Today, Walnut Learning Assistant launches with a simple promise: give children calm, encouraging support that helps them learn with confidence—without doing the work for them. Walnut is available whenever families need it, adapts to each child, and puts parents in control with clear progress insights.

Why AI support (used well) helps children learn

Parents want their children to develop real understanding, not shortcuts. Used responsibly, AI can create more practice, faster feedback, and guidance that adjusts to a child’s needs—three ingredients known to improve learning.

• Personalised practice & timely feedback. Large evidence bases show that “intelligent tutoring” systems can lift attainment meaningfully by tailoring tasks and feedback to each learner. Meta-analyses of intelligent tutoring report improvements around two-thirds of a standard deviation compared with traditional instruction (i.e., a move from the 50th to roughly the 75th percentile) when used appropriately.
• More of what works. Independent guidance in the UK highlights that digital tools help most when they increase high-quality practice, improve feedback, and save teacher/parent time for more targeted support—rather than acting as a crutch. Walnut is designed with that principle front and centre.
• Future-readiness. Major education bodies (UNESCO, OECD) encourage human-centred use of AI that supports learning while protecting safety, equity, and wellbeing. Walnut follows that approach: guidance over shortcuts, transparency for parents, and controls that fit school and family contexts.

In short: the aim isn’t to replace effort—it’s to channel it. Children still do the thinking; Walnut makes the path clearer.

What makes Walnut different

1) Guidance, not answers.
Walnut is built to coach the child through the steps—probing with questions, offering hints, and celebrating progress—rather than providing full solutions. That balance encourages independence and confidence.

2) Always available, without hourly costs.
Families can get support when they actually need it: before school, after clubs, or on revision weekends—without arranging sessions or worrying about overruns.

3) Calm, parent-friendly experience.
A clear dashboard helps parents see strengths, gaps, and recent activity at a glance—no jargon, no overwhelm.

4) Safe and responsible by design.
Walnut follows emerging international guidance for AI in education: human oversight, transparent behaviour, and settings aligned to family and school expectations.

What the evidence says (and how Walnut reflects it)

• Personalisation matters. Studies on intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) consistently find positive effects when tools adapt to each learner and provide step-wise guidance. Walnut mirrors those features—scaffolded prompts, adaptive difficulty, and quick, specific feedback.
• Quality beats quantity. The Education Endowment Foundation stresses that technology is most effective when it supports effective teaching strategies (practice, feedback, assessment), not when it simply adds screen time. Walnut focuses on short, purposeful activities—designed to be finished—so families see progress without marathon sessions.
• GenAI needs guardrails. UNESCO and the OECD call for human-centred use, age-appropriate controls, and clear accountability. Walnut is built with parent visibility and safe defaults, aligning with those recommendations.

Evidence evolves quickly. Walnut will keep iterating in line with independent research and published guidance so families benefit from the best of both worlds: proven learning strategies and modern tools.

What parents can expect at launch

• A friendly chat experience that nudges children to think, not copy.
• Short, structured activities that fit busy days and reduce stress at homework time.
• Progress visibility so parents can spot where to encourage, praise, or revisit.
• An affordable plan that replaces sporadic support with consistent, calm guidance.

Responsible use: our principles

1. Children first. Walnut supports learning habits—curiosity, persistence, reflection—over “right-answer chasing.”
2. Parents in control. Clear settings and activity views; no opaque systems.
3. Privacy & safety. Built with a conservative approach to data and alignment with international guidance for AI in education.
4. Evidence-informed. Product choices anchored in research about practice, feedback, and adaptive guidance—continuously reviewed against independent reports (EEF, OECD, UNESCO) and peer-reviewed studies.

Launch invitation

Help your child grow with AI guidance designed for their future.
Walnut Learning Assistant is now available to early users. Try it, share feedback, and help shape a calmer, more confident way to learn at home.