The Educator Magazine U.K. Sept-Dec 2026 issue - Magazine - Page 74
Trust puts AI and technology at heart of drive
to create ‘inclusive by design’ classrooms
A Leicestershire education trust is putting
artificial intelligence and educational
technology at the heart of an ambitious drive
to create classrooms designed to work for
every child.
Discovery Schools Academies Trust has set out
its vision for “inclusive by design” learning,
using PedTech, AI and blended teaching
practices to remove barriers to education and
give pupils more ways to access, engage with
and demonstrate their learning.
The approach was showcased to colleagues
from across the Trust at its annual teacher
conference at Leicester’s King Power Stadium
on Friday, August 21.
Held under the theme “Belonging by
Co-Design”, the conference brought together
teachers and education leaders from
Discovery’s primary, secondary and
specialist settings to explore how inclusion
can be embedded into everyday
classroom practice.
effective PedTech practice within their schools
and helping successful approaches spread
across the Trust.
It represents a significant investment not
simply in technology, but in the skills and
confidence of the people using it.
Lee Moorton, Head of Delivery at Primary Goal,
said: “What makes this partnership so exciting
is that Discovery isn’t starting with the technology - it is starting with the child and asking
how digital tools can help remove the barriers
that might otherwise prevent them from fully
participating in learning.
“Technology alone doesn’t transform
education. It is confident, skilled educators who
understand how to use it with purpose who
make the difference, which is why investing in
these 36 Digital Champions is so important.
“By developing that expertise across primary, secondary and specialist settings, we are
Examples include using digital inking,
voice-to-text, assistive technology and AIpowered tools such as Microsoft Copilot to help
remove barriers around communication, handwriting, processing and independent learning.
It means that rather than making
adaptations only when a pupil encounters
difficulty, teachers are increasingly being
encouraged to design learning from the outset
in ways that offer greater flexibility and
accessibility for everyone.
Throughout the year, colleagues will document
effective practice and explore how technology
can improve inclusion, pupil independence and
engagement while also supporting teachers to
work more effectively.
The initiative comes as schools nationally
consider both the opportunities and challenges
created by rapidly developing AI technology
and how pupils can be prepared for an
increasingly digital world.
Jo Stone has led work around educational
technology both within Discovery and
nationally, including previously leading the
Department for Education’s EdTech
Demonstrator Programme. She regularly
speaks on AI integration, PedTech and blended
learning.
The wider conference reinforced that
technology forms only one part of
Discovery's approach to inclusion.
She said: “Inclusive by design means
asking from the beginning how every
child will access and participate in
learning, rather than waiting until
somebody encounters a barrier.
The approach moves beyond simply
introducing more technology into classrooms.
Instead, Discovery is exploring how tools
including AI, accessibility features and blended
learning can be combined with strong teaching
to give pupils different routes into learning
according to their individual needs.
Discovery hopes the programme will also
generate learning that can be shared more
widely across the education sector.
She said: “For Discovery, the emphasis
is on ensuring innovation remains
grounded in educational purpose.”
A central focus was “Inclusive by
Design: Transforming Learning with
PedTech, AI and Blended Practice”, led
by Discovery PedTech Lead Jo Stone.
“AI and technology give us incredibly
powerful tools, but the pedagogy
always has to come first. This is about giving
teachers more ways to teach and children more
ways to learn, communicate and show us what
they know.”
their learning directly within classrooms.”
creating a network of people who can test
what works, share their learning and help
build more inclusive, future-ready classrooms
across the Trust. That has the potential to make
a difference not just to individual teachers,
but to thousands of children throughout their
education.”
The Digital Champions initiative builds on
several years of digital development across
Discovery.
The Trust has been developing its approach to
educational technology since 2017 and is now
home to 15 Microsoft Showcase Schools
recognised for their use of technology to
support teaching and learning.
The next stage is focused on making that
expertise more consistent across Discovery’s
growing community of schools and adapting
successful approaches for very different
ducational environments.
Supporting that ambition will be a new
network of 36 Digital Champions from across
Discovery Trust.
That is particularly important as the Trust
brings together primary, secondary and
specialist provision, where pupils' needs,
classroom environments and approaches to
teaching can vary considerably.
The colleagues are taking part in a year-long
professional development programme,
delivered in partnership with digital skills
provider Primary Goal and funded through the
apprenticeship levy.
Jo Stone added: “Rather than prescribing one
model, we want our Digital Champions to test,
adapt and share approaches that work in their
own settings, building a community of
expertise across the organisation.
The programme is designed to build digital
expertise within Discovery’s own workforce,
equipping colleagues to become leaders of
“The 36 Champions will receive coaching,
development and practical support throughout
the programme, with an emphasis on applying
Sessions explored early identification
and preventing exclusion, what an
inclusive universal classroom offer
should look like, adaptive teaching and
developing consistently excellent
teaching across different educational settings.
Discovery CEO Paul Stone told colleagues that
inclusion should be something shaped
collectively across the Trust, with schools
sharing expertise and learning from one
another.
He added: “Inclusion is not something that can
be added on afterwards. It has to be designed
into the way we teach, the environments we
create and the opportunities we give our
children from the very beginning.
“Our strength as a Trust comes from bringing
together the expertise and experience that
exists across our schools and using it
collectively to remove barriers to learning.
PedTech and AI can play an important part in
that, but this is ultimately about people - giving
our teachers the tools, confidence and freedom
to respond to individual needs and ensuring
every child has the opportunity to belong,
participate and succeed.
“The development of our 36 Digital Champions
is a really exciting part of that journey. They
will help us turn innovation into meaningful
classroom practice and, importantly, share
what works so that children across our entire
community of schools can benefit.”
The Trust’s ambition is ultimately to create
learning environments in which differences in
need do not become barriers to opportunity and where technology is used purposefully to
help every pupil participate, develop
independence and achieve their potential.
