AI in Schools and Colleges Scotland Conference

​Heather is The Data Lab’s Chief Executive Officer. With more than two decades of experience across data science, AI, software engineering, project management, education and leadership, she is a recognised leader in Scotland’s technology ecosystem. She has extensive experience in cross-sector leadership, delivering strategic initiatives, building high-performing teams, and developing international partnerships. Her work focuses on addressing systemic challenges, shaping policy, and advancing digital skills and innovation across industry and the public sector. Before joining The Data Lab, Heather held roles at Epicor, GE Energy, ION Geophysical and the University of Edinburgh where she developed major funding proposals and established international skills programmes.​​

​Theodore Pengelley is a Digital Manager at Qualifications Scotland. Currently, Theo oversees Qualifications Scotland’s digital learning provision, while exploring new opportunities to use emerging technologies across Qualifications Scotland’s qualifications and assessments. Theo has a diverse background of delivering digital services spanning the private, public, and third sectors.
Theo has been leading on responding to the opportunities and challenges presented by the rapid rise of Generative AI. Currently he is the chair of the Qualifications Scotland’s AI and Emergent Technologies Group. Through research, engagement, and cross-sector collaboration, this group explores the impact of these technologies within learning, teaching and assessment.​

​Joe is an independent Education Consultant and former teacher, Community Education worker, FE lecturer, Project Manager, Senior Manager, Director, CEO of College Development Network, and Head of Digital Skills at City of Glasgow College. He has worked with QAA, SQA, SFC, SCQF, SDS, Jisc, and Education Scotland, served on College Boards, and collaborated widely with agencies and employer bodies involved in adult and vocational learning across Scotland and the UK. He is Chair of the ALT (Association for Learning Technology) Scottish Members Group, a Trustee of ALT UK, an advisor to the Scottish Government on information literacy, a contributor to the Goodison Group’s Future of Education Group, and co‑founder of Open Scotland. With long standing experience in learning technology, he has led policy, digital strategy, and the implementation of national and institutional systems for digital transformation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​Rona Blackwood has over 30 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector, her career has spanned social work, international development, and various roles in voluntary organisations in the UK and abroad. Rona is currently Head of Programmes at Children’s Parliament. In this role she oversees the practical delivery and strategic impact of all programmes to achieve the organisation’s mission – to inspire a greater awareness and understanding of the power of children’s human rights. Children’s Parliament works alongside children, partners and decision makers to demonstrate and embed a children’s human rights approach, supporting children to influence legislation, policy and practice. A recent example of work is Exploring Children’s Rights and A.I . ​

I am Lindsey Howland and have been Headteacher at Allan’s Nursery and Primary for 9 years. Allan’s is a 0-12 provision and I feel incredibly privileged to be lead such a unique nursery and school as we are able support families right from the outset. I am passionate about ensuring that our children receive love and feel a sense of belonging when in school and nursery and that our curriculum inspires them to be active change makers!

As a passionate system leader, I place strong emphasis on relationships and high-quality teaching.   We are already using AI to support high-quality lesson planning, generate innovative teaching resources, and reduce the administrative burden that often limits teachers’ time and impact. The session will be a practical, classroom-focused approach which will demonstrate how technology can streamline bureaucracy, enhance professional agency, and create space for what matters most – teaching, learning, and human connection.

I am the Digtial Development Office at Striling Council, where I focus on modernising the educational landscape through smart, purposeful technology integration. Previously, as a QIO for the Forth Valley and West Lothian RIC, we developed innovative AI-powered tools—including the Inspirational Pedagogy Assistant and an AI-underpinned Self Evaluation Tool—designed to refine teaching and assessment.

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​With a background as a teacher of Mathematics and Computing, Faculty Head of Technologies and Lead Officer in STEM and Sustainability.​​​

Amy Butler is an Accounting Lecturer and eLearning Development Officer at Glasgow Clyde College, specialising in digital innovation and transformative teaching practices within further education. With a strong focus on embedding technology into pedagogy, she has played a key role in driving a “digital by design” approach that enhances both staff capability and student experience.

Amy’s work centres on the practical integration of emerging technologies, including generative AI, into everyday teaching. She has led initiatives that support educators to confidently adopt digital tools, delivering extensive staff development programmes and creating accessible, scalable resources through platforms such as Canvas.

A champion of inclusive digital practice, Amy has contributed to projects that democratise access to AI and digital skills, enabling educators across disciplines to innovate and personalise learning. Her leadership in initiatives such as AI pilot programmes and digital skills training has demonstrated measurable impact on staff confidence, productivity and learner engagement.

Passionate about preparing learners and educators for a rapidly evolving digital landscape, Amy brings a forward-thinking, practical perspective to innovation in education, bridging strategy, technology and pedagogy to create meaningful, future-focused learning experiences.

The first woman to hold the position of Rector in The High School of Glasgow, the oldest school in Scotland.

Her career began as an English & Performing Arts teacher, before moving on to Head of English. Most recently, she has spent nine years as Depute Rector at St Columba’s School, Kilmacolm. Alongside this role, she has served as an Associate Assessor for Education Scotland, gaining valuable insight into the diversity and strengths of schools across the country.

Antonia holds a deep commitment to holistic schooling. “A genuinely rounded education needs to stretch far beyond exam results. It should develop young people’s ability to think independently, act ethically and positively influence the world around them”.

“Today’s learners are growing up in a world that is fast-paced, digitally saturated and often uncertain. Schools need to provide a strong academic foundation, but also cultivate adaptability, empathy and a sense of responsibility, both to self and society”.

Stuart Caddell is the Head Teacher of Gairloch High School, a community he knows well, having been a pupil at the school himself. His career reflects a strong commitment to education, digital innovation, and the responsible use of emerging technologies to improve learning and teaching.

Stuart holds a degree in Information Technology from the University of Paisley and went on to qualify as a Computing teacher, gaining postgraduate teaching qualifications from the University of Strathclyde. Alongside his work in schools, he has built extensive experience beyond education, working across both the public and private sectors as a project manager and small business lead. Much of this work has been rooted in the digital and ICT space, giving him a practical, real‑world perspective on how technology shapes organisations, workflows, and working lives.

Stuart’s interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) began while he was still at school and has continued to develop throughout his professional journey. Today, Stuart is particularly enthusiastic about the role AI can play in education. Having recently founded the AI Collaborative of Educators in Scotland (AICE.scot), he focuses on collaborating regionally, nationally, and internationally with partners on helping the profession engage critically and confidently with AI. He promotes the importance of understanding not only AI’s potential to enhance learning, teaching, and professional practice, but also the ethical, practical, and safeguarding risks it presents.

Stuart is committed to connecting educators, leaders, and system partners around AI in education, encouraging open dialogue, shared understanding, and responsible implementation build on integrity so that opportunities are realised, risks understood and implementation is positively impactful.

Hilary Phillips is the Digital Youth Work lead at YouthLink Scotland, the National Agency for Youth Work. YouthLink Scotland is a membership organisation which advocates on behalf of the whole youth work sector, representing both third sector and local authority work. Hilary joined YouthLink Scotland in April 2020, supporting youth workers to take their work online at the start of the pandemic. Since then she has continued to champion the importance of digital skills and knowledge for youth workers, tackling the challenges of a constantly changing technology landscape and increasing awareness of the impact of digital on young people’s lives. That means delivering training, creating new resources and seeking ways to resource and lead this important area of work. In 2025 the Include Plus Network funded a feasibility study, led by YouthLink Scotland, supporting young people to explore AI. Two youth groups took part in the project and the result is the new Our Futures and AI Toolkit. The resources were created by a team which included the youth workers, the young people, Digital Skills Education, the Scottish AI Alliance and Sopra Steria. Before joining YouthLink Hilary had a career as a copywriter and experience as a volunteer youth worker.

Dr Mhairi Aitken is an internationally recognised expert in AI ethics and responsible innovation, with a focus on children’s relationships with AI. In 2025 she organised the world’s first Children’s AI Summit. Mhairi is a Co-Founder and Director of Our AI Collective and a Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Digital Environment Research Institute at Queen Mary University London. Previously, between 2020 and 2026, she was Senior Ethics Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute (the UK’s national institute for AI and data science), where she led a groundbreaking programme of research on Children and AI including collaborations with UNICEF, the Council of Europe Steering Committee on the Rights of the Child, Children’s Parliament and the LEGO Group. Mhairi is a frequent contributor to media discussions around AI, and was included in the international list of “100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics

​Kevin McPhee is a Film and Screen educator working within the We Matter Team, a citywide service supporting care experienced young people through inclusion​,​ outreach, professional learning and partnership working.

​He holds a Master of Fine Art from Newcastle University, where his research explored how people experience art through sound, space and sensory interaction, with a focus on individuals with combined disabilities. He recently completed a PG Cert in Film and Screen Professional Practice at Edinburgh Napier University and is part of Scotland’s national Film and Screen Curriculum Advisory Network, shaping the development of Film and Screen education.​

​Kevin’s work focuses on how film and AI can expand access to learning, communication and creative agency, particularly for learners whose voices are not always recognised within conventional educational and creative systems. He develops approaches with learners with complex additional support needs that begin with movement, attention and sensory experience, rather than privileging language as the primary mode of expression. His practice is grounded in a critical distinction: participation does not in itself constitute agency. Instead, he examines how authorship emerges when control over creative decisions is sustained and becomes recognisable as authorship through the work. He has worked as an AI Teacher in Residence with the University of Edinburgh and is an associate of the Children, Interaction and Design research cluster. He can also do a solid handstand, not directly related to AI literacy, but happy to discuss.​
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​Heather is The Data Lab’s Chief Executive Officer. With more than two decades of experience across data science, AI, software engineering, project management, education and leadership, she is a recognised leader in Scotland’s technology ecosystem. She has extensive experience in cross-sector leadership, delivering strategic initiatives, building high-performing teams, and developing international partnerships. Her work focuses on addressing systemic challenges, shaping policy, and advancing digital skills and innovation across industry and the public sector. Before joining The Data Lab, Heather held roles at Epicor, GE Energy, ION Geophysical and the University of Edinburgh where she developed major funding proposals and established international skills programmes.​​