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Why we must include support staff in AI planning and procurement

Artificial intelligence Support staff Trade unions
Everyone is talking about how AI will transform teaching and learning, but perhaps the biggest potential for impact will be on administrative functions and school support staff, says Kate Jones
Transformation: AI will transform school administration, scheduling, timetabling, resource management, financial operations, attendance monitoring, and even recruitment and staff evaluations - Adobe Stock

As artificial intelligence rapidly makes its way into our schools, there is much excitement about its potential to transform education.

The government is actively exploring how AI might improve teacher workload and enhance educational outcomes through various initiatives – from hackathons to focus groups, from calls for evidence to consultations with trade unions (DfE, 2025).

But while much of the discourse centres on students, learning outcomes, and teachers, school support staff are overlooked.

This oversight isn't just an inconvenience – it is a fundamental flaw in how we are approaching one of the biggest technological transformations our schools have ever seen.

No significant technological change should ever be introduced into a workplace without meaningful consultation with all affected staff.

This isn't just about fairness – it is about effectiveness. Workers and their trade union representatives bring invaluable expertise about how their workplaces function. Their involvement, from procurement through implementation, isn't just beneficial – it is essential for the success of technological initiatives.

Yet when we talk about AI in schools, the conversation invariably gravitates toward its impact on teaching and learning. While tools for producing teaching resources, drafting curriculum plans, and marking work are important, they represent only a fraction of how

AI will transform our schools.

Consider the full scope: AI will revolutionise school administration, scheduling, timetabling, resource management, financial operations, attendance monitoring, and even recruitment and staff evaluations.

These changes will profoundly affect every person working in our schools – from teaching assistants to administrative staff, from technicians to school business professionals.

Support staff make up more than 50% of the school workforce in England. These are the people who ensure our schools run smoothly, who provide one-on-one support to students with SEN, who maintain our facilities, and who manage the complex operations that keep our educational system functioning.

So why when we discuss AI implementation, are these essential workers often afterthoughts?

The government (and schools themselves) need to take active steps to involve support staff in AI procurement and implementation. This means expanding government workshops to look at the impacts on all school staff, not just teachers; this means requiring schools to build capacity within their entire workforce to understand and engage with AI technologies; this means empowering union representatives to effectively negotiate with employers about AI implementation.

Failing to involve support staff in AI implementation isn't just unfair – it is dangerous. Without their input, we risk implementing systems that create more problems than they solve, missing opportunities to improve efficiency, children’s wellbeing, and working conditions, creating new workplace inequalities and undermining the collaborative environment that makes our schools effective.

The introduction of AI in schools represents both an opportunity and a challenge. Done correctly it could enhance working conditions and educational outcomes for everyone in the school community. Done incorrectly it could exacerbate existing inequalities and create new problems.

Making the right choices requires including all voices in the conversation – especially those who have been historically overlooked. As we have learned from previous educational reforms, success depends on engaging with the entire school workforce, not just a select few.

The government's recent initiatives to explore AI in education are a positive step. Now it is time to ensure these initiatives include everyone who makes our schools work – not just those who teach in our classrooms.

Our school support staff deserve a seat at the table. More importantly, our schools need their expertise to make this transition successfully. Let's not repeat past mistakes by excluding essential voices from crucial conversations about the future of education.

  • Kate Jones is policy officer at UNISON.

 

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