Highfield and Brookham Submits White Paper to Government 

As debate grows over the impact of artificial intelligence on education and employment, Highfield and Brookham School has submitted a White Paper to the Department for Education calling for urgent reforms to ensure young people are equipped with the skills, resilience and digital literacy needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

The submission follows the school’s Raising the Future conference, which brought together education leaders, employers, technology experts, safeguarding specialists and former Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to examine whether the current education system is keeping pace with rapid social and technological change. 

The White Paper, Education for a Changing Society: Human Skills, AI Readiness, and Preparing Learners for the Future of Work, argues that while the Government’s planned curriculum reforms represent a positive step, further action is needed to equip young people with the skills and resilience required for modern life. 

Among its recommendations are: 

• Greater emphasis on communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving skills across the curriculum. 

• Reform of GCSE assessment to better reflect real-world competencies and applied learning. 

• A national framework for AI literacy and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in schools. 

• Stronger guidance around smartphone use, online safety and digital wellbeing. 

• Closer collaboration between schools, employers and policymakers to ensure education reflects future workforce needs. 

The recommendations come amid growing national debate about the impact of AI on jobs and learning, concerns about graduate employability, and increasing evidence linking smartphone and social media use to declining wellbeing among young people. 

Mrs Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham School, said: 

“Education is facing one of the most significant periods of change in a generation. The rise of artificial intelligence, changing employer expectations and growing concerns about young people’s wellbeing require us to think differently about what success in education looks like. 

Our conference brought together voices from across education, business and public policy. The message was clear: academic excellence remains essential, but schools must also help young people develop the human skills, adaptability and ethical judgement that will enable them to thrive in an increasingly complex world.” 

The White Paper has been submitted to the Department for Education as part of ongoing discussions surrounding curriculum and assessment reform ahead of proposed changes due from 2028. 

Highfield and Brookham School plans to continue the conversation through future roundtables and cross-sector partnerships aimed at shaping a more future-focused education system.