By Ian Piper, Principal, Hastings School Madrid (created with the use of MS Co-Pilot) 

A parent recently asked me a straightforward but important question:  “Should I be worried that my child is using AI?”  As a school our answer is: “Not if they’re using it to think more. Yes, if they’re using it to think less.” 

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of our children’s lives. Many students are already using AI to help them revise, explore ideas, organise information and answer questions. Outside school, AI is increasingly woven into the apps, search engines, devices and online experiences they interact with every day. 

The reality is that today’s young people will grow up in a world where artificial intelligence is as commonplace as the internet is today. The question is therefore no longer whether our children will encounter AI, but whether they will learn to use it wisely. 

At Hastings, we believe there is enormous opportunity here. Used thoughtfully, AI can help students receive more personalised feedback, explore different perspectives, strengthen their understanding and become more reflective learners. It can support curiosity, deepen questioning and provide new ways for students to engage with their learning. 

Across education, leading researchers and organisations, including Cognita, are increasingly focused on how AI can amplify learning rather than replace it. As Simon Camby, Cognita’s Group Chief Education Officer, has highlighted, the most powerful use of AI is not to do the thinking for students, but to help students think more deeply, more critically and more independently. 

This distinction is incredibly important. AI should amplify human thinking, not replace it.  And that is the approach we are taking at Hastings. 

Why the Conversation Matters 

Of course, alongside the excitement, many parents are understandably hearing concerns about AI. Recent headlines have introduced terms such as brain rot, brain fry, AI dependency and shortcut learning. While some of these phrases are more media-driven than scientific, they reflect a genuine question being explored by educators and researchers around the world. What happens if technology starts doing too much of the thinking for us? 

Researchers are investigating concepts such as cognitive offloading, where people rely on technology to perform tasks they would previously have done themselves. The concern is not that AI exists, but that overreliance on AI could reduce opportunities for students to practise critical thinking, memory, reasoning and problem-solving. These are important concerns and they should not be ignored. 

At Hastings, we believe the answer is neither unrestricted use nor outright rejection. Instead, we need to teach students how to engage with AI in ways that strengthen learning rather than weaken it. 

Why Productive Struggle Still Matters 

One of the most consistent findings from educational research is that learning often involves challenge. Children learn when they: Grapple with difficult ideas; Make mistakes; Revise their thinking; Practise retrieving knowledge and Persevere through uncertainty 

In many ways, the effort involved in learning is the process through which success is achieved. As parents, we have all experienced moments when a child wants the quick answer. Sometimes, however, the most valuable learning comes from wrestling with a question for a little longer, trying a different approach, making an error, and then trying again. 

That is why we need to be thoughtful about how AI is used. If it removes all the challenge, it may remove some of the learning. If it supports and extends thinking, it can become something much more powerful. 

Building AI Literacy at Hastings 

Just as previous generations needed to learn how to use a calculator or navigate the internet safely and responsibly, today’s students need to develop AI literacy. At Hastings, this forms part of our wider commitment to digital citizenship through the Common Sense Education curriculum. Students learn about:  

Online safety  Media literacy  Ethical use of technology  
Digital wellbeing  Privacy and data protection  Evaluating sources critically 

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly present in everyday life, these discussions become even more important. Students need to learn not only how to use AI, but how to question it.  

Is the information reliable?, Could it be biased?, Has it made a mistake?, How can I check its accuracy?, When should I trust it, and when should I challenge it? 

In a world where information is increasingly abundant, judgement becomes one of the most valuable skills a young person can develop. 

AI Through the Cognita Lens 

Across the Cognita family of schools, considerable thought is being given to ensuring that AI supports learning while preserving the elements of education that matter most: expert teachers, meaningful relationships, deep knowledge and high-quality thinking. 

One example of this is Flint, an educational AI platform designed specifically for schools and learning. Unlike many consumer AI tools, which are often designed to provide quick answers, Flint has been developed to support the learning process itself. It can encourage students to explain their thinking, reflect on their understanding, identify misconceptions, engage in discussion and receive personalised feedback. In other words, it functions less as an answer machine and more as a learning coach. We believe this approach aligns closely with Hastings’ vision for the responsible use of artificial intelligence: technology should amplify learning, not replace it.  

Responsible and Secure by Design 

When Cognita evaluated potential AI platforms, student safety, privacy and safeguarding were fundamental considerations. 

A key reason for selecting Flint was its focus on education and its robust safeguards for schools. Through Cognita’s agreement with Flint, student and staff data is not used to train AI models. Information is stored solely for authorised school use and remains within a secure educational environment. 

Access to Flint is controlled and limited to authorised school users. Importantly, educators and school leaders maintain oversight of how the platform is used, ensuring that AI remains a tool that supports teaching and learning rather than operating independently of it. 

In addition, safeguarding and behavioural monitoring features are built into the platform. If inappropriate interactions are detected, alerts can be generated so that relevant staff can review and respond appropriately. 

These safeguards are important because, at Hastings, we believe innovation should always be accompanied by responsibility. The educational value of a tool matters greatly, but so too do privacy, safeguarding and parental confidence. 

What Will AI Look Like at Hastings? 

Even with these safeguards in place, whenever schools discuss artificial intelligence, one of the first questions parents understandably ask is: “What does this actually mean for my child?” 

The answer is that our approach will be thoughtful, gradual and carefully considered. This year, our primary focus is on staff development. Teachers are continuing to receive training in the use of Flint AI as an educational tool, particularly to support planning and the development of materials that better meet the needs of individual learners through adaptive teaching. 

Later, we will begin to explore how Flint AI might support learning with some of our oldest students in the Nexus Building. New technologies often generate excitement, but as educators we have a responsibility to ensure that any innovation genuinely benefits students. For that reason, any introduction of AI with students will begin carefully and on a small scale, initially within a limited number of courses. We will evaluate its impact closely and keep learning at the centre of every decision we make. Importantly, parents will be fully informed whenever AI forms part of a student’s learning experience, and parental permission will be sought before students participate. 

At present, we have no plans for the routine use of AI by students in classrooms outside the Nexus Building, nor are we actively encouraging its use at home. We recognise, of course, that many young people are already encountering and using a variety of AI tools independently, which is all the more reason why schools have a responsibility to help students understand these technologies properly. Our immediate priority is therefore AI literacy. 

Through our COMPASS programme, ICT curriculum and Common Sense Education framework, we are helping students develop the knowledge, judgement and critical thinking needed to use AI responsibly and ethically. This includes understanding both the opportunities AI presents and its limitations, inaccuracies, biases and potential pitfalls. 

Ultimately, our goal is not simply for students to know how to use AI. It is for them to know when to use it, how to question it, and when to rely on their own thinking instead. 

How Parents Can Help 

As with every aspect of education, the partnership between home and school remains enormously important. Some of the most valuable conversations about AI happen around the dinner table, during a car journey or while supporting homework.  

A few simple questions can encourage healthy habits: What did you think before you asked AI?, How did AI help you learn?, Can you explain that in your own words?, Do you agree with the answer it gave?, What would you have done without AI?  These questions reinforce a simple but powerful message: Technology should support thinking, not replace it. 

Looking Ahead 

Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly shape the future. In many ways, it already is. Yet the qualities we most value in our students remain unchanged. We want young people who are curious, resilient, reflective and capable of thinking for themselves. We want learners who ask thoughtful questions, solve problems creatively, challenge assumptions and make wise decisions. 

In fact, many of the qualities that matter most in an AI-powered world are already reflected in our Hastings Learning Habits. Curiosity, resilience, reflection, responsibility and critical thinking become even more valuable when information is available instantly. 

AI may provide information but it cannot replace judgement and it cannot replace character and it will not replace wisdom. 

At Hastings School, we will continue to embrace innovation thoughtfully and responsibly. Through our Learning Habits, our Common Sense Education curriculum, our COMPASS programme and our partnership with Cognita, we are committed to helping students develop both the knowledge and wisdom needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

We will continue to evaluate new technologies carefully, communicate openly with families, and ensure that learning, wellbeing and good judgement remain at the heart of every decision we make. Because the future will not belong to those who simply know how to use artificial intelligence. It will belong to those who know how to think brilliantly alongside it.