​My professional engagement with AI began in early 2023, initially as a tool to support classroom planning and workload. In practice, it soon became clear this was not simply a matter of efficiency: AI was rapidly reshaping pupil experience and classroom practice.

Before joining the Big AI Project in January 2025 to draft national KS2 resources, I believed AI was primarily a future concern, something secondary schools or specialist settings would address once formal guidance arrived. That assumption did not stand. Working on the Big AI project and now on the Best Use of AI as part of the Rethinking School project has been a stark reminder that the educational landscape is already shifting. While many educators debate whether AI should be formally addressed, pupils are already using these tools independently.

In her January 2026 BETT speech, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson described AI as ‘the biggest leap forward for learning in centuries.’ For practitioners, the challenge is immediate: pupils are engaging with AI now, and schools must adapt practice while policy and guidance are still emerging.

AI in KS2: beyond shortcuts

The Department for Education has published guidance on the safe and effective use of generative AI in schools, and the government has invested £23 million in expanding AI and edtech pilots across England. These initiatives demonstrate both the potential of AI in education and the need for careful, evidence-based implementation.

In KS2, the priority is not teaching pupils to generate answers from AI, but developing epistemic agency which is the ability to evaluate what is true, reliable and worthwhile. As the Secretary of State warned, AI must not ‘spoon-feed the cold mush of easy answers.’ In practice, I ask my Year 5 pupils:
‘If the AI provides the answer, who has done the learning, you or AI?’

Their responses reveal a significant challenge. When pupils are using AI independently, often without guidance, and without critical skills, they risk confusing output with understanding. Our role is to equip them with frameworks to use AI constructively.

Navigating the current: practical priorities

The pace of technological change is remarkable. AI has moved beyond simple chatbots into agentic systems, tools capable of acting as well as responding. Examples presented at BETT 2026 included adaptive AI supporting pupils with additional needs, illustrating its potential for personalised learning.

For all-through schools, three priorities are emerging:

• Early Years and KS1: Preserve social and cognitive foundations. No digital tool can replicate the learning that arises from human interaction and play.
• KS2: Use AI to extend thinking, not replace it. Support pupils to question, evaluate, and refine AI-generated ideas.
• Post-16: Prepare students for human–AI collaboration in the workforce, where AI fluency is increasingly fundamental.

Rethinking assessment and purpose

AI forces reflection on assessment itself. If a machine can pass conventional tests, what are they truly measuring? Our resources, launching this year, provide practical tools for teachers, but the courage to embrace uncertainty and rethink learning outcomes must come from educators.

AI will not replace the heart of a school. It will, however, reshape the conditions under which education is delivered. We do not need a completed handbook to act. In 2026, educators are called not only to teach but to learn alongside the technology that is and will shape our pupils’ futures.