Professional Development · School Leadership

Level 3: Leading AI in Schools

An executive one-day course for school leaders, principals, heads of department, and curriculum directors responsible for leading AI adoption across their organisation. Level 3 shifts from individual classroom practice to whole-school strategy, covering implementation planning, policy governance, change management, and stakeholder accountability. Participants leave with the tools, language, and frameworks to set institutional direction, bring their staff with them, and communicate impact to governors, parents, and their wider community.

Cohorts are limited in size
Duration6 hours (1 day)
FormatOnline, instructor-led
FeeAED 1,500 per person
CertificationEDNAS Level 3 Certificate
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Leading AI in Schools

Key Concepts

  • Design a school-wide AI implementation strategy using structured frameworks, moving beyond isolated classroom practice to systemic change
  • Build and govern an AI policy that protects students, supports teachers, and satisfies board and regulatory requirements
  • Lead staff through AI adoption, managing different staff profiles, building shared understanding, and sustaining momentum
  • Measure and communicate AI impact clearly to governors, parents, and the wider school community
  • Understand the regulatory landscape across national and international frameworks and align your school's approach accordingly
  • Identify and develop internal AI champions to drive lasting, institution-wide change
92%

left feeling ready to lead AI adoption across their organisation

100%

Said training provided immediately applicable strategies

4.8/5

for practical strategies applicable in school

Who Will Benefit

School principals leave with a clear institutional roadmap, a phased implementation strategy, a governance-ready AI policy, and the language to bring governors, parents, and staff along with confidence. This is the course that turns intent into a plan.

"Understanding the safeguarding risks associated with AI and how they impact students, staff, and parents — the practical examples helped highlight real challenges in schools."

Bassam Elegl — Senior Leader / Principal

Heads of department gain the frameworks to lead AI adoption within their area, designing coherent progression, managing staff resistance, and embedding responsible AI practice without waiting for a whole-school mandate.

"All the knowledge that was shared. I was very impressed with the training. It gave me a clear framework for leading my team through this."

Sadiya Malik — Subject Coordinator / Head of Department

Curriculum directors build the strategic vision to embed AI literacy school-wide aligning implementation with existing curriculum design, assessment reform, and staff development cycles rather than treating AI as a separate initiative.

"Understanding the key components of an effective AI policy and how to apply them in real school contexts. It helped me see the importance of clarity and consistency across the whole school."

Hana Albadwi — Classroom Teacher & AI Lead

Modules

6 hours · 4 modules

Module 1

School-Wide AI Implementation Strategies

~90 min

Comprehensive frameworks for moving from isolated classroom practice to systemic AI literacy across the whole school. Covers the EEF implementation framework applied to AI adoption, common failure modes, and how to design a phased rollout that is realistic given school resource and staffing constraints.

Key conceptsEEF implementation phasesSystem-wide embeddingStakeholder mappingPhased adoptionFailure modes

Concepts

  1. EEF framework: Explore → Prepare → Deliver → Sustain applied to AI
  2. Common failure modes in school AI adoption
  3. Designing a phased rollout within real resource constraints
  4. What effective implementation looks like across different school contexts

Activity

  • Map your school's current AI readiness against the EEF phases
  • Identify the most significant implementation barriers in your context
Module 2

Policy Development & Governance

~90 min

Applies the EDNAS School AI Policy Framework at leadership level. Includes policy drafting templates for each of the Five Commitments, stakeholder consultation processes, and alignment to relevant national and international regulatory frameworks. Covers how to avoid the three common policy failure modes.

Key conceptsFive Commitments FrameworkGovernance accountabilityRegulatory alignmentPolicy review cadenceData protection

Concepts

  1. Five Commitments: Permitted Use, Academic Integrity, Data & Privacy, Safeguarding, Review Cadence
  2. Governance structures and accountability mapping
  3. Alignment with national AI strategies, EU AI Act, DfE guidance, and KCSIE
  4. Three common policy failure modes: too vague, too restrictive, written in isolation

Activity

  • Stakeholder consultation process covering staff, governors, and parents
  • Draft or audit your school's AI policy against the Five Commitments
Module 3

Staff Development & Change Management

~60 min

Strategic approach to leading colleagues through AI adoption at institutional level. Covers how to identify and develop internal AI champions, manage different staff profiles, build shared understanding rather than isolated individual upskilling, and sustain momentum after initial training.

Key conceptsInternal AI championsChange managementStaff profilingShared practiceSustaining momentum

Concepts

  1. Identifying and developing internal AI champions
  2. Managing staff profiles: enthusiasts, resistors, and the unaware
  3. Building shared institutional understanding vs. isolated individual upskilling
  4. Practical tools for sustaining momentum without repeated large-scale investment

Activity

  • Map your staff landscape across the three profiles
  • Design a champion development pathway for your school
Module 4

Measuring & Communicating Impact

~60 min

Defines what meaningful AI impact looks like in a school context and how to make it visible. Covers success metric design, outcome tracking frameworks, and how to communicate AI progress clearly to governors, parents, and the wider community. Includes practical templates for governor reporting and parent communication.

Key conceptsImpact metricsOutcome reportingGovernor communicationParent engagementInstitutional narrative

Concepts

  1. Defining success metrics for AI implementation in schools
  2. Outcome tracking frameworks and progress reporting cycles
  3. How to explain AI strategy to audiences with varying familiarity
  4. Governor reporting templates and parent communication frameworks

Activity

  • Draft a one-page AI progress report for your governing body
  • Develop your school's AI communication narrative for parents

Learning Outcomes

By the end of Level 3, participants will be able to:

  • 1Design a School-Wide AI Implementation StrategyUse structured frameworks to embed AI literacy and practice across the whole school, moving beyond individual classrooms to systemic, sustainable change using the EEF implementation model.
  • 2Build and Govern an AI PolicyDraft policies that protect students, support teachers, and satisfy board and regulatory requirements using the EDNAS Five Commitments Framework and alignment to relevant national and international standards.
  • 3Lead Staff Through AI AdoptionDevelop change management approaches that build institutional confidence, manage resistance, and sustain momentum beyond initial training without repeated large-scale investment.
  • 4Measure and Communicate ImpactDefine success metrics, track outcomes, and report AI progress clearly and confidently to governors, parents, and the wider community in language that builds trust rather than confusion.

FAQs

No. Level 3 has no prerequisite. It is designed as a standalone course for school leaders and can be attended independently. That said, leaders who have some familiarity with AI concepts — whether through Level 1 or their own experience — often find they can engage more deeply with the strategic content.
Levels 1 and 2 focus on classroom practice — building teacher confidence with AI tools, curriculum integration, and safeguarding. Level 3 operates at institutional level: whole-school strategy, policy governance, change management, and stakeholder communication. It is designed for leaders who are responsible for how the whole school approaches AI, not just their own classroom.
Yes. EDNAS regularly delivers Level 3 as a bespoke session for senior leadership teams, allowing the whole SLT to build a shared framework together. Group pricing is available. Contact info@ednas.academy to discuss scheduling and group rates.
The fee covers full attendance at the Level 3 day, all session materials including policy drafting templates and reporting frameworks, access to EDNAS resources shared during training, and your EDNAS Level 3 Certificate of Completion.