AI in International Schools: The Leadership Guide

International school leaders need to settle four things about AI: what the boards allow (limited, acknowledged AI use in coursework, none in exams), a school AI policy that enforces it, how AI marking is checked, and local rules. One example is ADEK’s AI Literacy initiative across more than 170 Abu Dhabi private schools, announced on 17 September 2026.

This is the hub for our AI in Cambridge & Edexcel Schools pillar. It is written for principals and academic directors deciding how AI is used, taught and governed in a school that runs Cambridge International or Pearson Edexcel qualifications. For how widely teachers already use AI, see AI in Schools Statistics 2026.

What do Cambridge and Pearson allow students to do with AI?

Both boards allow limited AI use in coursework, if it is acknowledged, and treat hidden AI use as malpractice. Neither allows it in exams.

Cambridge’s policy “applies to all Cambridge International qualifications”. It lists two acceptable uses in coursework: initial research, and brief quotation of AI-generated text with critical discussion. It suggests “a limit of two or three sentences or about 50 words in a single quotation”. Students must state “the prompt or series of prompts they used, the name and version of the generative AI program used and when it was accessed”. Mark schemes “will not award credit specifically for the use of generative AI” (Cambridge).

Pearson requires AI use to be “clearly referenced”, and “both teacher and learner are required to sign a declaration”. Where AI replaces a student’s own thinking, the work “cannot be rewarded … even where the AI tools have been referenced” (Pearson). Pearson describes its guidance as supplementary to JCQ’s AI Use in Assessments. The latest JCQ revision is dated 30 April 2025, and it says students “must not be able to use” AI tools in supervised assessments.

Question	Cambridge	Pearson
AI in coursework?	Limited: research and short quotation	Only if referenced, and not replacing the learner’s own work
How acknowledged?	Prompts, tool name and version, date accessed	Clear referencing and a signed declaration
Who detects misuse?	”Centres and teachers who know the students best”	Teachers, checking work at intermediate stages
Consequence	Treated as malpractice; investigation	Malpractice

Does every international school need an AI policy?

Yes. Cambridge puts “the primary responsibility for identifying any inappropriate use of generative AI” on schools, which is impossible to do consistently without a written policy. In Abu Dhabi, ADEK’s Digital Policy requires responsible-use policies to cover academic honesty and “the responsible use of … digital tools (e.g., artificial intelligence)”, with full compliance by the 2025/26 academic year. In Dubai, KHDA’s staff code of conduct requires staff to use AI “legally, ethically and transparently” and not “to replace human judgment in student-related matters”.

A good policy has ten parts. They include approved tools, permitted student use by task, the board-aligned coursework rules, an acknowledgement format, authentication checks, staff use, and data protection and age limits; UNESCO recommends an age limit of 13 for AI tools in the classroom. Our AI policy template for international schools sets out all ten, with sample wording.

How should schools authenticate coursework when students can use AI?

Keep the work visible while it is being made. Cambridge advises schools to “keep drafts and plans of coursework under supervision”. Pearson says teachers should examine work at intermediate stages, and that a verbal presentation “may be helpful” where AI use is suspected. Cambridge is explicit that teachers “must authenticate coursework as the candidate’s own unaided work”. Where they suspect inappropriate AI use, “they should not authenticate the work and should be prepared to investigate further”.

Warning signs Cambridge lists include unusually accurate spelling and grammar, Americanised spelling, heavily Latinate vocabulary and “a lack of any references after 2021”. Our guide to AI and academic integrity covers assessment design. None of these proves misuse on its own. Together with a student’s drafts, they justify a conversation. The Cambridge Handbook 2026 adds that “candidates must not use online writing assistant tools when producing their coursework”. See AI in IGCSE coursework: what Cambridge and Pearson allow.

Can AI mark IGCSE and A Level work?

AI can mark practice work and give instant feedback, but it should not be the only judge of work that counts. Pearson’s guidance states that “AI should not be used as the sole method of marking the learner’s work” in assessments it certifies. For internal practice and homework, AI marking can save teacher time and gives students feedback while the question is still fresh. The school’s job is to check its accuracy against teacher marking, subject by subject, before relying on it. See how accurate AI marking is and how to validate it and what the evidence says about time saved.

What AI literacy do UAE regulators require?

Abu Dhabi’s requirements are the most developed. ADEK’s AI Literacy initiative covers more than 170 private schools from KG to Grade 12. It includes a twice-yearly AI Growth Test for Grades 4–12, four curriculum strands, and a three-level teacher training programme targeting 19,000 educators. It also requires schools to “use AI learning tools that meet ADEK requirements”.

In Dubai, KHDA runs an AI literacy programme with DP World Foundation and MIT RAISE for Grades 6–8. It reaches around 80,500 students and runs until February 2030. The UAE Ministry of Education’s KG–12 AI subject applies to public schools. Details, with a comparison table, are in KHDA and ADEK AI literacy requirements.

	Abu Dhabi (ADEK)	Dubai (KHDA)
Grades	KG–Grade 12	Grades 6–8
Assessment	AI Growth Test, twice a year, Grades 4–12	Not stated
Tools rule	Must meet ADEK requirements	Staff code of conduct on AI use
Announced	17 September 2026	4 February 2026

Outside the UAE, schools can build AI literacy through the Cambridge Lower Secondary curriculum; see AI literacy in Cambridge Lower Secondary.

What does the EU AI Act mean for international schools in Europe?

It treats some AI uses in education as high-risk, with obligations on the organisations that deploy them. Annex III of the Act lists AI systems used to decide admission, “evaluate learning outcomes”, assess the level of education a student can access, or monitor “prohibited behaviour of students during tests”. The “Digital Omnibus on AI”, Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 of 8 July 2026, set the date of application for these high-risk rules to 2 December 2027 (EUR-Lex). Using AI to infer students’ emotions in education institutions has been prohibited since 2 February 2025, except for medical or safety reasons (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 5). An AI literacy obligation has applied since 2 February 2025; since 27 July 2026, the Omnibus has framed it as a duty to “support the development of AI literacy” of staff. Schools in Europe should take legal advice on which of their tools fall into scope. The full timeline is in The EU AI Act and International Schools in Europe. Admissions, assessment and proctoring tools are the obvious candidates to review first.

How should a school choose AI tools?

Choose them the way you would choose any tool that handles student data, then add three AI-specific checks:

1. Data: where student data is hosted and processed, and whether it is used to train models.
2. Oversight: whether teachers can see what students do with the tool, and whether a person makes the decisions that count.
3. Board fit: whether the tool’s use in coursework can be acknowledged in the way Cambridge and Pearson require.

Keep an approved-tools register in the AI policy, with a named owner, and review it each year. Our 12-point AI tool checklist turns these checks into questions for suppliers, and deploying an AI study assistant safely covers safeguarding and oversight. For which uses teachers can put through free tools and which need a licensed one, see free vs school-licensed AI tools for teachers.

What should school leaders do about AI this term?

Five actions cover most of the risk and most of the regulator expectations:

1. Publish or update the AI policy before the next coursework deadline, with the Cambridge and Pearson rules written in.
2. Brief every coursework teacher on authentication: supervised drafts, intermediate checks, and when to refuse to authenticate.
3. Start an approved-tools register and remove unapproved tools that handle student data.
4. Check local rules. Abu Dhabi schools should map ADEK’s four AI literacy strands and prepare for the AI Growth Test. Schools in Europe should start an EU AI Act review of assessment and admissions tools.
5. Validate any AI marking against teacher marking before students or parents rely on its grades.

How schools do this with AI Buddy

AI Buddy is a school-licensed AI learning and assessment platform for Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel schools. Students get instant AI marking and feedback on past-paper-style questions across 26 IGCSE and A Level subjects. Teachers see every student’s activity on their dashboards, and grades that count stay with teachers. Student data sits in GDPR-compliant, encrypted hosting, and white-labelling lets a school or group deploy it under its own name. AI Buddy is for practice and feedback, not coursework, which keeps it clear of the boards’ coursework rules.

Frequently asked questions

Can students use AI in Cambridge IGCSE coursework?

Only for initial research and brief, critically discussed quotation, and every use must be acknowledged. Unacknowledged use risks being treated as malpractice.

Does Pearson allow AI in Edexcel coursework?

Only where it is clearly referenced and does not replace the learner’s own work. Both teacher and learner sign a declaration.

Do UAE private schools have to teach AI?

Abu Dhabi private schools fall under ADEK’s AI Literacy initiative, from KG to Grade 12. Dubai’s KHDA programme covers Grades 6–8. The national KG–12 AI subject applies to public schools.

Is AI marking allowed for IGCSE and A Level?

For practice, yes. For assessed work, Pearson says AI should never be the sole method of marking.

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Sources

• Cambridge International, The use of generative AI in coursework
• Cambridge International, How far can candidates make use of AI in their coursework?
• Pearson, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance
• JCQ, AI Use in Assessments (revision two, 30 April 2025)
• Abu Dhabi Media Office, ADEK advances AI Literacy initiative across 170 private schools (17 September 2026)
• Dubai Media Office, DP World Foundation, KHDA and MIT RAISE launch AI literacy programme (4 February 2026)
• ADEK, Digital Policy
• UNESCO, Guidance for generative AI in education and research (September 2023)
• European Union, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act) and Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI) (8 July 2026)