Guided by the North Star: Our Pledge to Keep Starlight Focused on Growth

From the very beginning, Starlight has been built on one non-negotiable: it will never be used as a surveillance or performance management tool. Coaching, reflection, and professional growth are at its heart.

Teachers and school leaders told us clearly what they wanted — support, not scrutiny. Starlight was designed to reduce workload, spark insight, and provide anonymised, aggregated data that helps leaders see patterns without ever singling out individuals. We know that if trust is undermined, the platform fails. That is why we have created the North Star Charter.

This one-page pledge is a visible commitment by every Starlight Lead — including senior leadership teams — to use the platform only for its intended purpose. It ensures that coaching, professional learning, and genuine support remain at the core of everything Starlight does.

By signing the Charter, leaders affirm that:

• Starlight is for coaching, reflection, and reducing workload — not for judgment.

• Teacher trust is our guiding light, and safeguarding it is essential.

• Insights will always be anonymised, aggregated, and used constructively.

This is not just a document; it is a declaration. A statement of values. A guarantee that as we innovate with AI, we do so in service of people — teachers and leaders — who give so much every day.

With the North Star Charter, we nail our colours to the mast: Starlight is about building up, never breaking down. It is about trust, growth, and insight, not surveillance.

And as we continue to grow, this pledge will remain our compass. Because Starlight’s mission has never changed: to support teachers, to empower leaders, and to make education lighter, brighter, and more sustainable for all.

View the Charter here:

North Star Charter for Starlight Leads.pdf

Download PDF • 154KB

Starlight – Spark Insight.

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The Insight Engine is written by Adam Sturdee, co-founder of Starlight—the UK’s first AI-powered coaching platform—and Assistant Headteacher at St Augustine’s Catholic College. This blog is part of a wider mission to support educators through meaningful reflection, not performance metrics. It documents the journey of building Starlight from the ground up, and explores how AI, when shaped with care, can reduce workload, surface insight, and help teachers think more deeply about their practice. Rooted in the belief that growth should be private, professional, and purposeful, The Insight Engine offers ideas and stories that put insight—not judgment—at the centre of development.