Both students have recent assessments that indicate dyslexia. The boy’s report indicates that he needs to develop much greater facility with the written word, especially with phonetics and linguistics. The girl’s report, on the other hand, indicates that a kinaesthetic approach with frequent repetition will yield the best outcomes. She has some difficulty relating numbers to abstract situations, such as duration. Both children are intelligent and should, with appropriate support, be able, in time, to develop techniques to manage their learning differences to such an extent that these will have minimal impact on their academic achievement.

Unfortunately for the children, their schooling until now has been far from satisfactory. When the boy was in year 2, his school typically set 2-3 hours homework per night that included rote memorisation of esoteric literature that was tested for reproductive accuracy in school. He found such tasks, which required ability with memorisation, writing and spelling, very difficult and this naturally resulted in tension at home and a detrimental effect on his confidence. He was moved to another private school where he was the victim of serious, persistent, threatening, verbal abuse that even extended to his sister who was genuinely afraid. The situation did not improve, even though his parents reported the problems, and his subsequent removal from the school became the only option that protected him. It is shame that the school let the children down in this way because his favourite teacher of all time was his class teacher there. The children are now enrolled at a small local school, and while this is a caring a safe environment that has improved both children’s happiness, it does not have the experience or resources to help them manage their dyslexia.

The Tutor will need to develop an interesting and cross-curricular program for the children, one that covers all the required key stage content and any additional material required by their next school when it is known. Integrated into this program, which should use the local environment as a resource where possible, will need be carefully designed activities to continue to build the children’s self-confidence and to help them with a tool kit from which they can build secure foundations of learning in the areas that cause them the biggest struggle. For example, the boy finds rote learning difficult and has so far not been able to learn his multiplication tables. This undermines his ability to be successful in Maths even though he understands the concepts. Likewise, he needs to improve the connection in his mind between the spoken and written word, and improve his spelling. Rather than try to drill these, a technique that has not worked so far, the Tutor will need to devise ‘games’ that intertwine these goals into the general curriculum in ways that makes learning fun. Opportunities to involve IT, the use of spreadsheets for calculations, research, drawing and painting software, layout and design also need to be developed for both children, and it would be advantageous if the children could improve their typing speed.

Due to the problems with bullying, which were worse outside classroom time, the boy has not done much sport and this is also an area where it is hoped that the Tutor will be able to help with confidence. Even practicing multiplication tables or spelling while kicking a ball will be a step in the right direction. He is learning the piano through a local teacher, but Tutor who has some skill in the area and who could practice with him during the tutoring day will be helpful.

Though by no means essential, a Tutor who has the ability to teach a symbol-based language, such as Mandarin or Japanese would be preferred.

It will be important for the Tutor work closely with the children’s mother to find and involve the children in opportunities to meet and interact with other young people through their sports and other interests.

The Tutor will be entitled to a minimum of nine weeks paid vacation per annum as per the Terms. These will normally be taken at times convenient to the Client, and will likely follow a similar pattern to standard school vacations.

The Client will give the Tutor access to car as required for their work and one could be available for general use by the Tutor if required.

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

The family will provide, or reimburse the Tutor, for all meals that occur during tutoring time.

The successful candidate will need to have an inspirational demeanour, bursting with interesting ideas that excite the children, making their learning fun, someone able to blend the line between formal schooling and educational activities that make good use of the local environment. In addition, the Tutor will need to plenty of experience working with dyslexic children, and be open to getting additional training if needed. He or she will need to be kind yet firm, especially with the boy, have a sense of humour, be easygoing, unflappable, but above all patient.

The Tutor should be a non-smoker and hold a clean driving license. He or she should lead a healthy lifestyle and be in good physical shape.