Sydenham & Dulwich Girls GDST has been awarded the Gold AI Quality Mark by the Good Future Foundation, recognising the school’s exemplary leadership and sector‑leading practice in the responsible and effective integration of Artificial Intelligence across teaching, learning and operations.

The Gold Award, the highest level of accreditation, follows a rigorous assessment process and places the school among the UK’s leading institutions shaping the future of education through ethical, evidence‑based innovation.

A Sector‑Leading Approach to AI

In its official report, the Good Future Foundation praised the school, noting that Sydenham & Dulwich Girls “demonstrated exemplary intent and implementation of AI” with particular strengths in Leadership & Vision, Assessment, Professional Development, and Ethics, Bias & Safeguarding.

The assessor highlighted the school’s:

  • Strategic leadership, including a dedicated SLT‑level Digital Innovation Lead who co‑chairs the GDST AI Committee, giving the school “meaningful reach across 26 schools in the trust” .
  • Bespoke SPARK framework, robust AI policy and regular parent communications, ensuring clarity, transparency and shared understanding.
  • External recognition, including national award shortlistings and presentations at the UKSHEL Summit and Schools & Academies Show, demonstrating leadership beyond the school community.

These strengths position the school as a leader in educational innovation.

Innovative Curriculum and Teaching

The assessor described the school’s curriculum planning as “genuinely impressive,” citing:

  • Year 9 Geography’s vibe‑coding SDG project
  • Art’s surreal image creation using Gemini
  • A Level EPQ guidance mapping legitimate and illegitimate AI use to JCQ expectations

Teaching and learning were commended for developing pupils’ critical AI literacy through initiatives such as the Year 10 AI Hackathon and NotebookLM revision assembly.

Assessment was identified as a standout strength. The school’s AI Acceptable Use Scale — displayed in classrooms, referenced in assemblies and embedded in parent communication — was praised as “thoughtful, pragmatic” and “embedded in culture” .

These elements reflect a coherent, values‑driven approach to AI in curriculum design and responsible assessment practice.

Exemplary Professional Development

The Good Future Foundation recognised the school’s sustained, high‑quality professional development programme as “exemplary,” noting:

  • Whole‑staff AI INSET
  • A thriving AI Special Interest Group
  • Dedicated training for office and operational staff
  • Trust‑wide leadership through GDST committees and national conferences

This whole‑school approach ensures that every member of staff is equipped to use AI confidently, ethically and creatively — a hallmark of sector‑leading professional development.

Ethics, Bias & Safeguarding: A Gold‑Standard Model

The assessor described this category as “one of the strongest,” highlighting:

  • A comprehensive Generative AI Risk Assessment addressing issues such as AI companionship and medical advice
  • Multi‑stranded curriculum coverage across Computer Science, RS and PSHE
  • A forthcoming Year 9 AI Bias Awareness course, directly aligned with the school’s mission as a girls’ school

This reflects the school’s unwavering commitment to ethical AI practice and safeguarding.

A Milestone for the School and a Signal to the Sector

Antonia Geldeard, Head of Sydenham & Dulwich Girls GDST commented:

“We are immensely proud to receive the Gold AI Quality Mark. This recognition reflects our belief that when used with integrity and imagination, AI can enhance human potential and open extraordinary opportunities for young people. It is a testament to the dedication of our staff, the curiosity of our students and the trust of our families.”

The school will continue to build on this achievement, sharing practice across the GDST network and the wider sector, and ensuring that every pupil benefits from an education that is both future‑focused and deeply human.