VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM
Navigating the AI frontier: how one school is embracing the use of generative AI in the classroom
unique collaborative, mixed-age environment. Lessons are designed to empower students, unlocking their full potential while bringing their own unique essence to life. Established pre-Covid in 2019, SBL students learn in small groups of eight and are inspired by curiosity-led, project- based learning including entrepreneurial and financial education. All students are involved in the design of their own learning and educational pathway, whether that means working towards iGSCEs and A-Levels or taking an alternative route.
How is AI and technology like ChatGPT impacting the classroom and staffroom today?
E
ducation Today speaks to Julia Hodgetts, Teacher and Research & Development Strategist at School Beyond Limitations, an international online school based in London.
Tell us about your school.
School Beyond Limitations (SBL) is an international online school head-quartered in the UK, which provides primary, secondary and sixth form education to students aged four to 19 years. Disrupting the boundaries of traditional education, our students receive a meaningful, personalised learning experience delivered in a
The hum of chatter in our virtual staffrooms has shifted, increasingly dominated by a new, often perplexing, presence: generative AI (Artificial Intelligence). As teachers, we stand at a curious crossroads. We, alongside our students, are all using AI already, but how we adapt to the emergence of this technology and use it to help us in a way that is both ethical and transparent, is still very much up for debate.
What do you see as the main challenges for teachers around the use of AI in school? Whilst the potential of tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude AI to transform
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learning is undeniable, there is an underlying anxiety around control, academic integrity, and simply knowing where to begin. After two years of navigating AI in my own classroom, I have learned that the question is not about whether our students will use these tools—they already are. The real challenge is helping them navigate AI thoughtfully and critically while preserving constructive learning. Encouraging students and teachers to think about the processes required for transparent use of AI is key. From a teaching perspective, this is really all about shifting from detection to direction.
The fear of students outsourcing their thinking is legitimate. The solution lies in establishing clear, communicated boundaries and expectations, and shared ethical agreements, coupled with a shift in how we assess pupil’s work. I recently developed a simple framework for our school to do just that. This outlines very clearly what is considered to be acceptable use of AI in relation to completing school work, and what is not. Our teachers use this as a guide – although it is important to stress that AI is constantly evolving, so any document outlining best practice must be revisited and adapted regularly to retain relevance. Initially, like many other teachers, my biggest fear about AI in education was that it might diminish the human relationships that make teaching meaningful. I’ve since discovered
June 2025
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