The boy is 12 and currently in grade 6. Due to time-intensive sporting commitments, he found that mainstream schooling was a poor fit and the pressure was affecting both his academic and non-academic performance. Even with after school support, he was unable to keep up with his schoolwork, and about a year ago his family decided that home schooling was really the only option. He is now enrolled in Laurel Springs, a K-12 distance-learning school that follows a US curriculum, where he is now achieving consistently excellent grades. The boy is supported in his studies at home by a full time Tutor who ensures that courses are completed on time and that he has mastered all the material required for each subject.

He is a polite and engaging young man. He has a pleasant and warm demeanour and is a pleasure to work with. Born in Canada, he is already fluent in English and French, and is learning Italian. He works hard, cares about his studies, and is doing well at Laurel Springs. When he was in grade three he was evaluated to have a processing problem of some sort, but his current Tutor has seen no evidence of this in her work with him, and to all intents and purposes there is no longer any issue at this level.

As well as his motorsports, he likes American football, ice hockey, tennis, golf, deep-sea fishing and working out at the gym. He would like to learn to scuba-dive now that he old enough, perhaps integrated into his Science course at Laurel Springs. He is good at sports and competitive by nature, but he also enjoys recreational sports for their own sake and it is important that his Tutor share some of his interests.

The boy’s motorsports training means that he has an extremely busy schedule, both with training and competition. Schooling through a distance-learning program with the continuous support of a well-organized and able Tutor enables him to maintain the commitment to his sport that he needs and at the same time keep up his studies. For this to continue to be successful it is essential that every opportunity for schoolwork is exploited fully and that these study periods are as productive as possible.

This means that the Tutor will need to be extremely flexible and ready with the next part of his course at any time. It also means that the Tutor will need to be sensitive to his ability to concentrate on particular activities, adapting to his capacity for taking on board new information in the range of subjects in concert with the demands his sport puts on him.

In general, he will be schooled from 9am-1pm and then from 2pm-3.30pm daily. Lunch is normally taken with the Tutor. If his training schedule involves travel, which will mostly be to Italy or Canada, then the Tutor should expect to travel with the family and continue schooling from the family’s other homes or hotels, as the situation demands. If he is travelling for training, then the Tutor will almost always accompany the family and will need to be creative in finding opportunities for progressing his studies between training sessions. If he is racing, it would be unusual for the Tutor to travel with family or to Tutor him — he needs his full attention to be on his racing without distraction from studies.

In Geneva the tutoring has been taking place at the University library, but the family are looking for a more suitable location, perhaps in a room in nearby school or in an office rented for the purpose. In Italy the family generally stay at a hotel and the tutoring would be in the Tutor’s room or a suitable study area in the hotel, such as the business center. When in Montreal, there is a designated schoolroom at his former school, a situation that works very well because he is able to spend time with his friends at lunch and other breaks.

The successful candidate for this role will need to be brimful of enthusiasm and energy. She should be someone that he enjoys spending time with, someone he respects and whose opinion he values. She will need to be well organised, highly flexible and adaptable, always prepared for unexpected changes to the planned routine, perhaps at short notice. The ideal Tutor will be able to help him learn Italian, share an interest in some of his sports, and be able to integrate his studies into recreational activities where possible. Clearly, this role requires an intelligent and knowledgeable educator who is sensitive to the unusual circumstances of the position, relaxed and easygoing with a sunny disposition on the one hand while firm, encouraging and directed on the other. She should also appreciate the need to maintain the decorum of a role in formal professional service, respectful of the Client’s privacy.

The Tutor should expect to work an average of about 35 hours a week, from 9am-3.30pm five days a week, with breaks as needed. Preparation time is in addition to this. The Tutor will be entitled to a minimum of nine weeks paid vacation per annum taken at times convenient to the Client, as per the Terms.

Although this position will be based predominantly near Geneva, there will be frequent periods of travel to Italy and Canada. The Client will be responsible for all costs relating to the Tutor’s travel.

When the family are based in Geneva, the Tutor will be provided with a small, furnished apartment with Internet a short drive away in France. In Montreal the family have a large guest area separate from the main home. In all other locations, the Client will arrange hotel accommodation for the Tutor.

The family will provide, or reimburse the Tutor for, all meals that occur during tutoring time or while staying in hotels. All other meals are the Tutor’s personal responsibility.

It is essential that the Tutor is a non-smoker, someone who is fit and leads a healthy lifestyle, and in so doing sets a good example.

Preference will be given to candidates who already have a visa or nationality rights to stay in Europe.