AI at home - navigating safety and supporting learning 17/03/2026

Summary

The Tring School presentation explains how parents can help teenagers use AI safely and productively. Its central message is that AI should support young people’s thinking and learning—not replace their effort or human relationships. The school recommends combining practical safeguards with open, non-judgmental conversations at home.

AI use and learning

• AI is already widely used by young people and is built into social platforms as well as standalone chatbots.
• For homework, the presenters recommend a “blank page rule”: students may use AI to brainstorm, clarify a confusing idea, or get feedback on a draft, but they should write the final work themselves. Simply copying an AI answer does not support learning.
• The school’s approach is to treat AI as a thinking partner, not a shortcut or substitute for a student’s own work.

Safety and wellbeing

Snapchat My AI

Chatbots embedded in social apps can feel like personal, non-judgmental companions. This may encourage teenagers to share sensitive information or seek emotional advice from AI.

Parents were shown four Snapchat safety steps:

1. Use Family Center to link a parent account with the child’s account and view activity.
2. Use Family Center to disable My AI for an under-18 account.
3. Clear stored My AI data in Settings → Privacy Controls → Clear My AI Data.
4. Turn on Ghost Mode to prevent the app from showing the child’s physical location.

AI-generated images and voices

• Hyperrealistic fake images and cloned voices can be created quickly, raising safeguarding concerns.
• The suggested rule for young people is: if something looks shocking, question its source and consider whether it could be AI-generated.
• The presenters stress that creating non-consensual fake images can have serious consequences and that digital activity can leave a lasting footprint.

AI companions

Teenagers may turn to AI companions because they are available at any time and appear accepting and empathetic. The presentation identifies three risks:

• Privacy: Sensitive disclosures may be stored by a company.
• Unreliable or overly agreeable advice: A bot may reinforce a user’s existing anxieties or beliefs rather than provide a grounded perspective.
• Replacing human relationships: Relying on AI during disagreements may reduce opportunities to practise communication and resolve conflict.

If a child feels attached to an AI, parents are advised not to mock or dismiss the feeling. Instead, they can discuss how the chatbot is designed to respond and ask open questions such as, “What’s the best and worst advice your AI has given you?”

The goal is for AI to remain a tool, not a friend a young person depends on.

Five practical ways to use AI to support learning

The practical demonstrations use Gemini, while noting that similar prompts can be used with other AI systems.

1. The Overwhelm Buster

   • Give the AI the student’s year group, available time, tasks, and any other commitments.
   • Example: “I am in year nine. I have 60 minutes. I need to do 15 maths questions, read an English chapter, and tidy my room. Create a realistic step-by-step action plan with time blocks.”
   • The AI can suggest an order, time blocks, goals, and a suitable work environment.

2. The Revision Timetable Architect

   • Ask AI to create a revision timetable based on subjects, the length of the revision period, and fixed commitments.
   • Example: “I am a GCSE student. Create a four-week revision timetable for maths, science, and geography. I have football on Tuesdays 6:00 till 8:00.”
   • Treat the result as a draft: tell the AI what is unrealistic and request changes, such as a 15-minute screen break every hour.
   • Adding the student’s syllabus can make topic suggestions more specific. The timetable can then be exported or copied into a document for editing and printing.

3. The Socratic Tutor

   • Ask AI to guide the student through a problem without giving the answer.
   • Example: “Act as a Socratic tutor. I’m struggling with quadratic equations. Do not give me the answer. Ask me guiding questions one step at a time to help me figure it out myself.”
   • This can help students build understanding before attempting their homework, rather than simply copying a solution.

4. The Engagement Translator

   • Connect a difficult topic to a student’s interests to make it more engaging.
   • Example: “Explain the laws of physics, specifically aerodynamics and downforce, to a 14-year-old, using examples entirely based on Formula 1 racing.”
   • The interest could be a sport, game, musician, or another topic the student enjoys.

5. The Interactive Podcast

   • Use Google NotebookLM to upload class notes, revision guides, PDFs, or other relevant sources, then generate an audio overview.
   • NotebookLM can base its discussion on the materials provided, and users can specify what the audio should focus on.
   • Students can listen to the resulting discussion while travelling or use the interactive feature to ask questions.
   • The presenter recommends trying this tool with revision materials.

Suggested next steps for families

• Sit with the young person and review Snapchat Family Center and Ghost Mode settings.
• Try one of the learning prompts together.
• Keep conversations about AI open and non-judgmental. One suggested conversation starter is: “What’s the weirdest thing an AI has told you?”
• Remember that settings and technical restrictions help, but ongoing dialogue is an important safeguard.

Speakers and sources featured

Speakers

• Emma Ferris — Digital Learning Lead at Tring School; introduced the session and discussed AI safety and family guidance.
• Chris Lickfold — Assistant Head Teacher responsible for IT; introduced as part of the school’s AI team.
• Rhiannon Lawson — AI Lead Practitioner; demonstrated the practical learning activities. The subtitles render her name inconsistently as “Breanna” or “Briana.”

Studies, organizations, and tools mentioned

• UK Safer Internet Centre — study on young people’s AI use and concerns about AI-generated images.
• National Literacy Trust — research on teenagers copying AI outputs for homework.
• Ofcom — data cited about teenagers’ use of Snapchat My AI.
• Youth Endowment Fund — research cited on teenagers seeking mental-health support from AI.
• Common Sense Media — Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs report on AI companions.
• Department for Education — guidance referenced in relation to the school’s safety-first approach.
• Gemini, ChatGPT, Snapchat My AI, and Google NotebookLM — tools discussed or demonstrated.