AI tutors can be genuinely helpful. They explain a topic as many times as a child needs, in different ways, without getting tired. But not every AI app is designed for children, and the ones that are vary a lot. Here are the questions worth asking before your child uses one.
Is it designed for children?
In the UK, online services likely to be used by children are expected to follow the ICO's Children's Code (the Age Appropriate Design Code). It expects privacy settings to be high by default, only the data that's needed to be collected, and no nudging children to share more. For schools, the Department for Education has also published safety standards for generative AI products used in education. A general-purpose chatbot built for adults isn't the same as a tool designed for a ten-year-old.
Does it help them think, or just give answers?
The best AI tutors behave like good teachers. They ask guiding questions, give hints and check understanding before moving on. An app that simply hands over the answer to homework can do more harm than good. Try it yourself with a question your child finds hard, and see what it does.
Can you see what's going on?
Look for a parent view that shows what your child is learning and how they're getting on. Check, too, whether you can see what they ask the AI. Visibility builds trust, and it lets you spot when your child needs a hand.
What happens to your child's information?
- Does the company use children's conversations to train AI models?
- Is the information sold or used for advertising?
- Can you download or delete your child's data yourself?
- Under 13s need a parent's agreement. Does the app ask for yours?
A good provider answers these in a privacy notice written in plain English, ideally with a short version for children.
Can children contact strangers?
Some learning apps include chat or messaging between users. For younger children especially, it's worth choosing one where children can't message each other at all.
Is the content right for the curriculum?
AI can make mistakes. A good learning app builds its AI on top of checked lessons and exam-style questions that follow the National Curriculum, rather than relying on the AI alone. It should also make it easy to report an answer that looks wrong.
How Leverrs approaches this
Leverrs Academy is made for Years 3 to 11. There are no adverts and no messaging between children, and friends are only added with a code a child chooses to share. Parents of under 13s agree before an account is made, and can download or delete their child's data from Settings. Our AI provider doesn't use children's information to train its models. Read how our AI works and how we keep children safe.
Try Leverrs Academy
Lessons, practice papers and an AI teacher for Years 3 to 11, with a parent view of progress. No adverts, and no messaging between children.