Case Study: Empowering Buckswood School with Generative AI

From Aspiration to Implementation: Buckswood School’s Journey in Harnessing Generative AI Responsibly

Introducing Buckswood

Buckswood School in Sussex, known for its commitment to innovation, sought to integrate Generative AI into its educational framework. However, the school initially had limited understanding of the technology, lacked policies for its use, and had only a handful of teachers and pupils experimenting with it without guidance.

AI Confident stepped in to support Buckswood School in transforming its approach to Generative AI, ensuring responsible use and integration across the curriculum.

Where They Started:

  • A keen interest in being innovative with Generative AI.

  • Limited understanding of how to utilise Generative AI.

  • Absence of policies or guidelines for using Generative AI.

  • A small group of teachers and pupils experimenting with Generative AI without guardrails.

How we helped

  1. Educating the Educators

    • We conducted a workshop for teachers focusing on the responsible use of AI. This session empowered them with the knowledge and tools necessary to safely experiment with Generative AI and integrate it into the curriculum.

  2. Policy Development

    • We provided support to the Academic Principal in developing a comprehensive Generative AI use policy for the school. This policy laid the foundation for responsible and ethical use of AI technology within the educational setting.

  3. Engaging the Students

    • We facilitated an interactive session with 80 GCSE age students, exploring responsible use of Generative AI. The session encouraged critical thinking, as students categorised various use-cases into responsible and not responsible uses.

  4. Senior Leadership ‘Prioritisation’ workshops

    • We led sessions with the Senior Leadership team to identify the priority AI uses for the school, helping them to maximise their benefit.

Where They Are Now

  • The school has implemented a Generative AI use policy.

  • AI-related content is being developed and integrated across the curriculum.

  • A Generative AI toolkit for teachers is under development.

  • Inspired by the intervention, three pupils took the initiative to develop a similar toolkit for students.

  • Peer to Peer workshops - Upper Sixth students have worked with KS3 students, looking at appropriate AI usage.

  • A collaborative culture of resource and idea sharing, including teachers leading AI sessions at insets.

  • School leaders have run sessions for 'non teaching staff' looking at how to effectively use AI in other areas of the school, from Admissions to Health and Safety

  • Taking AI use to the next level, members of the teaching team are building their own GPTs, focusing on building effective teaching and report writing models. 

Conclusion:

Buckswood School’s collaboration with AI Confident has been transformative. Through education, policy development, and student engagement, the school is now poised to harness the full potential of Generative AI responsibly and innovatively. This case study exemplifies how educational institutions can empower both educators and students with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the evolving landscape of Generative AI.

Are you interested in empowering your educational institution with Generative AI? Contact us to learn how we can support your journey.