Welsh School Embraces AI to Boost Learning and Cut Teacher Workloads Safely

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is starting to play a bigger role in schools across Wales. At Birchgrove Comprehensive School in Swansea, teachers are working hard to help students understand how to use AI responsibly. Ryan Cresswell, who leads digital and innovation at the school, says their approach is very positive. He believes that since students are going to use AI anyway, it is better to teach them how to use it properly rather than ignore it. AI is helping teachers by making their work easier. For example, teachers use AI to plan lessons, write letters to parents, and create student reports. This saves a lot of time and allows teachers to focus more on helping students learn. However, there are concerns. Some teachers worry that students might use AI to cheat or copy work, and that relying too much on AI could hurt their learning.

At Birchgrove Comprehensive, students learn about AI in their ICT classes. They are encouraged to use AI for research and revision, but they are also taught to use it responsibly. Ryan Cresswell says that teachers know their students well and can usually tell if someone has used AI to do their work. The school wants to use AI to speed up learning and encourage curiosity. The Estyn report, which looks at how schools use AI, found that secondary school students use AI to summarize revision notes and create quiz questions for exams. But not all students use AI the same way. Some are worried about what is allowed and fear being accused of cheating. Thirteen-year-old students at Birchgrove say they use AI to review lessons and help with homework. Grace says AI is useful if used correctly, while Maya uses it to answer questions she has at home. Emilia double-checks AI answers on other websites to make sure they are right.

Estyn found that most schools are just beginning to explore AI. Some teachers are excited about its potential, but they are also cautious because of issues like accuracy, bias, and safety. The report says that using AI for administrative tasks, like writing letters and reports, has helped schools by reducing teacher workloads. This gives teachers more time to focus on students. AI can also help teachers create learning materials that fit each student, especially those with special needs. Andrew Owen, the headteacher at Birchgrove Comprehensive, says some students struggle with too much information. AI can help by summarizing articles and highlighting important points. Mr Owen was unsure about AI at first, but now he sees its benefits for teaching and school work. He believes it is important to educate students about the proper use of AI. The Welsh government agrees and says schools need more training and clear guidelines for using AI. They want to make sure AI is used effectively while keeping students and staff safe and well.