In the evolving landscape of biometric authentication, the integrity of face recognition systems against sophisticated presentation attacks (PAD) is paramount. This study set out to elevate the detection capabilities of PAD systems by ingeniously integrating a teacher–student learning framework with cutting-edge PAD methodologies. Our approach is anchored in the realization that conventional PAD models, while effective to a degree, falter in the face of novel, unseen attack vectors and complex variations. As a solution, we suggest a novel architecture where a teacher network, trained on a comprehensive dataset embodying a broad spectrum of attacks and genuine instances, distills knowledge to a student network. The student network, specifically focusing on the nuanced detection of genuine samples in target domains, leverages minimalist yet representative attack data. This methodology is enriched by incorporating facial expressions, dynamic backgrounds, and adversarially generated attack simulations, aiming to mimic the sophisticated techniques attackers might employ. Through rigorous experimentation and validation on benchmark datasets, our results manifested a substantial leap in classification accuracy, particularly for those samples that have traditionally posed a challenge. The newly proposed model, which can not only effectively outperform existing PAD solutions, but also achieve admirable flexibility and applicability to novel attack scenarios, truly demonstrates the power of the proposed teacher–student framework. This paves the way for improved security and trustworthiness in the area of face recognition systems and the deployment of biometric technologies.