The primary focus of the Tutor’s attention will be with an 11-year-old girl, who will be 12 in October 2010. She is a lovely girl, with a sunny and warm disposition. She is a pleasure to work with and wants to do the best she can.

She has been tested for dyslexia; a new assessment is being carried out later this year. She was found to have some traits that indicated that she may have dyslexia, but since this is all that she was tested for it is hard to know if this the only or main learning difference. For example, it appears that there may also be some NVLD present, but this has not been formally confirmed.

She struggles the most with subjects where short-term memory plays a significant part. For example, she can do well in spelling one week and have forgotten everything by the next. Multi-step problems in Maths also present a challenge, causing her to become frustrated and cross. This frustration then blocks further progress.

She is enrolled at a good private school where she is finding it hard going. The school does not offer as much support as would be ideal, and in any event she is keen to not be treated differently from her peers. She has started to become despondent and her self-esteem is suffering. Although she currently attends some learning support classes at school during the week, something she refers to as “stupid classes”, she is barely managing to keep up with her peers.

She prefers teachers who are firm and set high expectations, yet are somewhat pliant with a sense of humour.

She has an older sister of 13 and a brother of 17. They would benefit from some help with improving their exam technique.

The Tutor will work with the girl after school, Monday-Friday. It is possible that there will also be some more time available for her and the Tutor on Sundays if there is something major due early in the week at school.

The Tutor will work with her to identify and fill any gaps that have been missed in her studies to date, to help her with her homework and preparation for tests and projects at school, and will liaise with her teachers at school to prepare her in advance. It is expected that this three-tier approach, addressing her past, current and future studies, will help to improve her competence in the classroom and with it her confidence and self-esteem.

In addition to maintaining her schoolwork, the Tutor will need to help her develop reliable techniques for self-learning, organisational skills and exam technique.

After finishing work with her, the Tutor will then spend up to another an hour with either or both of her siblings, developing exam technique and study skills as required.

The Tutor will work from 5pm-6pm, Monday-Thursday. The family have dinner together from 6-6.30pm, during which time the Tutor can either read quietly or go and get him or herself some sustenance locally. Tutoring will resume after 6.30pm for up to an additional half hour. In addition, the Tutor will work with her for 2 hours each Sunday at times to be agreed with the Tutor.

Tutoring with her siblings will be possible only when work with her is finished, or in addition by arrangement on a week-by-week basis.

No accommodation is provided.

The Tutor will be given a weekly stipend of £30 towards public transport.

The ideal applicant should be a non-smoker. Dinner will not usually be provided by or taken with the family.