Entry number:

Entry name: From Foundations to Futures: ACE’s Journey in Ethical AI and Digital Transformation

Describe your entry, including why you should win:

This submission tells the story of how the Adult, Community and ESOL (ACE) department at Leeds City College has embedded digital transformation in a way that is sustainable, staff-led and values-driven.

Since 2020, every ACE classroom has been equipped with Chromebooks. Over five years, we have supported both staff and learners to build digital confidence, using Google Workspace and Google Classroom to create consistent, accessible learning environments. This work laid the foundations for something deeper.

In October 2023, we introduced Connect 3 Connect 3: Literacy + AI + Inclusion, a classroom-led initiative to explore whether free AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT and NotebookLM could improve teaching, reduce workload and support learners with language, literacy and life in the UK. Staff designed their own prompts, aligned to schemes of work and learner outcomes. AI was used to create differentiated resources, writing scaffolds, revision tasks and grammar practice. Learners used it to practise writing, prepare for speaking assessments and reflect on wellbeing. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OaKvlEkMGi-IejvUrl6VdiMffLHx-m4okXZHrKvbOxY/edit?tab=t.0

This grew into a wider cultural shift. We supported teams to co-design GPTs and classroom materials. Curriculum leaders shaped how AI linked to functional skills, personal development and the ESOL Core Curriculum. Digital tools were integrated into all ESOL Entry Level lessons through guided support. At the same time, we scaled CPD through walkthroughs, coaching, in-class support and staff-led resource banks. Teachers returning from long-term absence used AI to rebuild confidence. A Teaching Apprentice helped lead training for others.

Key learner-facing projects developed through this work include:

Let’s Dream Together: Entry 1 learners used AI to write and illustrate their dream homes, describe places and people, imagine non-existent animals, etc.

Voices That Care: Nine learners used AI for writing, development and coaching to prepare speeches shared during Refugee Week

STEM 7: Over 80 learners across ESOL and Functional Skills explored AI through weekly challenges covering health, work and digital futures

What makes this transformation sustainable is that it is built into what we already do. AI tools are free, mobile-friendly and used with clear ethical guidance. Activities are embedded in lesson plans and schemes of work. There are no add-ons or expensive platforms. Just staff adapting what works, and learners taking small but meaningful steps forward.

This work maps directly to the Jisc framework: CPD is inclusive, peer-led and responsive; AI use is GDPR-aware, cost-free and classroom-tested; AI is embedded across English, maths, ESOL and community learning. Leadership and strategy: This is part of the ACE Technology for TLA Strategy 2023–26 and shared nationally through platforms like FE News and C-Learning

We believe this submission shows what digital transformation looks like when it starts with people. The changes are practical, thoughtful and already making a difference to staff wellbeing, learner progress and how we teach. It is not driven by tech—it is driven by purpose, trust and care.

Describe the impact of your work internally and externally, on your students, colleagues and peers, how it was developed, and what others could learn from your work?

This work began with a small group of teachers trialling AI in ESOL classes. It grew into a department-wide shift in how digital tools are used to support teaching, learning and planning.

Internally, the impact has been wide-reaching. Staff report reduced planning time, improved differentiation and better learner engagement. Several teachers use AI to adapt materials for learners with additional needs or lower levels of literacy. One colleague returning from long-term sick leave described the support as “a lifeline” and used a curriculum-aligned GPT to help rebuild planning routines.

AI is now used by teachers across ESOL, English, maths and community learning to plan, personalise, create writing frames, generate grammar examples and simplify texts and more. The Curriculum Designer GPT was created in-house to help staff align tasks with schemes of work and assessment criteria.

CPD has also changed. Sessions are practical and led by staff. A Teaching Apprentice co-delivered a walkthrough showing how AI supports Entry 1 learners. Teachers are encouraged to share what works and what doesn’t. The message is clear: AI is not about being perfect, it is about making progress.

For learners, the impact is most visible in confidence and independence. In Entry 3, learners used Gemini to revise for speaking exams. One learner raised their maths score from 21 to 30 using AI-supported revision. At Entry 1, learners used prompts to write about their homes, families and health. They took photos of their handwritten work and asked Gemini to check their English. Over time, this became a consistent part of how they learned.

Projects like STEM 7 and Voices That Care brought this to life. In STEM 7, over 80 learners used digital tools to explore topics like wellbeing, employment and the future. In Voices That Care, nine learners created speeches about identity and belonging using AI and coaching. These were shared with staff, leaders and peers at a public event during Refugee Week.

Externally, our work has been published in FE News, C-Learning and shared through Google for Education networks. Other FE colleges have reached out to learn from our approach. What they respond to is the balance: low-cost, learner-centred and grounded in practice.

How it developed:

We started small, with staff volunteers and a shared focus: can this help? Teachers tested tools, adapted them for their groups and built a bank of examples. We did not wait for a perfect policy. We started with values, shared what worked and grew from there.

What others can learn:

Start with what your learners need, not what the tech can do

Build from what staff already know and use

Keep it simple, practical and flexible

Let people try things in low-pressure spaces

Share examples early and often

This transformation is not finished, but it is real. It’s visible in classrooms, planning folders and learner voices. It’s already changing how we work and how our learners see themselves.

Please describe how your work is aligned with CMALT & FELT principles?

Our approach to digital transformation is rooted in care, collaboration and shared purpose. The principles behind CMALT and FELT have helped shape not just what we do, but how we do it. We keep them in view when making decisions, designing CPD and choosing how to use digital tools with learners.

CMALT: Understanding the relationship between technology and learning

We explore technology through the lens of teaching and inclusion. AI is not used to replace professional judgment or content knowledge. It is used to support planning, simplify language, adapt materials and help learners practise in ways that build confidence. Every use is connected to curriculum goals and learner needs. Teachers reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and how the tool changed the way they taught.

CMALT: Staying current with emerging technology

We introduced AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and NotebookLM through small-scale pilots, walkthroughs and shared experiments. Staff are encouraged to test new tools and adapt them for their learners. Our internal Curriculum Designer GPT, built around ACE schemes of work, is one example of how staff have shaped emerging tools to meet real needs.

CMALT: Sharing and learning from others

We actively share what we learn across the department and the wider sector. Staff lead CPD, co-deliver walkthroughs and share working examples. We have contributed to publications including FE News and C-Learning, and participated in Google for Education networks and Linkedin professional FE networks. Our approach is to make practice visible, honest and adaptable.

CMALT: Empathy and collaboration

We work across ESOL, English, maths and community learning. Every teacher is invited to try things at their own pace. A colleague returning from long-term absence was supported to rejoin the classroom using a tailored AI assistant. A Teaching Apprentice co-delivered AI training. Collaboration is at the heart of our approach. Nobody is expected to be an expert.

FELT: Awareness

We use AI carefully, ethically and with intention. Tools are introduced with clear boundaries. Staff are supported to talk about risks, reliability and bias. We avoid tools that require logins or learner data. All activity is guided by a shared digital code of practice and discussed openly with learners.

FELT: Professionalism

AI is used in ways that support, not shortcut, planning and assessment. Resources are created with curriculum leads and reflect the ACE strategy. Staff are trusted to decide when and how tools are used, and are encouraged to reflect on ethical implications as part of normal practice.

FELT: Care and community

We prioritise relationships and shared growth. CPD is responsive, small-scale and delivered by peers. Learners are introduced to tools slowly, with support. Success is measured in small steps forward—more writing, more questions, more confidence.

FELT: Values

Our work is grounded in the belief that every learner can progress, and every teacher can lead change. We use digital tools to remove barriers, not add new ones. What guides us is not what is possible, but what is helpful, fair and human.

Supporting evidence:

https://www.fenews.co.uk/exclusive/beyond-language-preparing-adult-and-esol-learners-for-life-work-and-ai-with-stem7/ FE News article: Illustrates our strategic integration of AI with employability and wellbeing through the STEM 7 challenge.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-IWr9tnaNmgc3FXHNG5ny7Pm2kjgIkH0qImZXHKz7Ws/edit?usp=sharing

This document brings together examples of how staff in the ACE department have used digital tools and AI in their teaching. It includes short case studies, classroom prompts, and project summaries linked to Entry-level ESOL, English and community learning. It shows how tools like Gemini, Canva and Google Workspace have been used to support planning, reduce workload and help learners build confidence with writing, speaking and digital skills. The examples are drawn from everyday lessons and reflect what has worked well for staff and learners.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-4HWs_VIbKA0KrG52x8egwmGA2QkONpu2XiuDii2G-E/edit?usp=sharing

Sets out our department-wide plan for sustainable digital transformation, aligned to Jisc’s strategic priorities.