In a move signalling the expanding role of artificial intelligence in education, TLC LIVE, one of the UK’s pioneering online tutoring firms, has launched Manda, a curriculum-based AI tutor trained exclusively by fully qualified UK teachers. Built from Meta’s Llama 3 model, Manda offers maths and English tutoring for key stage 3 and 4 students, using curriculum-approved techniques to address rising demand for accessible, high-quality educational support.
The rise of AI in teaching has sparked both excitement and caution, with many educational leaders calling for innovative tools to tackle challenges, including teacher shortages, personalised learning, and cost barriers. Globally, AI tutoring platforms have quickly grown, promising to support personalised learning and improve engagement. However, most rely on generalised language models that lack specialised training in teaching techniques. TLC LIVE’s Manda takes a different approach, uniquely trained with 550,000 minutes of transcriptions from over 300 UK-qualified teachers, ensuring that its responses align with national curriculum standards.
Simon Barnes, CEO of TLC LIVE, said the initiative reflects their commitment to educational quality. “We know that real teachers provide the best outcomes, and our human-led sessions continue unchanged,” he said. “Manda simply offers families another choice, using AI in a way that keeps education standards intact, at a fraction of traditional tutoring costs.”
At a time when the UK government is exploring AI for education to support teachers with grading and content generation, Manda is positioned to help students gain affordable support while maintaining the structure of the national curriculum. Priced at £10 per month, or £100 for an annual subscription, Manda is aimed at students around the world needing a UK-standard education.
Unlike other AI tutors, Manda’s training excluded user data, relying on TLC LIVE’s proprietary sessions that have provided over 900,000 tutoring experiences to students. All interactions are screened to ensure safety and stored securely, with oversight from TLC LIVE’s academic team. The development, in partnership with the AI team at Definition, incorporated advanced tools such as Llama Guard to maintain data integrity and compliance.
Josh Blackburn, COO of TLC LIVE, noted the timely release, as the government announced plans for AI support in classrooms. “Education is a prime case for AI, as there’s so much existing content to train on,” he said, adding that Manda’s development is a step toward AI tutoring that truly respects curriculum quality and student well-being.
