Different Drums is an AI-powered tutoring platform for home-educating families, covering children aged 2 to 16 and up. It combines a personalised AI tutor, a curriculum builder, on-demand worksheets, automatic LEA/home-education reports, and a parent oversight dashboard. Built by Emily, a neurodivergent home-educating mum of seven. Available on iOS, Android and the web. 14-day free trial, no credit card required, plus a free no-sign-up guest mode.
The tutor holds a real conversation rather than lecturing. It adapts to each child's pace, interests and learning style, and follows the child's curiosity. Parents set their family's values (faith-based, secular, or a specific philosophical or worldview approach) and the AI respects them across every subject, with no imposed agenda. Two modes: guided (structured, curriculum-led) and exploration (child-led, no lesson plans required). Parents can read every conversation their child has ever had.
Languages & Literacy (English language and literature, reading, writing, grammar, classical languages, linguistics); Mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, logic, applied maths); Science (biology, chemistry, physics, earth and environmental science, astronomy, marine science, computer science, anatomy); Humanities (history, geography, civics, sociology, psychology, economics, philosophy, politics, law and ethics); Creative & Expressive Arts; Technology & Modern Disciplines; Life Skills & Practical Studies; Nature, Environment & Animal Studies; Faith, Spirituality & Worldview; Cosmic & Future Sciences; Culture, Identity & Global Awareness; Wellbeing, Body & Mind; Innovation, Society & Future Thinking; Personal Development & Life Path; and Early Learning for ages 2-7. Every subject and topic is age-gated so content stays age-appropriate.
All plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. Founding-member prices are locked for life; new members joining after 1 February 2027 pay higher rates. There are two plan types, each available monthly or annually. Parent Only gives you worksheets, the curriculum builder, LEA reports and The Studio, with no child AI tutor accounts. Parent + Child adds a full AI tutor for each child (billed per child), with their own learning space, usage limits and progress tracking; the annual per-child plan works out at about £8.33/month. For comparison, a single hour with a private tutor typically costs £30-£60.
Different Drums was built by Emily — 43, neurodivergent, a mum of seven, home educating in Bulgaria with no local support network and no prior coding experience. After hitting burnout, she realised the tool she needed for seven very different children did not exist, and built it herself from inside the chaos of family life rather than from a boardroom. The app is designed for children who do not fit a standard mould, in lives that do not slow down, according to values the mainstream has not always caught up with.
Will my child engage with an AI? It converses and follows the child's lead rather than lecturing, which suits children who switch off in front of worksheets. What if it conflicts with our beliefs? You set your values and the AI follows them. Do we need a curriculum? No — exploration mode needs no lesson plans, though you can build a curriculum if you want structure. Is it safe for young children? Content filtering, age-appropriate responses, parental controls, and full visibility of every conversation. What happens to our data? GDPR and COPPA compliant, AES-256 encrypted, exportable and deletable at any time, never sold, never used to train AI models.
Different Drums is a product of 9 Drummers Drumming Ltd, Gloucester, United Kingdom. Start a free trial at https://differentdrums.life