Scotland's First AI Teacher Appointed at East Renfrewshire School to Deliver AI Literacy Lessons

Mearns Castle High School in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, has appointed former principal biology teacher Jamie Laycock as Scotland's first AI teacher, thought to be the first such role in the UK. The school decided not to pretend AI does not exist, instead providing AI literacy lessons for pupils and staff. All first and second year pupils will receive dedicated AI literacy lessons, older pupils will learn about AI through personal and social education (PSE) classes, and an elective class will be available for senior pupils. Lessons cover spotting deepfakes, AI hallucination, anthropomorphisation and bias.

This is Scotland's first dedicated AI teacher post and thought to be the first in the UK, turning AI literacy from scattered discussion into a formal arrangement with timetabled lessons, dedicated staffing and a defined coverage scope, offering a reference model for other schools. The University of Edinburgh report found Scottish schools were underprepared for the rapid rise in AI, and the school's response directly addresses that gap. The lessons emphasise scepticism toward AI output and spotting deepfakes and hallucination, pointing to pupils' critical thinking rather than tool operation. There is no independent research or quantitative result yet showing the learning effects of these lessons, and actual delivery scope and outcomes still need observation. First and second year pupils will receive dedicated AI literacy lessons, while older pupils encounter AI through PSE and an elective, giving the lessons a defined coverage scope. The school supports staff understanding of AI and plans to create teaching materials for other schools, which may affect nearby schools' curriculum preparation.