Wychwood School has launched AI Futures Oxford, a new micro-school for students aged 16 and over. It will offer an A-level in Artificial Intelligence alongside an extension programme delivered outside normal school hours.
Developed with academics and industry professionals, the scheme is designed as an additional qualification, allowing pupils to stay at their current school. Wychwood said the programme will be open to learners across the UK and is aimed at students preparing for university applications or considering a direct route into work.
The move reflects growing interest in formal AI education as schools, universities and employers respond to the spread of artificial intelligence across business, public services and research. Although AI is increasingly discussed in classrooms, dedicated post-16 qualifications remain limited, particularly those combining technical teaching with ethics and governance.
New model
AI Futures Oxford is structured as a micro-school, designed to sit alongside mainstream education rather than replace it. Lessons and related activities will take place outside the traditional school day, allowing students to continue their existing studies while adding a fourth A-level-style subject.
The programme will cover how AI systems work, as well as the wider implications of their use across the economy. Its extension element will include case studies, lecture programmes and industry engagement, with a focus on ethics, public policy and responsible innovation.
Professor Sergey Saveliev, Dean and Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Loughborough University, was among those involved in developing the course. His involvement underlines an effort to give it academic grounding at a time when schools are under pressure to distinguish between teaching students to use AI tools and teaching them to understand the technology itself.
Wychwood is positioning the initiative as a response to a gap in post-16 education. Demand from employers and higher education institutions has raised questions about whether schools are doing enough to prepare pupils for AI-related study and work, particularly as the technology affects sectors far beyond computing.
Skills focus
The programme is built around AI literacy rather than software deployment. That distinction may appeal to schools and parents concerned about generative AI's role in coursework and assessment, as well as universities seeking applicants with a broader understanding of how machine learning and related systems shape business and society.
Subjects are expected to include technical foundations, ethical questions, and the social and economic impact of AI. The course is intended to support students seeking entry to AI-related degrees, wider STEM courses, humanities pathways with an AI dimension, and apprenticeships linked to industry.
Oxford is central to the school's pitch. The city has become a focal point for AI research, investment and policy debate, with universities, start-ups and government backing helping to build a cluster around the technology. Education providers are increasingly trying to connect students to that ecosystem at an earlier stage.
Mrs Jane Evans, Head of Wychwood School, said: "AI is transforming every aspect of modern life, yet there are still very few opportunities for young people to study it in a meaningful, ethical and academically robust way. AI Futures transforms how young people learn AI."
For students, the offer is unusual because it does not require a change of school or a break from an existing sixth-form timetable. Instead, it creates a parallel route for motivated learners who want more formal exposure to AI before applying to higher education or entering the labour market.
If the model works as intended, it could also widen access beyond independent school pupils. Wychwood said any learner aged 16 and over in the UK would be able to take part, regardless of where they currently study.
Academic input
The course has been shaped with input from senior academics and industry specialists.
Professor Sergey Saveliev, Dean and Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Loughborough University, said: "This programme is about understanding, not deploying AI, ensuring students develop the critical literacy, context and confidence they need to better prepare them for university applications or direct entrance into industry."
"By drawing on senior academic expertise and Oxford's role on the global AI stage, we are creating a pathway that opens doors for every learner, wherever they come from."
The launch adds to a broader debate about how schools should respond to AI's rapid adoption. Some institutions have focused on restricting classroom use, while others have begun embedding AI into teaching and assessment policies. Wychwood's initiative takes a different route by treating AI as a subject of study in its own right, with room for technical content as well as scrutiny of ethics and governance.
Admissions are expected to focus on students seeking an additional post-16 qualification and those looking for a route into university courses or industry pathways shaped by artificial intelligence.