Can pupils use AI for homework?

Schools take different positions. The most workable approach is to set out where AI is allowed (research, planning, proofreading), where it is not (final written work), and to require pupils to declare AI use when it has helped.

What if a pupil is sent or makes a deepfake nude of a peer?

This is a serious safeguarding incident and a criminal offence. Inform the DSL immediately. Do not view, save, or forward the image. The DSL will refer to police and follow your school's child-on-child abuse procedures.

Is it safe to use AI for lesson planning?

Generally yes for non-personal content. Do not enter pupil names, SEND data, safeguarding information, or anything that could identify a child. Treat AI output as a draft, not a finished plan.

For leadership

AI Tools in Schools: Policy Starter

Practical positions on chatbot use, homework, privacy, deepfake risks, staff use, pupil use, and an acceptable-use starter clause.

Overview

AI tools are now part of routine pupil and staff life. KCSIE 2025 reflects this by signalling AI-related risks — generated images, chatbots used for grooming, and academic misuse. This entry offers a calm starting position and a paragraph schools can adapt for their acceptable use policy.

Key points

Generative AI is a tool, not an entity — staff and pupils remain responsible for the output.
Deepfake nude images of children are illegal in the UK. Make this explicit in the behaviour policy.
Chatbots can be used to groom, manipulate, or mislead — treat them as a contact risk.
Pupil data should not be entered into consumer AI tools without explicit assurance and data protection sign-off.
Staff use of AI for planning, marking, or admin must follow data protection rules.
Plagiarism and academic honesty policies need an explicit AI clause.

Practical steps

Step 1

Agree a one-page school position on AI for the current academic year.

Step 2

Add an AI clause to the pupil and staff acceptable use agreements.

Step 3

Brief staff on deepfake risks and how to respond if an image is reported.

Step 4

Update the behaviour policy to cover AI-generated bullying or sexual content.

Step 5

Talk to parents about AI in a newsletter — what pupils use, what concerns to watch for.

Step 6

Review the position termly while the technology is changing quickly.

Checklist

Tick boxes are for on-screen working only — they do not save between visits. Use the checklist as a prompt and capture outcomes in your school's safeguarding system.

Whole-school AI position agreed and published
Acceptable use agreement updated with AI clause
Staff trained on deepfake response procedure
Behaviour policy covers AI-generated harmful content
Data protection sign-off for any AI tools used with pupil data
Parent communication on AI sent this academic year
Academic honesty / homework policy updated

What not to do

Do not enter pupil personal data into public AI tools — it is a data protection breach.
Do not assume "AI detectors" are reliable — they produce both false positives and false negatives.
Do not punish honest AI use that the policy did not yet prohibit — clarify first, sanction later.

Frequently Asked Questions

External sources

Generative AI in education — Department for Education
AI and online safety — UK Safer Internet Centre
IWF on AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery — Internet Watch Foundation

Last reviewed: 2026-05-20Next review: 2026-08-20Reviewed against: KCSIE 2025

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.