Catching Up with the Big AI Project: Supporting Schools in an AI-Infused World

If you were unable to join us for the Big AI Project online community meeting, don't worry! You can catch up on all the content and a recording of the session below.

Key Takeaways

• The Big AI Project aims to help schools approach AI safely, ethically and strategically.
• Recent research suggests that almost all young people are already using AI in some form.
• The project focuses on AI literacy and critical thinking rather than promoting specific tools.
• Free training, curricula and leadership resources are available for schools across the UK and Ireland.
• Schools involved in the pilot reported increased confidence, stronger strategic planning and improved pupil critical thinking.

A National Project Responding to a Growing Need

During this online community meeting, attendees heard about the development and impact of the Big AI Project, a national initiative designed to support schools as AI becomes increasingly embedded in education and society.

Ali began by outlining the origins of the project. Funded by Salesforce and led by Big Education, the initiative emerged from conversations with school leaders, teachers, parents and pupils who all expressed uncertainty around AI and its implications for schools. The aim was not to advocate for or against AI, but to provide schools with balanced, neutral guidance that would allow them to make informed decisions.

Several statistics shared during the session highlighted why many schools are feeling pressure to engage with AI. Ali explained that although many teachers are already using AI tools in some capacity, confidence levels remain low. At the same time, recent findings suggest that 97% of young people aged 8–17 are now using AI, while many pupils actively want to learn how to use it more effectively.

Rather than framing AI as an optional extra, the session encouraged schools to think about how they prepare pupils for a world where AI already exists across media, communication, work and everyday life.

A Focus on AI Literacy, Not AI Tools

One of the recurring themes throughout the session was the distinction between teaching with AI and teaching about AI.

Ali stressed that the Big AI Project is deliberately “AI agnostic”. The training does not promote particular products or software platforms. Instead, it focuses on helping schools understand the wider landscape: how AI works, where it appears in society, what the risks might be, and how schools can respond thoughtfully.

This approach was reflected in the project’s resources and training materials. Teachers and school leaders involved in the pilot represented a wide range of confidence levels — from complete beginners to experienced AI users — helping ensure the materials remain accessible to all schools.

The project’s training covers themes including:

• safeguarding and data privacy
• misinformation and disinformation
• ethics and bias
• critical thinking
• future careers and adaptability
• strategic leadership around AI

A strong emphasis was placed on helping both teachers and pupils critically evaluate information. Ali discussed how the growth of AI-generated content means that learners increasingly need to question the reliability of what they encounter online, whether created by humans or machines.

Interestingly, schools involved in the pilot reported that AI literacy lessons appeared to strengthen pupils’ critical thinking more broadly across the curriculum, with teachers noticing pupils asking deeper and more thoughtful questions in lessons beyond computing.

Free Resources and Curriculum Materials

A major talking point during the session was the scale of freely available support now available through the project.

Attendees were shown a range of resources available after completing the school leader training, including:

• leadership frameworks and audit tools
• online teacher training modules
• AI literacy curricula
• case studies from schools and trusts
• curated research and guidance from partner organisations

The project includes AI literacy curricula for learners aged 3–14, alongside specialist SEND materials for secondary pupils. Ali explained that the resources are designed to fit within existing curricula rather than becoming an additional standalone subject.

The secondary curriculum materials are structured flexibly enough to be delivered across multiple subject areas, while the primary resources are intended for classroom teachers to use within normal lessons.

Importantly, attendees heard that the resources are designed for non-specialists. Feedback from pilot schools suggested that most teachers felt confident delivering the lessons without requiring extensive prior knowledge of AI.

Collaboration Across the Sector

One of the most encouraging aspects of the session was the emphasis on collaboration across education, research and industry.

The Big AI Project brings together a wide range of organisations working to help schools navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by AI. Partners include organisations such as:

Academic quality assurance for the project is led by and her team at Educate Ventures Research.

The session also highlighted the importance of schools engaging with professional communities and trusted sources of guidance as AI continues to evolve. For CAS members, the CAS AI Zone was referenced as a valuable hub for resources, articles, events and discussions focused on AI in education. Alongside this, initiatives such as the free Good Future Foundation Quality Mark and the Shape the Future Coalition provide schools with practical frameworks and opportunities to engage with wider research and best practice.

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was that no single school or organisation has all the answers yet. Instead, the sector benefits when schools openly share experiences, challenges and emerging practice as AI continues to develop.

What Schools Are Reporting So Far

Ali shared several examples of early impact from pilot schools involved in the project.

Schools reported:

• greater confidence among teachers and leaders
• clearer strategic planning around AI
• improved staff understanding of ethical considerations
• stronger conversations around safeguarding and misinformation
• increased pupil engagement with critical thinking

The project has already reached hundreds of schools, with further regional rollout planned across the UK over the next two years.

Throughout the session, there was a clear message that schools do not need to have all the answers immediately. Instead, the emphasis was on creating informed, reflective and adaptable approaches that can evolve alongside the technology itself.

Next Steps for Teachers

The session prompted several useful questions for teachers and school leaders to reflect on within their own settings:

• How confident do staff currently feel discussing AI with pupils?
• Where does AI literacy already appear within the curriculum?
• How are pupils being taught to critically evaluate AI-generated content?
• What guidance exists around safe and ethical use of AI in school?
• How might AI affect future careers and the skills pupils need to develop?

Teachers may also want to experiment with activities such as:

• analysing AI-generated images or text for bias or inaccuracies
• comparing trustworthy and misleading online information sources
• discussing ethical dilemmas linked to AI systems
• exploring how algorithms influence social media feeds
• debating the role of AI in future workplaces

These kinds of activities can help pupils develop the adaptability, questioning and critical thinking skills discussed throughout the session.

Further Resources

Big AI Project website

Big AI Project report

Event Slides