Transform from uncertain observer to confident AI champion by mastering the five pillars of AI leadership: Vision Architect, Culture Champion, Risk Navigator, Capability Builder, and Strategic Connector. This masterclass equips school leaders with practical frameworks, ready-to-use policies, and a 90-day implementation roadmap to bridge the gap between the 77% of students already using AI and the 69% of UK schools lacking any coordinated approach.
This intensive masterclass addresses the urgent reality facing school leaders: while students and teachers are already experimenting with AI independently, most schools lack strategic direction, clear policies, or safety frameworks. Participants will develop the confidence and competence to lead AI transformation through six interconnected modules that move from strategic vision to practical implementation. You’ll learn to craft compelling AI visions that inspire action, build guiding coalitions that drive change, and create policy architectures that enable innovation while maintaining safeguards. The session provides concrete tools including customisable policy templates, risk assessment frameworks, and communication strategies tested across UK schools.
By the masterclass end, participants will possess a complete AI leadership toolkit including a 90-day implementation roadmap, tiered professional development framework, governance structures, and inspection-ready evidence portfolios. You’ll understand how to navigate the five key risk areas (privacy, bias, dependency, integrity, and safety), build sustainable capability across diverse staff readiness levels, and measure impact across learning outcomes, teacher wellbeing, and operational efficiency. Most importantly, you’ll leave with the strategic confidence to articulate your AI approach to any stakeholder - from anxious parents to Ofsted inspectors - while maintaining focus on what matters most: preparing students for their future, not our past.
KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Apply the five pillars of AI leadership (Vision Architect, Culture Champion, Risk Navigator, Capability Builder, Strategic Connector) to create their school’s strategic AI mandate
• Construct a three-year AI vision statement with specific, measurable outcomes that align with existing school improvement priorities
• Design a three-tier policy architecture (Foundation, Operational, Innovation) with clear governance structures and ethical guidelines
• Execute the first 30 days of a 90-day implementation roadmap, including conducting an AI audit and identifying quick wins
• Build a guiding coalition of 5-7 diverse stakeholders and deploy the 7-touch communication strategy for whole-school engagement
• Evaluate AI tools using the six-point ethical framework (necessity, proportionality, transparency, fairness, accountability, reversibility) and establish safeguarding red lines
• Create a tiered professional development plan (Bronze, Silver, Gold) matched to staff readiness levels across the adoption spectrum
• Prepare inspection-ready evidence demonstrating AI’s impact on learning outcomes, teacher wellbeing, and operational efficiency
FACILITATOR
Darren Coxon is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Kompass Education, a consultancy specialising in providing schools and colleges the training, support and tools they need to innovate safely and ethically with AI. An educator for 26 years, Darren has worked in every sector in almost every role, including teacher, Head of Department (mainstream and SEND), Head of Teaching and Learning, Principal (UK and international), Director of Education, and Chief Operating Officer. He now runs Kompass Education, a company specialising in AI literacy and AI governance training, ensuring schools are fully compliant with recent UK government announcements on AI in education, and (for EU Schools) with the EU AI Act.
Darren has most recently delivered keynotes and training for HMC, COBIS, BSME, GSA, NASS, Wellington College’s UK and international Education Festivals, Saxton Bampfylde, Independent Schools Portal, the National College, GESS Dubai, and the NAHT Inspiring Leadership Conference. He is currently working on a pilot project with SEND schools across the UK, and is supporting the UK government on their plans for AI in education.