Glossary

The words you will see in TutorCat and in this guide, from A to Z.

Answer gate. The lock on the full answer. It opens once a student has opened at least one step and either asked a follow-up or tapped Got it ✓ on a step. Before that, the button says Locked; after, it says Unlock the answer.

Beta. The early, invite-only version of TutorCat that a small group of families is using now. It is free while it runs.

Block. A screen-time choice for parents. When the daily limit is reached, or during quiet hours, new questions pause. A reply already on its way finishes, and old conversations stay readable.

Chats. The list of a student's saved sessions in the Learning Studio. Tap one to pick up where you left off.

Consent. A parent's or guardian's permission for their child to use TutorCat. Each parent gives or withdraws it separately.

Consent age. The age below which a child needs a parent's consent: 13 in the US, the UK and Pakistan, 13 to 16 across the EU, and 16 anywhere else.

Consent code. The code in the consent email. If the link in the email does not work, a parent can paste the code instead.

Curriculum. The course a student follows: Standard, O-Level / IGCSE (Cambridge, Edexcel or AQA), A-Level (Cambridge, Edexcel or AQA), or IB (PYP, MYP or Diploma).

Explain more. The button on an open step that asks the tutor to explain it a different way, with a smaller example.

Explore. Short lessons beyond homework, such as career exploration and financial literacy.

Export. A downloadable copy of the data TutorCat holds. Parents can export a child's data, and students their own. It is free and ready in moments.

Gaps. Patterns on the parent home page that may be worth a look, such as "Answer reliance" or "Needs more scaffolding", each with a suggested next step.

Got it ✓. The button a student taps when a step makes sense. The step folds away with a tick and the next one opens.

Grades 3 to 5. The youngest group, who see bigger, simpler screens, four big subject tiles and replies read aloud automatically.

Helplines. Free phone or text lines a child can contact for support, chosen for their country. TutorCat shows them whenever a message worries the safety check.

Invite code. The code you need to create an account during the beta, shaped like XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. One code covers a whole family.

Learning Studio. The place where homework happens: the Learning section of the student's sidebar.

Linked parent. A parent or guardian who has given consent for a child and can see their sessions.

Milestones. A student's achievements and the dates that matter for their curriculum.

Portfolio. A student's collection of what they have worked on.

Quiet hours. A daily window, set by a parent in their own time zone, with no sessions.

Safety check. TutorCat's automatic check of what a child sends (messages, photos, check-in notes) for signs they may not be safe. It looks for self-harm, abuse, immediate danger, sexual content and bullying.

Safety note. The card at the top of a parent's home page when a serious concern is found. It describes what happened in general terms, never the child's words.

Screen time. The time a student spends learning in TutorCat. Reading past sessions doesn't count.

Serious and possible concerns. How strongly the safety check rates a worry. Both show the child helplines. Only serious concerns alert parents, and never a concern about possible harm at home.

Session. One tutoring conversation, saved so a student can come back to it and a linked parent can read it.

Session summary. A short description of a session, written by AI after it ends, with a "Struggled with" line where the child found something hard.

Skill profile. A description, for parents, of what a child did over the last 30 days. It is not a score.

Steps card. How the tutor's teaching reply appears: numbered steps, one open at a time, with the answer gate at the bottom.

Streak. The number of days in a row a student has learned with TutorCat.

Transcript. The full, read-only record of a session, as a parent sees it.

Trusted adult. Someone a child feels safe with, such as a parent, a teacher, a school counsellor or a relative. TutorCat's support messages always suggest one.

Vitals. A student's screen time, streaks and experience points.

Warn. A screen-time choice for parents. The student gets a 5-minute heads-up before the daily limit, then can carry on.

Weekly digest. An email to a parent about their child's week, on the day they choose. It can be switched off for each child.

Wellbeing check-in. A quick daily note of how a student feels: mood, confidence about school, and an optional note. A parent with consent can see it, and the note is checked for safety but never used for tutoring.