There are two boys, ages 5 and 4. The boys get on well with one another, are bright, gregarious and spirited young people, and will be a pleasure for a talented and creative Tutor to work with.

The 5-year-old is enrolled at school in London where he is the youngest child in his class. His is doing well enough but is not yet taking much of an interest in schoolwork. He enjoys playing with construction toys, board games, and games on his computer. He is confident and enjoys being the centre attention but is neither rude nor intrusive. He is highly curious with plenty of energy. The biggest challenge for his Tutor will be keeping him busy; with so much energy he gets bored quickly. His favourite subjects at school are still forming but he enjoys drama and dance, arts and crafts, maths, science, and several sports including cricket, football and judo.

The 4-year-old is looking forward to starting at school in September 2011 and while also curious and bright, is more sensitive than his older brother. He has great imaginative play, responds extremely well to individual attention and praise, and is very keen to learn. The boys are very good friends but also compete at various tasks, something the parents see as healthy as long as it is closely monitored.

This position requires a youthful, energetic, enthusiastic and interesting teacher who has experience working with children of the boys' ages. Ideally she will have excellent French and will be able to develop an educationally rich on-board curriculum. Although there is an air-conditioned classroom on the yacht and much of the tutoring will be aboard, there will be frequent shore visits. The Tutor should have the expertise and knowledge to design a safe course of study for the boys that encompasses all the avenues of opportunity that such a marine environment offers. This will need to be achieved within a framework of constructive discipline based on respect and fairness with firmly established boundaries. It is important that the children do not think that the time spent on the yacht is any less academically important than the time they spend in school.

The Tutor must be organised, self-reliant and independent. This role requires a Tutor who is highly flexible and able to adapt their plans to changes at short notice. It is likely that the ideal candidate will either have a background in the marine sciences or a deep personal interest in the subject. She should be willing to teach the children snorkelling, for example, to explore beaches and their environs, and the animal and plant life these support. She will need to be personally highly literate and numerate as well being highly computer literate.

It is not known for certain yet whether the family will return to London at the end of the summer or after Christmas. Whenever it is, the older boy will be rejoining his class and will need to be able to do so at least at the same level as his peers. The same is true for his brother, who will either be starting school in September 2011 or January 2012 depending on when the family choose to return. The school will provide the Client with the programme of study for the older boy in all his subjects, together with the resources his peers will be using. This represents the minimum material he should cover during his break from school, but there is no reason at all for the Tutor to be limited to this. The Tutor should bear in mind at all times though, that while this is a special experience for the children, the primary purpose of the Tutor’s position is to ensure a seamless transition from school to yacht and back to school.

In addition to the Tutor’s responsibility to the boys, it is likely that the family will have several visitors during the year, many of whom will bring children ranging in age from two to ten. The Tutor will be expected to involve these children, to design activities with them in mind, and help to keep them occupied and safe.

The Tutor will typically work with the boys for 4-5 hours a day, with preparation in addition. The timetable will need to established with reference to the sailing itinerary and planned destinations, but to be flexible enough to accommodate unexpected changes. As far as possible a consistent pattern should be established, with periods of formal classroom study as well as activity-based learning.

In order to maintain an appropriate work balance among the crew, the Tutor will be expected to be ‘muck-in’ with the crew in the running of the yacht when not working with the boys or preparing materials. It is not known precisely what these tasks will be, although if it requires special training this will be given in advance. The Tutor should expect that their working day be made up to 10 hours (with breaks) by these additional tasks.

The Tutor is entitled to an average of two consecutive days off per week, but should not expect these to occur at weekends or to be regular in their timing. As far as possible the Client will try to give the Tutor at least a week’s notice of when their ‘weekend’ break will be, but the Tutor will need to understand this is not always possible.

The Tutor is entitled to a minimum of nine weeks paid vacation per annum or to compensation in lieu. This job will accrue that vacation on a prorated basis depending upon whether the position is a six or nine month assignment. Untaken weekend days that have accrued will also be compensated by payment in lieu. Due to the flexible itinerary, the Tutor should not expect time off to coincide with time ashore, although the Client will do their best in this regard.

The Tutor is considered to be one of the mostly antipodean and European crew of twelve. She will have a shared berth, likely near the bow. The Tutor will take her meals with the crew, and will be free to socialise in the crew mess.

The Client is responsible for the Tutor’s expenses for all travel to and from the yacht, and for all expenses aboard the yacht and during any work-related shore visits.

The successful candidate will be able to offer more than the minimum requirements of this position and will need to have been raised in socially appropriate background. He or she will not only be an excellent educator but also a good role model, educated, polished, with excellent manners and personal values.

The Tutor will need to be comfortable with life on a yacht. While this is not a small boat it will not suit someone who suffers from seasickness, or who will be uncomfortable living in relatively close confines. It will also require someone who is easygoing and able to make friends while appreciating that as Tutor their position is not quite like the rest of the crew. The Tutor will need to have the sensitivity to appreciate the subtlety of her role, able to develop a good rapport with the crew while not overstepping the mark with the Client.

While by no means essential, it would also be an advantage if the Tutor could offer Mandarin in addition to French.

The Tutor must be fit and healthy, a non-smoker who is comfortable on the ocean and in the confines of a yacht. Safety is a paramount concern for the family and the yacht Captain. The Tutor must be a confident swimmer, and be willing to complete specific training in advance of and perhaps during the position; any such training will by at the Client’s expense.

The family is very private and the Tutor will be expected to maintain complete confidentiality both during and after their appointment.