AI Use Policy
Last updated: 27-July-2026
Summary: Senior students (13+) may bring their own AI tool, if they have one. Younger students do not use general-purpose AI tools in our classes. Students of every age learn about AI. We never require a student to buy any specific AI subscription, and the use of AI tools is peripheral to learning until students reach higher grades (generally after 3+ years with the Academy of Code.
1. Why we have this policy
AI tools are now part of how software is written. Our job is to make sure students can use them well, and more importantly that students can still understand, debug and defend code that a machine helped produce. This policy sets out where AI fits in our classes and where it does not.
This policy applies to all Academy of Code students.
2. Senior students (13+): bring your own tool
Our general policy for senior students (age 13+) is bring your own tool.
We do not supply, resell or require any AI subscription, and no fee we charge depends on one.
Students may use an AI assistant they already have access to, with their parent's or guardian's agreement.
Tutors will never assume a student has any specific AI tool. Every graded task is designed to be completed successfully without one, and no student is marked down for working unaided.
At Grades 8–10, where students take on large self-directed projects, an AI assistant is useful, and students without access to one will likely find progress slower. In general, free and low cost tiers will be sufficient for this kind of classwork.
If access to a tool is a difficulty for your family at any stage, please tell us. We would much rather arrange something (tutor-supported access during class, or an adjusted brief) than have a student quietly fall behind.
3. Age requirements
AI providers set their own minimum ages, and these differ from tool to tool. Some require users to be 18+, others 16+, others 13+ with parental permission. In Ireland, the digital age of consent is 16, which affects several services.
We do not create, manage, verify or hold accounts on behalf of students, and we are not a party to any agreement between a family and an AI provider. We therefore ask parents and guardians to check the age requirements and terms of the specific tool their child uses, and to give permission where it is required. Guidance on this will be supplied to the parents/guardians of all relevant students (senior groups, aged 13+) in advance. If you would like help please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
4. Younger students
Students at fresher or junior grades do not use general-purpose AI chatbots such as ChatGPT in our classes, and are never asked or encouraged to.
In limited cases, students may use narrow AI features that are built directly into the learning environments we already teach, such as narrow AI features within Scratch. These are used only where they are age-appropriate, tutor-led, and serve a specific learning purpose within the lesson.
5. Learning about AI
Students of all ages may learn about AI in general terms: what it is, how these systems produce answers, why they get things wrong, and how to think critically about what they produce. This is taught as a topic. It does not require a student to have or use any AI tool.
6. Understanding your own work
Our assessment is unchanged in principle: students must be able to explain what they built.
Across the senior grades, tutors will ask students to talk through their code, justify design decisions, and modify their program live in class. Work a student cannot explain is not counted towards their grade, regardless of whether AI was involved.
An honour system for senior students
For all students we work on the basis on an honour system. Where relevant, students may be asked to declare, briefly and in their own words, where AI helped with a substantial piece of project work.
We do not monitor accounts, inspect devices, or run submitted work through AI-detection software. Our assessments are constantly under review, and focus on assessing understanding rather than output.
7. Privacy and safety
Students should never enter personal information (e.g. full name, school, address, contact details, photographs) into any AI tool.
Students should not upload another student's work.
AI tools are not a substitute for a person. If anything a student sees in an AI tool upsets or worries them, they should tell their tutor or a parent/guardian.
Anything a student types into their own AI tool is handled by that provider under that provider's terms, not ours.
8. How we use AI
Our tutors may use AI to help prepare lesson material and extra challenges. All material is reviewed by a person before it reaches a class.
Our core teaching and assessing is proudly human powered, as it always has been.
9. Breach of this policy
Our response to misuse is firsly educational rather than punitive. In most cases this means a conversation, and a piece of work being redone in a way the student can stand over. Repeated or serious misuse of AI tools will be discussed with parents/guardians.
10. Questions and changes
This is a fast-moving area and we expect to update this policy. The current version is always the one published here.
Questions: info@theacademyofcode.com
The Academy of Code is a division of Olus Academy Ltd, trading as Olus Education.