Our Approach to Artificial Intelligence

At St Mary’s School, Oxted, we are committed to providing high-quality education while embracing innovation responsibly. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used carefully and purposefully to support teaching, learning, and school operations.

Our approach is guided by the following principles:

• AI enhances, but never replaces, professional judgement
• Pupils’ safety, wellbeing, and privacy are paramount
• Transparency and accountability underpin all use
• Ethical and secure systems are prioritised at all times

Our Use of AI

We use AI in a limited and controlled way to support:

Teaching and Learning

• Assisting staff with lesson planning and resource creation

• Supporting differentiated learning materials

• Enhancing feedback processes

Administration

• Improving efficiency in routine administrative tasks
• Supporting communication and organisation

We do not use AI to make decisions about pupils without human oversight.

Our Commitment to Safe and Ethical AI

St Mary’s School only uses Microsoft Copilot as its AI platform.

We have selected Copilot because:

• It operates within secure, enterprise-level environments
• It does not use school data to train public AI models
• It aligns with recognised standards for privacy, security, and ethical use

This ensures that all use of AI within the school remains controlled, appropriate, and compliant with data protection expectations.

Staff Use of AI

All staff at St Mary’s School:

• Follow a Staff Code of Conduct for AI Use
• Have agreed to a clear AI Use Agreement
• Receive guidance on safe, ethical, and effective use of AI tools

Staff are expected to:

• Apply professional judgement at all times
• Verify AI-generated content for accuracy
• Ensure that no sensitive or personal data is used inappropriately
• Uphold safeguarding and confidentiality standards

AI is used as a professional support tool, not as a substitute for expertise.

Pupil Use of AI

We are committed to preparing pupils for a future where AI will be increasingly present. Pupils may be introduced to AI in an age-appropriate way.

Expectations include:

• Using AI to support learning, not to replace independent thinking
• Being honest about when AI has been used
• Not submitting AI-generated work as their own

Staff provide guidance to ensure pupils understand both the benefits and limitations of AI.

Safeguarding and Risk Management

We recognise that AI technologies carry risks, including:

• Inaccurate or misleading information
• Bias in generated content
• Exposure to inappropriate material

To mitigate these risks:

• All AI use is supervised by staff
• Outputs are checked before use with pupils
• Access is restricted to approved systems only

Safeguarding remains central to all decisions regarding AI use.

Data Protection and Privacy

St Mary’s School is committed to protecting personal data in accordance with UK GDPR.

Our approach includes:

• Careful selection of approved AI tools (Microsoft Copilot only)
• Ensuring that personal data is not used to train external systems
• Compliance with our Data Protection and Privacy policies
• Ongoing monitoring of how data is used and stored

No pupil data is entered into AI systems unless it is secure, appropriate, and compliant.

Transparency and Accountability

Oversight of AI use sits with the school’s senior leadership team.

We regularly review:

• How AI is being used
• Emerging risks and developments
• Staff training and compliance

We are committed to continuous improvement and responsible innovation.

Further Information

For more detail, please refer to:

• Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
• Data Protection and Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policies (Staff and Pupils)

If you have any questions or concerns about the use of AI at St Mary’s School please contact the school office.