Schools in England and Wales do not yet face a specific AI statute, but existing obligations already apply. The ICO's Children's Code requires that any online service likely to be accessed by children gives their privacy interests priority. Where schools procure EdTech platforms that use AI, they are data controllers with due diligence obligations over those processors. Ofcom's enforcement powers under the Online Safety Act 2023 are now active from July 2025 for platforms, and schools should scrutinise the platforms they direct children to use. GEN:R's AI Essentials for Educators programme is designed specifically to give school leaders and teachers the literacy to make those judgements well.

The Children's Code (formally the Age Appropriate Design Code) is the ICO's statutory code of practice under the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to any online service that is likely to be accessed by children under 18 in the UK. If an EdTech platform is used in schools, or is an app or platform children can reasonably be expected to use, the Children's Code applies. It sets fifteen standards, including data minimisation, high privacy defaults, prohibition on nudge techniques, and restrictions on profiling. Non-compliance carries ICO enforcement risk, including fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover. For EdTech governance advisory on Children's Code compliance, see Rise IQ Services.

Effective AI governance for schools starts with a clear acceptable use policy for AI, developed at leadership level with input from designated safeguarding leads and governors. It requires an audit of AI-enabled tools already in use, a process for evaluating new EdTech before deployment, and staff training so teachers can make informed decisions about the tools being placed in front of children. GEN:R's AI Essentials for Educators CPD programme supports schools building this capability at staff and leadership level. For governance advisory and regulatory compliance work, see Rise IQ Services.

GEN:R, short for Generation Responsible AI, is a CPD-accredited education initiative co-founded by Lena Chauhan and Angeline Corvaglia. It develops and delivers programmes on responsible AI, the future of work, and digital safety for educators, schools, and early careers audiences. GEN:R operates alongside Rise IQ, Lena Chauhan's AI governance advisory practice, and the SHIELD Global Online Safety Community.

Yes. GEN:R has been accredited by the CPD Standards Office since 2025. All programmes issue formal CPD certificates, allowing professionals from any sector to record the training against mandatory or reflective CPD requirements. Accredited programmes include The Disappearing Ladder, AI and the Future of Work, and AI Essentials for Educators.

Schools and EdTech companies face AI obligations from four overlapping frameworks: the ICO's Children's Code, UK GDPR, the Online Safety Act 2023, and the EU AI Act. Since July 2025, the Online Safety Act places a legal duty on platforms used by UK users to actively protect children online, enforced by Ofcom. The EU AI Act explicitly prohibits AI systems that exploit children's vulnerabilities through subliminal techniques, with those prohibitions in force from February 2025, and classifies certain education-sector AI systems as high risk, with full obligations applying from August 2026. GEN:R programmes build the literacy educators need to navigate these obligations at practitioner level. For governance advisory and regulatory compliance, see Rise IQ Services.