Independent school principal urges education sector not to wait for government on AI guidance

Following a landmark report by leading education expert Sir Anthony Seldon warning that UK schools are “crying out” for government guidance on Artificial Intelligence, the Principal of Hulme Grammar School is calling on educational leaders to take immediate action through direct industry collaboration.

Sir Anthony Seldon’s report argues that AI in education must be treated with the same urgency as a national emergency, calling for a national framework and requiring all schools in England to establish formal AI strategies by September 2027. 

However, Kirsten Pankhurst, Principal of Hulme Grammar School in Oldham, warns that waiting for top-down policy leaves pupils vulnerable in a rapidly evolving and precarious job market. 

Under Mrs Pankhurst’s leadership, Hulme Grammar School has taken a pioneering stance by embedding explicit AI literacy directly into its curriculum from September 2026. To ensure pupils are genuinely prepared for the future workplace, the school is partnering directly with tech leaders and enterprise founders, such as Purple AI, through its Brenda Mills Institute for Innovation and Technology (BMIIT). 

These industry partners work alongside teachers to shape course content, mentor pupils, deliver masterclasses and run cross-borough hackathons with major firms like AMEX GBT, CTI Digital, Nominet, and Koder.ly. 

“Sir Anthony Seldon is right to highlight the sheer scale and urgency of the AI revolution in education:” said Kirsten Pankhurst, Principal of Hulme Grammar School.  

“However, holding back on AI education while waiting for a national framework means sitting on the sidelines while our pupils engage with these tools every single day. 

“Our pupils will graduate into a world still being defined. Our responsibility is to prepare them for it with clarity and purpose, not by working in isolation, but by bringing industry leaders directly into the classroom. By pairing 400 years of academic tradition with real-world tech partnerships, we are giving our young people the human capabilities, judgement, ethics, and critical thinking that the modern workplace demands.” 

Mrs Pankhurst added: “Proactive, industry-aligned education beats reactive policy every time. We don’t need to wait for a government white paper to start building the workforce of tomorrow.” 

To learn more about Hulme Grammar School’s curriculum and industry partnerships, visit www.hulmegrammar.org.