Securing Generative AI in Schools: A Red Team-Driven Framework for Safeguarding, Compliance, and Risk Reduction

The rapid adoption of generative AI tools in educational settings has outpaced the development of appropriate security and safeguarding frameworks. Schools face a unique challenge: they must enable the educational benefits of AI while protecting the most vulnerable user population — children and young people — from content risks, data exploitation, and adversarial manipulation. This paper presents a red team-driven framework specifically designed for educational environments, addressing the unique intersection of AI security, child safeguarding requirements, data protection (including children's GDPR provisions), and age-appropriate content governance.

The framework provides school leaders, IT managers, and safeguarding officers with practical assessment methodologies, risk mitigation strategies, and compliance checklists aligned with UK and EU education sector requirements.