For Parents/Carers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education: A Guide for Parents

Welcome to the Newham PRUs guidance page on Artificial Intelligence (AI). As technology evolves, AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude are becoming a regular part of everyday life. While these tools offer exciting new ways to learn, it is essential that our students know how to use them safely, legally, and responsibly.

Our aim is to create a nurturing, learning community with the welfare of our pupils and staff at its centre. This page provides clear guidance on how AI can be helpful, the strict rules surrounding its use in exams, and how we keep our students safe from online harms.

How AI Can Be Helpful in Education

When used correctly, AI can be a fantastic supportive tool for learning. AI chatbots and tools can help students by:

Answering questions: Explaining difficult concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way.
Analysing and summarising: Breaking down long articles or texts into key bullet points.
Generating ideas: Helping to overcome writer's block by suggesting prompts or themes for a project.
Translation: Translating text from one language to another.

Important Note: AI tools only predict what language sounds statistically appropriate; they do not "know" the truth. They can sometimes produce incorrect, biased, or even harmful information. Always double-check AI-generated facts using reliable sources.

Assessments, Coursework, and Exams (JCQ Rules)

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) sets strict national rules for all public examinations and assessments (such as GCSEs and BTECs). Students must submit work for assessments which is entirely their own.

What is AI Misuse?

AI misuse is a form of malpractice and plagiarism. It occurs when a student uses AI tools but does not appropriately acknowledge them, submitting the work as if it were their own.

Examples of AI misuse include:

Copying or paraphrasing sections of AI-generated content into an assignment.
Failing to acknowledge the use of AI tools when they were used as a source of information.
Submitting work with intentionally incomplete or misleading references.

The Consequences

Awarding organisations use sophisticated automated detection tools to identify AI-generated text. If a student is caught misusing AI, the sanctions are severe. Consequences can include:

A formal warning.
Loss of all marks for that assessment or unit.
Complete disqualification from the qualification.
Being barred from entering any examinations for a set period of years.

How to Acknowledge AI Properly

If a student uses AI for research or idea generation, they must acknowledge it clearly in their work. They should state the name of the AI used, the date the content was generated (e.g., ChatGPT 3.5, 25/01/2024), and retain a non-editable screenshot of the prompt and the AI's response to show their teacher.

Safeguarding, Safety, and the Law

At Newham PRUs, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Technology is a significant component in many safeguarding issues, and children can be at risk of abuse and other harms online.

The Law and School Policy

Under the statutory national guidance Keeping children safe in education, schools must protect children from exposure to illegal, inappropriate, or harmful content. Furthermore, under the Newham PRUs Mobile Phone and Portable Technology Policy, accessing harmful content—including pornography, self-harm materials, or extremist/radicalisation propaganda—is strictly prohibited.

Cybercrime: Using computers or AI to commit 'cyber-dependent' crimes, such as hacking, launching denial of service attacks, or creating malicious software (malware), is illegal under the Computer Misuse Act.
Online Harms & Abuse: Using technology to engage in cyberbullying, sexual harassment, or the non-consensual sharing of nude/semi-nude images (sexting) is unacceptable and often criminal. Taking pictures under a person's clothing without their permission (upskirting) is also a criminal offence.

Consequences for Misuse at School

Students are not permitted to have mobile phones or portable technology in their possession during the school day. If a student breaches our technology and behaviour policies, the school will act robustly. Consequences can include confiscation of devices, after-school reflections, internal/external suspensions, or permanent exclusion. Where a crime may have been committed, incidents will be reported to the police.

Helpful Resources for Parents and Students

We encourage parents and carers to talk openly with their children about their digital lives. Below are some excellent national resources to help you navigate online safety and AI:

UK Safer Internet Centre: Provides tips, advice, guides, and resources to help keep children safe online.
Childnet: Offers a toolkit to support parents and carers in starting discussions about online life.
CEOP Education (National Crime Agency): Provides guidance and resources helping parents protect their children from online sexual abuse.
JCQ AI Guidance: Official documentation outlining the rules for AI use in UK assessments and exams.
NSPCC Online Safety: Offers advice, templates, and tools to help keep children safe in the digital world.

Summary: Dos and Don'ts of AI in Education

DO:

Do use AI to help brainstorm ideas, explain difficult concepts, or plan your revision timetable.
Do verify any facts AI gives you. AI can confidently produce false or biased information.
Do appropriately reference and acknowledge any AI tool you use in your coursework or assessments.
Do keep a screenshot of the prompts you used and the AI's response if you use it for an assignment.
Do speak to a trusted adult or the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) if you see anything online that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

DON'T:

Don't copy and paste AI-generated text and pretend it is your own work. This is plagiarism and malpractice.
Don't use AI during supervised exams or assessments where internet access is not permitted.
Don't use AI or any technology to access, create, or share harmful, illegal, or inappropriate content.
Don't use AI to write malicious code or attempt to hack school systems—this is a serious cybercrime.
Don't share personal, private, or sensitive information with AI chatbots, as this data can be stored and used by the companies that own them.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education: A Guide for Parents

Our aim is to create a nurturing, learning community with the welfare of our pupils and staff at its centre. This page provides clear guidance on how AI can be helpful, the strict rules surrounding its use in exams, and how we keep our students safe from online harms.

How AI Can Be Helpful in Education

When used correctly, AI can be a fantastic supportive tool for learning. AI chatbots and tools can help students by:

Answering questions: Explaining difficult concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way.

Analysing and summarising: Breaking down long articles or texts into key bullet points.

Generating ideas: Helping to overcome writer's block by suggesting prompts or themes for a project.

Translation: Translating text from one language to another.

Important Note: AI tools only predict what language sounds statistically appropriate; they do not "know" the truth. They can sometimes produce incorrect, biased, or even harmful information. Always double-check AI-generated facts using reliable sources.

Assessments, Coursework, and Exams (JCQ Rules)

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) sets strict national rules for all public examinations and assessments (such as GCSEs and BTECs). Students must submit work for assessments which is entirely their own.

What is AI Misuse?

AI misuse is a form of malpractice and plagiarism. It occurs when a student uses AI tools but does not appropriately acknowledge them, submitting the work as if it were their own.

Examples of AI misuse include:

Copying or paraphrasing sections of AI-generated content into an assignment.

Failing to acknowledge the use of AI tools when they were used as a source of information.

Submitting work with intentionally incomplete or misleading references.

The Consequences

Awarding organisations use sophisticated automated detection tools to identify AI-generated text. If a student is caught misusing AI, the sanctions are severe. Consequences can include:

A formal warning.

Loss of all marks for that assessment or unit.

Complete disqualification from the qualification.

Being barred from entering any examinations for a set period of years.

How to Acknowledge AI Properly

Safeguarding, Safety, and the Law

At Newham PRUs, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Technology is a significant component in many safeguarding issues, and children can be at risk of abuse and other harms online.

The Law and School Policy

Cybercrime: Using computers or AI to commit 'cyber-dependent' crimes, such as hacking, launching denial of service attacks, or creating malicious software (malware), is illegal under the Computer Misuse Act.

Online Harms & Abuse: Using technology to engage in cyberbullying, sexual harassment, or the non-consensual sharing of nude/semi-nude images (sexting) is unacceptable and often criminal. Taking pictures under a person's clothing without their permission (upskirting) is also a criminal offence.

Consequences for Misuse at School

Helpful Resources for Parents and Students

We encourage parents and carers to talk openly with their children about their digital lives. Below are some excellent national resources to help you navigate online safety and AI:

UK Safer Internet Centre: Provides tips, advice, guides, and resources to help keep children safe online.

Childnet: Offers a toolkit to support parents and carers in starting discussions about online life.

CEOP Education (National Crime Agency): Provides guidance and resources helping parents protect their children from online sexual abuse.

JCQ AI Guidance: Official documentation outlining the rules for AI use in UK assessments and exams.

NSPCC Online Safety: Offers advice, templates, and tools to help keep children safe in the digital world.

Summary: Dos and Don'ts of AI in Education

DO:

Do use AI to help brainstorm ideas, explain difficult concepts, or plan your revision timetable.

Do verify any facts AI gives you. AI can confidently produce false or biased information.

Do appropriately reference and acknowledge any AI tool you use in your coursework or assessments.

Do keep a screenshot of the prompts you used and the AI's response if you use it for an assignment.

Do speak to a trusted adult or the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) if you see anything online that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

DON'T:

Don't copy and paste AI-generated text and pretend it is your own work. This is plagiarism and malpractice.

Don't use AI during supervised exams or assessments where internet access is not permitted.

Don't use AI or any technology to access, create, or share harmful, illegal, or inappropriate content.

Don't use AI to write malicious code or attempt to hack school systems—this is a serious cybercrime.

Don't share personal, private, or sensitive information with AI chatbots, as this data can be stored and used by the companies that own them.