What Governors Will Ask About AI in 2026 — And How to Answer
Your next board meeting will include a question about AI. Here are the three questions coming your way — and what a good answer looks like.
Your next board meeting will include a question about AI. Probably more than one.
Governors are reading the same headlines you are. They’re seeing AI transform industries. They’re hearing about schools using ChatGPT. And they’re wondering: what’s our position?
Here are the three questions coming your way — and what a good answer looks like.
Question 1: “Do we have an AI policy?”
This is the baseline. Governors want to know that the school has a documented position on AI use — for staff and for students.
A weak answer: “We’re working on it” or “We follow DfE guidance.”
A strong answer: “Yes. Our AI policy was approved by SLT in [month]. It covers staff use, student use, and data protection. Here’s the summary.”
The difference is proof. Governors don’t want reassurance — they want documentation.
Question 2: “Are staff trained to use AI safely?”
This is where most schools fall down. Having a policy is one thing. Knowing that every member of staff understands it is another.
A weak answer: “We covered it in a staff meeting” or “Teachers are using their professional judgment.”
A strong answer: “92% of staff have completed our AI training module. Here’s the completion report. The remaining 8% are on long-term leave and will complete it on return.”
The difference is evidence. Governors need to see compliance data, not assumptions.
Question 3: “What’s our position on students using AI for coursework?”
This is the question parents are asking too. And it’s getting harder to answer as AI gets better.
A weak answer: “We treat it like plagiarism” or “We’re monitoring the situation.”
A strong answer: “Our academic integrity policy includes specific guidance on AI. Students may use AI for [X], but not for [Y]. Teachers have been trained to set appropriate boundaries. Here’s the parent communication we sent last term.”
The difference is clarity. A position that can be explained to a parent in two sentences.
What governors really want
Governors aren’t asking because they want to catch you out. They’re asking because they need to discharge their duty of oversight.
They want three things:
- A documented policy they can point to
- Evidence that staff know what they’re doing
- A clear position they can defend to parents
If you can produce these in your next board meeting, you’re ahead of most schools.
If you can’t, you have work to do before the question lands.
The Pedagogue Standard gives schools board-ready AI policy, staff training with completion tracking, and one-click compliance reports. See how it works.
