Short answer: one hour of rules, then hands-on making — by role. The test of a good AI INSET is simple: does every member of staff leave with something real they'll use next week? A drafted letter, a differentiated resource, a comment bank. If the day produces artefacts, it worked; if it produces opinions, it didn't.
A structure that works
Open with the non-negotiables — no pupil data, human review, approved tools — in an hour, not a morning. Then split by role: teachers on planning and resources, TAs on differentiation, office staff on letters, SLT on documents, everyone working on their own real tasks. Finish with sharing and written commitments — each person names the one task they'll use AI for in the next fortnight. Our full INSET day guide covers the structure, the mistakes, and who should lead it.
The part most schools miss
The follow-up is worth more than the day. Without check-ins at weeks two, four and eight, even a brilliant INSET fades to nothing by half-term. Plan the follow-up before the INSET happens, and treat the day as a launch, not the programme.