Yet challenges remain. Data privacy, equity of access, and the risk of over-reliance on technology all raise important concerns. At Barker, student perspectives highlight another dimension. This is the second year we have spoken to the Barker Journey group about AI. Last year, students recognised AI as a learning tool but asked for guidance on how to use it responsibly. This year, those conversations have matured: students are emphasising the need to balance the support AI provides with maintaining independence, integrity, and critical thinking. Their evolving perspective shows how quickly this conversation is moving in schools. More on this will be published later this year.

This week, our staff community will gather for a two-day professional development conference on AI in education. This is not the first time Barker staff have come together around this issue—teachers have been engaging with AI for some time, both in formal sessions and in their day-to-day practice. Barker has been engaging deeply with the impact AI is having on education, working to make sure that student learning is enhanced rather than diminished. In my own work, for instance, AI has become a valuable tool in creating a translanguaging classroom for refugee students, opening possibilities that would have been much harder to achieve otherwise. This two-day gathering builds on that foundation, offering a focused opportunity to explore tools and strategies while also reflecting together on deeper questions. How do we harness AI’s potential in ways that affirm human distinctiveness, nurture creativity, and ensure flourishing for all learners?

AI is not just shaping the future of education—it is challenging us to reimagine what education can be. As we navigate this balance, perhaps the more enduring question AI raises is not what can it do, but what do we most value in being human?