The student recently took the Eton entrance exam and has completed his interview. While the interview went exceedingly well, his scores on the exam were not quite sufficient to be offered a place at this stage. However, the school was so impressed by him that they have indicated that if he reaches a high enough standard in the Common Entrance in May 2012 they will offer him a place for entry in September 2013.

One of the boy’s standout qualities is his appreciation of which teachers bring out the best in him. He prefers teachers who not only expect the best but also demand it, people who push him. He doesn’t mind if such teachers are perhaps unnecessarily blunt in their manner, as long as it evident that these teachers are extremely knowledgeable about their subject and guide him with compassion, consistency, fairness and good humour.

During the week, the student has homework and preparation for class tests and quizzes etc. He generally completes this quickly and will need to continue to maintain his grades when the Tutor starts working with him. This means that even though he does not need to the Tutor’s help to complete the work, there exists an opportunity for the Tutor to use the assignments set by the school as part of the preparation for the Common Entrance exam. Once the homework is finished, the Tutor can work with him on identifying weaknesses. Sunday offers time for the Tutor and student to work intensively on Common Entrance preparation and exam technique.

It is understood from the feedback given to the student’s parents that his greatest deficit on the Eton exam was in Maths. The reason for this is not clear, but the most likely culprit is because of differences between the way in which Mathematics is taught in the US compared with the UK. This means that the wording used in questions may have played a part in unsettling him, and that some of the content will not yet have been covered in the US. It will be key for the Tutor to determine, soon after commencing, where such gaps in vernacular and content exist and plan a strategy for ensuring that these are filled. Likewise with the verbal reasoning sections of the test in which he dropped some points, it will be essential for the Tutor to determine what may have been the cause and therefore establish a plan for how to eliminate such errors. Finally, the Tutor will need to help him with developing good exam technique, as it is likely that unfamiliarity with the style of the exam itself could have a detrimental impact in the final score.

In addition to the tutoring the student, his mother is keen to improve her very rusty French and it is expected that the Tutor will be able to work with her for up to an hour a day practicing this.

The Tutor will need to be extremely flexible with regard to this timing. The student’s school and sports commitments and the family’s travel plans are likely to affect the tutoring schedule from time to time. In general though, the Tutor should expect each week to have around 26 hours contact time with the student, 10 hours preparation, and two consecutive days off on average (normally Friday and Saturday). In addition, there may be up to another 5 hours French tuition with the student’s mother.

The Client will provide a car for the use by the Tutor throughout the assignment.

If the Tutor should be invited to accompany the Client when they travel they will be responsible for all the Tutor’s expenses.

For the long-term contract the Client will rent a furnished apartment near the family home and the Tutor will be responsible for all meals not occurring during tutoring time.

The family travel frequently and will likely take the Tutor with them some of the time. Accommodation on such trips will usually be in a hotel, and the Client will be responsible for the Tutor’s meals during such times.

The Tutor must be fit and healthy, and a non-smoker. It would be preferable if the Tutor enjoyed outdoor sports, which are particular popular in the Seattle area and which the family and the student enjoy tremendously.

When the Tutor is living in the Client’s home, he or she will not be able to invite guests and should be respectful at all times of the Client’s privacy. Although the Client has an informal style at home regarding their staff, the Tutor must maintain appropriate levels of private service professionalism and decorum at all times.