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AI for learning · for students and parents

Use AI to learn more, not do less

ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude can be brilliant study partners, as long as they make you think. Here’s how to get the most from them: a free prompt builder, prompts that work, the study modes worth switching on, the rules for coursework, and how AI and a tutor work best together.

AI for learning at a glance

The golden rule
Use AI to make you think (quiz you, give hints, check your working), not to do the work for you.
The evidence
Students who used ChatGPT freely for maths practice scored 17% worse in the exam once it was taken away; a version that gave hints instead of answers did no harm (Bastani and others, 2025).
Free study modes
ChatGPT study mode, Gemini Guided Learning and Claude’s Learning skill give questions and hints instead of answers.
Age rules
ChatGPT 13 and over (under-18s need a parent’s permission); Claude 18 and over; Gemini isn’t offered to supervised under-13 accounts in the UK.
Coursework
Work must be the student’s own. Any AI use must be named, dated and explained, and misuse is malpractice (JCQ).
Privacy
Never type in names, school names, addresses or photos of people.
Best results
AI between lessons, and a tutor who checks what it got right and wrong.

Start here

A 20-minute routine between lessons

Use AI as a sparring partner, not a ghostwriter. Five steps, the same every time.

  1. 1

    Try it alone first

    Answer the question or recall the topic from memory before you open any AI tool.

    Notes closed, two minutes.

  2. 2

    Ask it to quiz you

    One question at a time, and no answers until you’ve had a go.

    “Quiz me on this, one question at a time.”

  3. 3

    Hints, not answers

    When you’re stuck, ask for the next step only. Struggling a little is how it sticks.

    “Give me a hint, not the answer.”

  4. 4

    Teach it back

    Explain the topic in your own words and ask the AI to mark your explanation.

    “What did I miss?”

  5. 5

    Bring it to your lesson

    Show your tutor what you got wrong and anything the AI explained. They’ll check it was right.

    The lesson starts from your gaps.

Scroll along the routine →

Free tool

Prompt builder

The AI companies’ own advice is to be clear and specific, give context, give it a role and break the task into steps. Pick a few options and we’ll write a prompt that does all of that, and tells the AI to make you think. Copy it into ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude.

Which AI do you use?

1. I am

2. Level

3. Subject

Exam board (it helps the AI match your exam)

4. What do you want?

How much help when you’re stuck?

Your prompt for ChatGPT

Formatted for ChatGPT: pasted text sits between triple quotes ("""), as OpenAI suggests.

I’m a student studying GCSE Maths. Ask me which topic to start with. Act as my tutor. Ask me 8 exam-style questions, one at a time, starting easy and getting harder. Wait for my answer each time. Then tell me what I got right, what a mark scheme would want that I missed, and how to improve. Don’t give me the answer. If I’m stuck, give me one hint at a time. If you’re not sure about something, say so. Stick to what the GCSE specification expects. At the end, list the 2 things I should revisit.

Then paste it into ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude (each opens in a new tab). Swap the words in [square brackets] for your own.

  • Switch on its study setting first (see tips for each AI).
  • Never add your name, your school or photos of people.
  • Push back: “Are you sure? Show me where the mark schemeThe exam board’s guide to how marks are given for each question. says that.”

Copy and paste

Prompt library

Twenty prompts that keep you doing the thinking. Swap the words in [square brackets] for your own.

Formatted for

Showing all 20 prompts

  • Revise

    Quiz me, one question at a time

    I’m revising [topic] for [GCSE or A-Level subject, exam board]. Quiz me with 10 questions, one at a time. Wait for my answer, then tell me if I’m right and why. Start easy and get harder.

  • Revise

    Check my brain dump

    I’m going to write down everything I remember about [topic] without notes. Tell me what I got right, what I missed and anything I got wrong, compared with the [exam board] specification.

  • Revise

    One exam-style question

    Write one exam-style question on [topic] for [subject, exam board], worth [6] marks, in the style of a real paper. Don’t show the mark scheme until I’ve answered.

  • Revise

    Mixed practice

    Give me 6 questions that mix [topic 1], [topic 2] and [topic 3] in a random order, so I have to work out which method each one needs. One at a time, please.

  • Understand

    Explain it more simply

    Explain [topic] as if I’m in Year 9, in 5 short steps, with one everyday example. Then ask me to explain it back to you.

  • Understand

    Why does it work?

    I can do [method] but I don’t understand why it works. Don’t tell me. Ask me questions that help me work out the reason myself.

  • Understand

    Teach it back

    I’m going to explain [topic] to you as if you’re the student. Mark my explanation out of 10, tell me what I missed, and ask me one question about the weakest part.

  • Check

    Find my first mistake

    Here’s a question and my working: """ [paste here] """ Find the first mistake and tell me which line it’s on. Don’t correct it. Let me try again.

  • Check

    Mark it like an examiner

    Act as an experienced [exam board] examiner. Here is the question, the mark scheme and my answer: """ [paste here] """ What mark would you give and why, and what’s the one change that would gain the most marks? Don’t rewrite it.

  • Check

    Check the AI

    Are you sure? Show me where in the [exam board] specification or mark scheme this comes from, and tell me how confident you are. If you’re not sure, say so.

  • Write

    Plan it, don’t write it

    My essay question is: [question]. Don’t write it for me. Ask me questions, one at a time, to help me plan my argument, then tell me if my plan has a clear line of argument.

  • Write

    Feedback on one paragraph

    Here’s one paragraph of my essay: """ [paste here] """ Tell me what’s working and what’s missing against the mark scheme. Ask me questions rather than rewriting it.

  • Write

    Quotation recall

    Test me on key quotations from [set text]. Describe a moment in the text and ask me to recall the quotation and say what it shows. One at a time.

  • Plan

    Revision timetable

    Help me plan revision for [subjects] over the next [4] weeks. I have [time] on weekdays and [time] at weekends. Spread topics out, mix them up and put self-testing in every session.

  • Plan

    Find my weak spots before a mock

    My [subject] mock is in [2] weeks. Ask me 10 quick questions across the whole course to find my weakest topics, then make a plan that fixes those first.

  • Languages

    Speaking practice

    Be my GCSE [French] speaking partner. Ask me one question at a time about [topic], keep your replies short, and correct my mistakes gently at the end of each reply.

  • Languages

    Vocabulary test

    Test me on 15 [Spanish] words and phrases about [topic], English to [Spanish], one at a time. At the end, test me again on the ones I got wrong.

  • Parents

    Explain it to me first

    I’m a parent. Explain [topic] from my child’s [Year 8 maths] homework in plain English, as if I haven’t studied it for years. Then give me 3 questions to ask them, with the answers.

  • Parents

    Turn a report into next steps

    My child’s school report says: [paste the comment, without names]. Explain what it means in plain English and suggest 3 small things we can do at home.

  • Parents

    A calm revision week

    Help me plan a calm week of revision for my child in [Year 11] taking [subjects]. Short sessions, a rest day, and one quick, fun way to test them each day.

Switch these on

Tips for ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude

Each chatbot has a study setting that asks questions and gives hints instead of handing over answers, and each company gives slightly different advice on writing prompts. Pick yours.

Choose your AI

Getting the most from ChatGPT

Open ChatGPT ↗
Study setting
Study mode. Choose study mode from the Tools menu in the message box. It’s on the free plan.
Who it’s for
13 and over. Under-18s need a parent’s or guardian’s permission (OpenAI’s terms).
Make it a habit
Make it permanent: in Settings, then Personalization (Customize ChatGPT on the app), add a custom instruction such as “I’m a GCSE student. Always ask me questions and give hints before you give answers.” Custom instructions are on all plans.

Prompting tips from OpenAI

  1. Be clear and specific, and give enough context: your year, subject, exam board and what you can and can’t do yet.
  2. Give it a persona: “Act as my tutor” or “Act as an AQA examiner”.
  3. Put anything you paste between triple quotes ("""), so it can tell your question from your instructions.
  4. Break the task into steps and ask for one step at a time.
  5. Show an example of what you want, then keep refining with follow-ups.

Under 13? Most chatbots aren’t for under-13s. If you want to use AI to help a younger child, use it yourself, on your own account, sitting together, and talk about what it gets wrong. Checked 4 November 2026: menus change, so look for these names.

Better together

AI and a tutor: what each does best

17% worse

in the exam for students who used ChatGPT freely for maths practice, once it was taken away. A version that gave hints did no harm. Bastani and others, 2025

2×

the learning, in a small Harvard physics study, from an AI tutor built to reveal one step at a time and never give the full answer. Kestin and others, 2025

+5 months

of progress on average from one-to-one tuition. Education Endowment Foundation

What AI does brilliantly

  • Quizzes you on any topic, any time
  • Explains something another way, as often as you need
  • Makes flashcards and practice questions in seconds
  • Checks your working, if you ask it to point, not fix

What a tutor adds

  • Spots why you’re stuck, not just that you are
  • Teaches exam technique for your exam boardThe organisation that sets and marks the exam, such as AQA, Edexcel or OCR. Each has its own syllabus.
  • Notices when you’re tired, anxious or switching off
  • Keeps you going, week after week

Together

  • AI for practice between lessons
  • Bring what you did with AI to your lesson
  • Your tutor checks what it got right and wrong
  • The lesson starts from what you actually got wrong

Stay on the right side

The rules, in one table

When students can use AI
WhereThe rule
Revision and practiceUse it as much as you like to quiz yourself, get hints and check your understanding.
HomeworkIt depends on your school and teacher. Using AI to learn is usually fine; handing in AI’s work as your own usually isn’t. Ask if you’re not sure.
GCSE and A-Level courseworkThe work must be your own. If you use AI as a source, name the tool and the date, keep a copy of what you asked and what it produced, and explain how you used it. Misuse is malpractice and can lead to disqualification (JCQ).
Exams and the 11+No AI. Phones and smart watches aren’t allowed in the exam room.
UCAS personal statementAI can help with ideas and structure, but the writing must be yours (UCAS).

The full guide: Is using AI cheating? The rules for homework, coursework and exams.

What parents ask us about AI

  • Is using AI for homework cheating?

    It depends on how it is used. Using AI to learn, by quizzing yourself, getting hints or checking your understanding, is usually fine. Handing in work the AI wrote is usually not, and schools set their own rules. For GCSE and A-Level coursework, the exam boards’ rules say the work must be the student’s own, and any AI use must be named and explained.

  • What age can my child use ChatGPT?

    ChatGPT’s terms say users must be at least 13, and under-18s need a parent’s or guardian’s permission. Claude’s terms say 18 and over. Gemini needs a Google account, and Google does not offer Gemini to supervised under-13 accounts in the UK. For younger children, use AI yourself, sitting together.

  • Will AI make my child lazy?

    It can, if it does the thinking for them. In a large trial, students who used ChatGPT freely for maths practice scored 17% worse in the exam once it was taken away, while a version that gave hints instead of answers did no harm. The fix is how it is used: hints not answers, and trying first.

  • Which AI is best for revision?

    Any of the big chatbots can help, and how it is used matters far more than which one. Switch on its study setting: study mode in ChatGPT, Guided Learning in Gemini, or the Learning skill in Claude (adults only). Then use a prompt that gives context and asks for hints, like the ones on this page.

  • Do we need to pay for AI?

    Not for revision. ChatGPT’s study mode is on the free plan, and the free versions of the main chatbots can quiz, explain and check working well enough for most students.

  • Is AI safe for children to use?

    Use it with care. Check each tool’s age rules, never type in names, school names, addresses or photos of people, and check its answers against the textbook or mark scheme, because AI can state wrong facts confidently. For younger children, use it together on a shared screen.

  • Can AI replace a tutor?

    AI is excellent for practice between lessons, but it does not know your child. A tutor spots why they are stuck, teaches exam technique for their exam board, notices when they are anxious or switching off, and keeps them going. One-to-one tuition adds about five months’ progress on average, according to the Education Endowment Foundation.

  • How can I tell if my child used AI to do their homework?

    Ask them to explain their answer in their own words, or to try a similar question without help. If they can, they have learned it. If they cannot, the AI did the work, and it is worth talking about using it for hints instead.

  • Can AI help with the 11+?

    It can make extra practice questions and explain mistakes, but use it together with your child and check its answers, because it can get things wrong. The tests themselves are taken without devices, and the official practice papers from each test provider are the best guide to the real thing.

  • How do Brainhub tutors fit in with AI?

    Students can bring what they did with AI to their lessons. Their tutor checks what it got right and wrong, fills the gaps and sets practice that builds the skill. Lessons are one-to-one, online across the UK or at our seven London hubs, and every family starts with a free assessment.

Go deeper

AI for learning guides

Plain-English guides for students and parents, each with its sources.

Pair AI with a tutor who checks it

One-to-one lessons online across the UK or at our seven London hubs. Bring your AI questions to the lesson. Every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment.

Book a free assessment

Sources: Bastani and others (2025), PNAS; Kestin and others (2025), Scientific Reports; Education Endowment Foundation, one-to-one tuition; Department for Education, generative AI in education (August 2025); JCQ, AI use in assessments; UCAS, using AI with your personal statement; OpenAI, terms of use and study mode; Google, Gemini help; Anthropic, consumer terms and Claude help. Checked 4 November 2026. Each guide links to its sources.