David is a former newspaper journalist. He is currently the Head of IT at a UK independent school, with broad experience across the State and independent sectors. Views expressed on this blog are his own.
Artificial Intelligence
As the parliamentary inquiry confirms AI is deeply embedded in schools, we must stop playing algorithmic catch-up. Adopting HEPI's 'FUTURES' framework lets us shift from assessing rote production to fundamentally repricing human judgement in education.
Social Media
The viral 'Red vs Blue' school gang trend was nothing more than an AI-generated digital ghost story. While the physical danger was an illusion, the anxiety it caused was entirely real. We need to shift our safeguarding focus from chasing phantom threats to building genuine digital resilience.
British Science Week
As British Science Week celebrates "Curiosity," a 15-year-old’s AI breakthrough in cancer research challenges the "lazy" narrative of the digital age. The 2026 Stripe Young Scientist winners and LSE's research demonstrate why raw "screen time" is an outdated metric that obscures student brilliance.
Operations
The national education debate often focuses almost exclusively on teachers. But a new DfE report finally recognises the vital role of support staff, acknowledging they are not second-class citizens in the school hierarchy but essential professionals whose expertise is non-negotiable.
Policy
The government's Schools White Paper introduces a £4 billion SEND overhaul, replacing most EHCPs with statutory digital Individual Support Plans. For IT Directors, this means solving complex data integration, security, and assistive technology challenges to prove our inclusive value.
Pedagogy
With AI automating entry-level jobs and generating instant 'perfect' answers, the value of education is shifting. If machines do the easy work, and sometimes hallucinate the hard stuff, our schools must double down on teaching resilience, critical thinking, and the messy process of failure.
Safeguarding
While schools are writing policies about academic honesty and parents are worrying about screen time, pupils have simply moved on, seamlessly integrating AI into their lives. Safety and learning happen in the messy middle where, instead of pretending we can block AI, we focus on proper governance.
Legislation
For the first time in a long time, the government has handed us a carrot. The new Data Use & Access Act fundamentally rewires the UK’s data landscape to be more pragmatic, less bureaucratic, and more supportive of fundraising.
Safer Internet Day
Cybersecurity in 2026 is a psychology game as much as a technical one. We must continue training our staff to spot social engineering, and we must protect our pupils by giving them the critical tools to navigate an AI-saturated world.
Policy
It is easy to feel like you are standing in the middle of a see-saw, balancing the "ban it" brigade against the "innovate now" evangelists. But if you look closer, there is a coherent strategy emerging. We are moving towards a model of Intentional Technology.
Finance
IT cannot just be the department that spends money anymore. In 2026, IT has to be the department that saves the school money, by using technology to fundamentally rewire the operational efficiency of the entire estate.
Bett2026
The era of AI experimentation is coming to an end. The time of AI infrastructure is here.