A study and wellbeing companion for students aged 13 and over, that a school can pilot.
withsonder is an AI companion a student chooses and keeps: it remembers them from one day to the next, helps them revise by asking questions rather than handing over answers, and keeps language clean. It has UK crisis signposting and built-in limits, and a school can try it with a small group of students.
What it does for students
- Study support that teaches. Companions ask questions, give hints and check understanding. They are designed not to write finished essays or coursework.
- A calm place to talk. For the stressful evening before an exam or a rough week, with six distinct companions to choose from.
- Help with next steps. A student can pick the college or sixth form they want to get into. The companion reads that college's own published entry requirements and helps them plan, and always tells them to confirm with the college.
- Built-in limits. Daily message limits, no streaks and no guilt for leaving, so it supports a healthy relationship with screens.
What it does for safeguarding
- Automated safety checks for language that may indicate self-harm, abuse or severe distress.
- UK crisis signposting inside the app: 999, Samaritans, Childline and Shout.
- Safeguarding events are logged for review by our team, with a contact that responds within 24 hours.
- Honest about limits. It is company and study support, not therapy or a crisis service, and it does not replace your own pastoral and safeguarding processes.
What a pilot looks like
- Introductory call with your DSL, head of digital or senior leader.
- Safeguarding and data review using our school information pack, with answers to your own questions.
- Small, defined pilot with a group you choose, for a term.
- Review together with your staff and students, then decide next steps.
Pilot terms are agreed with each school. We would rather get it right with a few schools than rush it.
Being straight with you
withsonder is a consumer app today. There is no school admin console and no automatic alerts to schools yet. Pilot schools can give students a join code and receive a monthly summary of group totals only (never names or chats). We are exploring school-wide access and DSL notifications with pilot schools, and we want your input before we build them.
For DSLs and senior leaders
- School information pack: safeguarding, data, retention and limits in one printable page.
- Ten questions to ask before allowing any AI wellbeing tool.
- Safeguarding policy, privacy policy and GDPR information.
Frequently asked questions
Is withsonder suitable for secondary school students?
withsonder is for students aged 13 and over, so it is suited to Key Stage 4, sixth form and college. It is not designed for under-13s.
How does withsonder handle safeguarding concerns?
Automated checks look for language that may indicate self-harm, abuse or severe distress. When triggered, the companion responds with care and encourages real-world help, the app shows UK crisis resources, and a safeguarding event is logged for review by our team. Our safeguarding contact responds within 24 hours. Full detail is in the school information pack.
Does withsonder tell the school about concerns?
Not today. withsonder does not currently send alerts to schools. We are exploring DSL notifications with pilot schools, and we are clear that it does not replace your own pastoral and safeguarding processes.
Where does student data go?
Chats are processed by our AI provider (Anthropic) to produce replies. Payments go through Apple or Stripe and we use a hosting provider. We do not sell data or use it for advertising. Conversation history is kept for 12 months after last activity. Details are in the school information pack and privacy policy.
Will students use it to cheat?
The companions are built to teach: they ask questions, give hints and check understanding rather than writing finished essays or coursework. No AI tool can guarantee that, so we recommend pairing any AI tool with your own assessment and AI-use policies.
What does a pilot involve?
An introductory call, a safeguarding and data review using our information pack, and a small supervised pilot with a defined group, then a review with your staff. Terms are agreed with each school.
Register school interest
We'll email you about pilots and the information pack. We never share your details.