it work
- Appointing one staff member as the AI lead responsible for maintaining the acceptable-use policy
- Starting with low-risk, internal-only tasks (e.g. internal meeting notes, lesson draft ideas) before external communications
- Running a short staff refresher every term to share what is working and update the policy as tools evolve
- Using a vetted prompt library so staff benefit from tested, school-appropriate AI interactions from day one
Common mistakes
- Inputting student names, grades, or SEND information into public AI tools without understanding data retention policies
- Publishing AI-generated parent communications without any human review, leading to factual errors or wrong tone
- Adopting AI tools ad hoc across staff with no shared policy, creating inconsistent and risky usage
- Assuming free consumer AI tools are automatically GDPR-compliant for educational contexts
When NOT to take this
This workshop is not the right fit for large multi-academy trusts or university departments that already have a dedicated EdTech team and need a strategic AI governance programme rather than a foundational literacy session.
Providers to consider
Sources
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