by Al Kingsley MBE
Let’s be honest. In international schools – where cultures mix, curricula vary, and community expectations are as diverse as the student body – navigating the world of AI can feel like stepping onto a moving treadmill in the dark. Everyone’s talking about it, some are sprinting ahead, others are watching cautiously, and a few are still searching for the ‘on’ button. The temptation, especially in a competitive global market, is to jump straight to shiny solutions: AI chatbots, learning analytics, automated grading. But if we’re serious about making AI work for learning, for our staff and for our school values, we need to slow down and think strategically.
This isn’t about turning school leaders into data scientists. It’s about good governance, clear thinking and making space for purposeful conversations. That’s exactly what my Governance, Strategy and Implementation framework is designed to support: a practical, eight-step approach to introducing AI that’s thoughtful, inclusive and – crucially – school-led.
Whether you’re leading a British international school in the UAE, a bilingual school in Vietnam, or a not-for-profit IB campus in Kenya, this framework is about putting people before platforms.
Here’s what the steps of the framework look like in practice.
1. Setting the scene – start with your ‘why’
Before you talk tech, talk purpose.
AI should never be a status symbol or a gimmick. It needs to clearly support your school’s development goals – whether that’s reducing teacher workload, improving outcomes for EAL learners or providing more inclusive learning opportunities. Start with one core question: What is the purpose of AI in our school community?
This conversation isn’t one for senior leadership alone. Bring in governors, teachers, IT staff, even students and parents. Co-create your vision. Set up a working group. Build an AI or Digital Strategy Committee that reflects your international school’s diversity and brings different perspectives to the table.
And crucially, don’t skip the comms. A six-week period of listening and explaining – before anything gets implemented – might feel slow, but it’ll save you months of resistance and confusion later. Especially in schools with high parental expectations, building shared understanding up front is your best safeguard.
2. Identify the foundations – audit the reality
No matter how aspirational your strategy, it’s only as strong as your infrastructure.
Start with the basics. Is your Wi-Fi strong and stable across campus? Do you have enough up-to-date devices? Is your data securely stored and backed up? Who’s responsible when things go wrong?
But don’t stop at the tech; cultural readiness matters just as much. Do your teachers feel confident experimenting with new tools, or are they quietly overwhelmed? Do you have a culture where feedback flows both ways? Is leadership open to change?
You can’t build on sand. Honest self-reflection is better than forced ambition.
3. Define your priorities – focus beats flash
Here’s the thing: you can’t fix everything at once.
International schools are often juggling multiple challenges – language diversity, high mobility, and varied assessment frameworks. So choose two or three priority areas where AI might genuinely help.
Examples could include:
·automating admin so teachers can focus on pedagogy
·enhancing accessibility for SEND or EAL / ESL students
·boosting feedback speed and quality.
Link these to your School Development Plan. Make the rationale visible. When staff see the ‘why’, they’re more likely to get on board with the ‘how’.
4. Balance opportunities and risks – lead with eyes wide open
There’s no denying that AI can do impressive things. It can generate “draft” lesson plans in seconds, translate documents instantly and spot student data patterns we might miss. But it can also be wildly wrong, carry hidden bias or compromise privacy if not managed properly.
International schools, especially those operating across jurisdictions, need to be especially alert to data protection. Familiarise yourself with the laws in your host countryand your accreditation framework. If you’re unsure, I always encourage you to get expert advice.
Create an AI risk register. Think through bias, academic integrity, and over-reliance on automation. But don’t let fear hold you back. The goal isn’t to eliminate risk; it’s to understand and manage it responsibly.
5. Write an AI policy that actually gets used
Most schools have policies that are well-written but barely read. This one needs to be different.
A good AI policy is short, clear and woven into everyday decisions. It should answer real-world questions:
- Can students use ChatGPT to draft homework?
- Can teachers use AI to mark or plan?
- Who approves new tools – and based on what criteria?
Build your policy around these five tenets:
- Clarity on acceptable use
- Tool approval processes
- Data protection
- Transparency of risk
- Ongoing training and review.
Use visuals. Create summary cards. Make it live, not buried on the intranet.
6. Test before you trust – pilot with purpose
It’s easy to be wowed by a demo or a conference presentation. But what works in one school won’t always work in yours.
Set up a short pilot – 6 to 8 weeks – with a clear goal. For example, Can this tool reduce teacher planning time by 30% in Year 8 English?
Track both hard data (time saved, grades improved) and soft data (teacher confidence, student experience). Be honest. If it doesn’t work, scrap it. No shame, just learning.
A well-run pilot will give you the evidence – and credibility – you need to scale wisely.
7. Close the feedback loop – keep listening
AI affects everyone, so make sure everyone has a voice.
- Students: Are the tools helping them learn? Are there unintended consequences?
- Staff: Is the AI saving time or creating extra work? What’s clunky or confusing?
- Parents: Do they understand what’s happening and why?
- Governors: Are they confident the strategy aligns with your educational mission?
Use multiple channels such as surveys, drop-in chats, digital forms and class councils. But most importantly, act on the feedback. People are more likely to engage if they see their input leading to real change.
8. Adapt and evolve – plan for growth, not perfection
Here’s where international schools need to be especially smart.
Scaling too quickly, especially across multiple campuses or departments, can cause real headaches. What works for 30 students may not hold up for 300. Systems crash, staff get stretched, and frustrations mount.
So scale gradually. Build capacity across more than just your early adopters. Invest in ongoing training. Plan for sustainability – not just the tech, but the budget, staff time and governance structures to support it.
And remember, what’s cutting-edge today might be outdated next term. Your AI strategy needs to be flexible enough to evolve with the landscape.
The annual refresh – rinse and repeat
Perhaps the most important message in this framework is that AI implementation isn’t a ‘one-and-done’ project. It’s a continuous improvement process. Each year, revisit all eight steps:
- Realign with your updated school priorities and goals
- Refresh your risk register and policies
- Review feedback and impact data
- More PD 0- continue to upskill your team
- Reassess your digital foundations
- Celebrate purposeful progress
- Share lessons learned with your staff network
- Document your next steps planned
This builds institutional memory and ensures your approach stays relevant as your school grows and changes.
Final thoughts: human first, AI second
The best international schools don’t just chase trends; they build cultures. The same applies to AI. When it’s grounded in clear purpose, co-created with the community and used thoughtfully, it has the potential to become a genuine accelerator of learning and wellbeing.
But at the heart of all this is the teacher. AI might draft your homework task, but it can’t notice when a student’s had a bad day. It won’t stand at the gate with a warm smile or adapt on the fly in a classroom moment of magic.
Great teachers, using AI as part of their toolkit, can do more. But that’s only possible when school leaders set the direction – with clarity, strategy and humanity.
So let’s not start with the tech. Let’s start with trust, values and good governance. Everything else follows from there.
Al Kingsley MBE, CEO, NetSupport, Limited; Chair, Hampton Academies Trust, UK; Board Member, LYIS.
LYIS is proud to partner with WildChina Education
Stay tuned to join a webinar co-lead by Al Kingsley that will take you through the steps of this framework within the context of a broader School Digital Strategy. The whole LYIS PD Calendar will be published tomorrow.
