The student is one of three children. He lives with elder sisters (ages 12 and 13) and his mother in a suburb of western Moscow. His grandmother also lives nearby and is closely involved with the family. Due to complicated family circumstances, he has been raised almost exclusively by women. The only male influences have come from the family’s guards who, no matter how well intentioned, have been unable to provide the kind of boundaries the young man needs. Now that the boy is 10, and with the likelihood of a move to an overseas boarding school in a few years, the Client feels that it is now time for him to have the constant support and direction of a well-educated Tutor, someone who can offer the kind of constant guidance and role modeling that might be expected from a mature older brother.

Although there are many facets to this position, the overarching purpose of the role is to develop the boy into a well-rounded young man, someone with good manners and etiquette, and with a secure and well-grounded personal, moral and ethical code. His self-confidence and independence also need to be brought along. At the moment, for example, he shows little sense of responsibility, allowing his guards to be responsible for his possessions. Perhaps because of domestic circumstances and a protected upbringing, he is not streetwise, and although he does not go looking for trouble, he shows no signs of being able to recognise the clues. For example, he does not look when crossing the road — he knows that his guards will intervene should the need arise.

Bearing in mind the longer-term goals of the position, the immediate needs concern his schooling. He has not been doing as well in school as he can, or will need to do, to be ready for the probable move to a new school in three years or so. His favourite subjects are maths and chess, and he dislikes art. He prefers teachers who are kind with a good sense of humour, and who teach the subjects he likes. This habit, of putting effort into the subjects he likes and not the ones he doesn’t, is something that the Tutor will be expected to alter. Clearly, he needs to learn that there are times when doing something well that he does not enjoy is just as important as doing something well that he does enjoy.

When not in school, the boy likes to play football, although he tends to play alone. He also likes Thai-boxing, and has lessons after school three times a week. He enjoys playing football and combat games on his computer, along with social networking with friends online. Although always active, he is quite shy, something he tries to hide with mimics. This shyness might explain why his range of interests is so narrow. It is hoped that as his self-confidence grows, he will feel safe expanding the range of his extra-curricular interests, and seek not only to enjoy these at a cursory level but also but also to aim for excellence in some of them.

The boy’s English is quite basic at the moment. Through the close interaction of a well-educated Tutor, it is envisaged that this will be brought on considerably. It is essential that the boy reach the standard where he can thrive if moved to a British boarding school when he’s 13.

There are essentially two modes to this role, after-school during term-time, and a travelling role at other times.

During term time, the boy is generally home by 4pm-5pm and then does sports. The Tutor should expect to be on duty from 5pm Monday-Thursday, and from 10am on Sundays.

On weekdays, the Tutor starts when the boy gets home, or after sports if he has them that day. The first task is to help him to finish his homework, of which there is usually 2 hours. After the homework has been done and all preparation made for school the next day, including for any tests or in-class assignments, the Tutor will work with him until his bed-time at 11pm. The time after homework and before bed will allow the Tutor to develop educationally rich activities other than the usual computer games and online social networking that normally fills this time. During Sundays the Tutor should expect to be busy most of the day, preparing homework due for Monday and continuing with the activity program to broaden the boy’s range of experiences.

The Tutor will take his evening meal with the boy. At present, his table manners are not at the standard required by his family, and it is part of the Tutor’s responsibility to develop better habits in him. One way that he might be encouraged to be more respectful of food and its consumption is if he and the Tutor prepare their own food, or if they cook for the family. Cooking together is also a good way to develop teamwork and shared responsibility.

The Client feels that it is important for the boy to develop a positive work ethic in general and to respect those whose lives are spent working in primary trades. The Tutor will need to arrange opportunities for him to gain firsthand experience of life in a variety of such vocations, such as fishing and farming.

Bedtime has become an ordeal for the boy’s mother, since he has developed a habit of taking a long time to settle. Typically it can take as much as ninety minutes before he is in bed, lights off. The Tutor will be expected to help him and his mother learn a way to make the end of the day calmer so that he gets the rest he needs for school without the continuous conflict that occurs at the moment.

The post will need someone with an excellent grasp of child psychology, although not at an academic level. He is at a highly impressionable age and so it is essential that his concepts of good and bad be shaped carefully. It is a key quality of the Tutor that he be someone who can gain the boy’s confidence. Once this confidence has been established, it is the Tutor’s responsibility gently to apply the necessary steerage to develop the young boy into a young man, to teach him how to communicate with other men, and help him establish his place in the world.

Typical hours during term time will be 5pm-11pm Monday to Thursday, and from 10am-6pm on Sundays.

While travelling with the family the Tutor should expect to be working for around 35 hours per week with an average of 2 days off per week, although he will need to be flexible about timing and days off to fit with the Client’s travel schedule and locations.

The Tutor will be entitled to a minimum of 9 weeks paid vacation per annum as per the Terms.

The Client will pay for the Tutor’s first outward, final return, and two intermediate journeys home per contract term. A car and driver will be provided for the Tutor. If the Tutor prefers, he can get his own car.

Travel, and all expenses this incurs, will be met by the family on all journeys where tutoring takes place.

For the first few months of the assignment, the Tutor will be provided accommodation in the family’s guestroom in their home, next to the boy’s room. Once the Tutor has established control of the situation the Client will provide accommodation for the Tutor in a furnished apartment with Internet nearby the family home in Moscow. The Client will be responsible for the costs of all utilities at this apartment, with the exception of the Tutor’s personal phone calls.

When the Client travels and asks the Tutor to accompany them, they will provide accommodation and all subsistence expenses for the Tutor.

While not in Moscow there may be times when it is possible for the boy and his Tutor to go out alone, without his guards; this means that the Tutor will be solely responsible for him at certain times, and it would therefore be immensely reassuring if the Tutor is fit, strong and healthy, as well as being streetwise and aware of how to avoid compromising situations.

It is not essential that the Tutor speaks Russian, but given the location of the role and the boy’s limited English, it would certainly be useful. While it is acceptable for the Client that the Tutor has Russian roots, it is essential that the Tutor has not lived in Russia.