Liz Robinson, CEO, and Ali Gellett, The Big AI Project Lead, Big Education
The recent and rapid developments around AI have left many school leaders and teachers feeling overwhelmed, or even with a sense of fear at the speed of change. We all know we must lean into this, to ensure our schools and young people are equipped with the skills, confidence and capabilities to address this safely, ethically and strategically. But many feel as we did; lacking specialist knowledge or the bandwidth to properly think about it. Even knowing what the right questions are to ask is complex.
At Big Education, we believe that a ‘big’ education is one that nurtures the whole child - head, heart, and hand. In a world being rapidly reshaped by technology, our mission to keep schooling relevant has never been more urgent. We don't just want students to pass exams; we want them to have the agency to navigate complexity, problem solve and think critically.
This is why The Big AI Project was born: to ensure that educators are in the driving seat of this societal shift. As Professor Rose Luckin, our academic project partner, notes: "the educators closest to learners are the ones best placed to determine how AI should and should not be used".
Human context is key
At the heart of a Big Education is a belief that we must nurture our students and wider communities to flourish. AI cannot exercise the ethical judgement, lived experience and creativity that our staff enact every day in our schools. If we allow AI to be adopted without careful thought, we risk deepening the failures of an education system that sometimes struggles to nurture these uniquely human traits.
True ‘AI readiness’ is contextualised and participatory. It requires building the confidence to ask bigger questions:
- What is our approach to engaging with AI as a school and how does this align with our values, vision and mission?
- How does this align with our curriculum and pedagogical intent?
- How can we ensure that the student voice and our community are at the heart of this journey?
If we allow AI to be integrated passively, we risk reinforcing a narrow version of education. By putting educators in the driving seat, we ensure technology supports the social, emotional, and critical thinking skills that our young people need to thrive.
The Big AI Project pilot findings from Park School and Outreach Centre highlighted that even the best resources must be adapted by teachers to meet the specific needs of their pupils, particularly those with Special Educational Needs. This level of nuance and care can only come from a human educator who understands their community.
A call to the sector
The window for shaping how AI is used in education will not remain open indefinitely. We have a once-in-a-generation chance to get this right. We must move beyond the ‘elephant in the room’ and start teaching ourselves and our students how to navigate this world safely and strategically. This is why we are delighted to have had philanthropic, AI and tech-agnostic funding to develop resources to help every school in the country that wants it, all for free.
I urge every school leader, governor, and teacher to take ownership of these tools. Do not wait for the technology to define your classroom; use your professional agency to define the technology. The journey is just beginning, and it is one we must undertake together as a sector.
- To access the free training and materials developed through the pilot, including the 10-point school checklist, online teacher training modules and the AI literacy curricula for ages 3-14, you can join the national rollout of The Big AI Project.
