Technology
Educating for a World Shaped by Technology
Artificial intelligence is transforming how we learn, work and make sense of the world. At Haileybury, we see this not as a challenge to manage, but as an opportunity to lead. Our pupils do not simply use new technologies, they learn to understand them, question them and apply them responsibly. Our purpose is clear: to prepare young people to thrive in a world where AI is an everyday reality.
Tom Wade
Assistant Head (Digital Strategy and Learning)
Haileybury’s Digital Approach
Haileybury’s digital provision is shaped by one guiding principle: what genuinely improves learning. This focus underpins a coherent, school-wide approach to technology and AI education. Pupils benefit from a one-to-one iPad programme, with the option to integrate a MacBook from Middles onwards, ensuring consistent access to high-quality digital tools. Crucially, this sits alongside, not instead of, the habits that matter most: handwriting, deep reading, discussion and sustained attention.
We maintain this balance through a carefully considered “digital diet”. Technology is used where it adds clear educational value, while extended written work is often completed on paper. This approach helps pupils develop flexibility, discernment and good judgement. At Haileybury, digital strategy begins with learning intent, followed by pedagogy and only then the tools themselves. We invest in what works, not what is fashionable.
AI Education and Digital Literacy
AI is a core part of this strategy and is taught explicitly through our Digital Innovations curriculum. Pupils develop strong foundations in information and digital literacy, alongside practical AI competence. They learn how to find and evaluate information, how to use AI thoughtfully for planning, research and problem-solving and how to test, refine and challenge AI outputs rather than accept them at face value. Above all, pupils learn that AI supports learning – it does not replace thinking.
This understanding develops progressively through computer science. In the Lower School, pupils explore age-appropriate concepts such as machine learning and training data. As they move through the School, the emphasis shifts towards application and judgement, understanding what AI does well, where it falls short and how errors, bias or misinformation can be amplified if tools are used uncritically.
Ethics, Recognition and Information Literacy
Ethics and integrity are central throughout. Pupils explore the responsibilities that accompany powerful technology, including issues of bias, privacy, deepfakes and academic honesty. They learn how to reference sources, assess credibility and distinguish between using AI to enhance learning and using it to avoid it. These habits are essential for success at university and beyond.
Our approach has been recognised externally. Haileybury holds the Goodfutures Gold Quality AI Mark, placing us among a very small number of schools worldwide recognised at this level. We are also an Apple Distinguished School and a Google Reference School. These accolades reflect not just strong infrastructure, but a culture of innovation, staff expertise and a digital strategy firmly anchored in educational impact.
Strong AI education depends on strong information literacy. Our Learning Resource Hub supports pupils in becoming confident, independent researchers, providing access to high-quality academic resources across subjects, including respected journals and university-level lectures. Pupils develop the skills universities expect; weighing evidence, locating reliable sources and producing work that is genuinely their own.
Learning is further enriched through our Haileybury lecture programme, which brings leading voices from industry into School. Pupils gain insight into how the world of work is evolving, which skills will endure, and how to approach new technology with confidence rather than anxiety. Alongside pupil education and parent support, this creates a well-informed school community that understands both the opportunities and the responsibilities technology and AI brings.
This is the Haileybury difference: pupils who are confident, thoughtful and principled users of technology – ready not just to keep pace with change, but to lead it with integrity.