Chris Goodall
Head of Digital Education and AI, Bourne Education Trust
Chris Goodall is Head of Digital Education at the Bourne Education Trust, leading AI transformation across 27 schools and over 14,000 pupils. An award-winning AI in education leader, he co-chairs the national AI in Education initiative representing 1,500+ schools and was recognised with the Edufuturists 2025 AI Pioneer Award and also featured in the Digital Leaders AI 100 UK Leaders list for his sector-shaping work. Chris has supported the development of a nationally adopted framework for AI implementation, advised on government policy, and built cross-sector partnerships with leading EdTech providers.
Being curious but cautious (AI and new technologies)
1 Workshop series one
How leaders are approaching trust-wide piloting and implementation of AI tools
As trusts move from isolated experimentation towards more structured AI adoption, leaders face growing questions around governance, evaluation and scaling. Guided by the principle of being “curious but cautious”, this session explores how two trusts are approaching AI pilots in practice - from choosing use cases and challenging vendor claims, to building evidence, maintaining accountability and deciding what deserves wider adoption. Through honest reflections on what has worked, what has disappointed, and what they would do differently, delegates will gain practical insight into leading AI implementation responsibly at trust scale.