There are two children, boys of 6 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 older boy is enrolled at school in London, where he is the youngest child in his class. He is doing well in school. He enjoys playing with construction toys, board games, and games on his computer. He is confident, and enjoys being the centre of attention, but is neither rude nor intrusive. He is highly curious with plenty of energy. The challenge for his Tutor will be focusing him on Maths, his weak area, and keeping his attention from wandering. He is reading at the level of an eight year old, including chapter books and novels, but his Maths needs work. He enjoys drama and dance, arts and crafts, maths, science, and several sports including skiing, climbing, snorkeling and judo.

His younger brother is also doing well in school. Although he is only in reception, he is academically gifted (measured IQ of 141) and he is working at a high level. He is very curious and bright, and a little 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. He started reading in September and is now reading at level four on the Oxford Reading Tree. He and his brother are very good friends, but also compete at various tasks, something his parents see as healthy as long as it is closely monitored and their different academic paths are not managed in a way that discourages his brother.

This position requires a youthful, energetic, enthusiastic and interesting teacher who has experience working with children of these ages. Ideally she will have excellent French and will be able to develop an educationally rich onboard curriculum. Although there is a well-equipped, air-conditioned classroom on the yacht, complete with whiteboard, printer, laptops and plenty of materials and much of the tutoring will be aboard, there will also 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 such a marine environment offers. This must 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. She should not require ‘hand-holding’ for any aspect of the position. This role requires a Tutor who is highly flexible and able to adapt their plans to changes at short notice. It is very important that the Tutor be good at Maths and English, as well as have the ability to teach Geography. The successful candidate will have a successful track record at preparing young learners for the very best of London’s private prep schools.

At the end of the voyage, the children will be rejoining their peers in school, and will need to be able to do so at the very least at the same level of proficiency as their fellows and ideally with somewhat of an advantage from the focus and energy born of personal tuition. The school will provide the Client with the programme of study for the boys in all their subjects together with the resources their peers will be using. This represents the minimum material they 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 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, and with particular consideration for the upcoming school entrance exams.

It would be nice if the Tutor knew how to play the piano, even if only a little, and speak Mandarin, but these are not essential talents.

The boys are likely to spend a lot of time on beaches and kayaking; the Tutor must be happy to muck in and run around with the kids in shorts. She ought not to expect a great deal of social interaction with the family, but there are 11 crew aboard with whom she will take meals and socialise.

In addition to the Tutor’s responsibility to the boys, it is likely that the family will have visitors from time to time, 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. This role also includes some child-minding duties, but there will be other responsible adults aboard who will share this responsibility, so the Tutor should not worry about becoming a constant babysitter.

The Tutor will typically work with the boys for about six hours a day for six days a week, with preparation in addition. The timetable will need to be established with reference to the sailing itinerary and planned destinations, but 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. The client envisions roughly 3-4 hours per day of school with both boys together with about 2-3 hours of activities, preferably something physical, sporty or creative.

The Tutor will not be expected to do crew duties beyond the common courtesy of washing up her own kitchen utensils and clothes.

The Tutor is entitled to one day 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. Holidays must be taken locally and decided in advance.

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 very best in this regard.

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 Tutor will have her own cabin in the extremely well appointed guest quarters, with air conditioning, television and entertainment system, en-suite shower room and Wi-Fi, except for one week when the family will be hosting important guests. During that week, she will share a room onboard or be on land in a hotel. The Tutor will take her meals with the crew, and will have access to the crew mess.

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

The Tutor must be fit and healthy, a non-smoker. 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.