There are two children, boys age 7 and 6. 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 7 year old is enrolled at school in London, where he is the youngest child in his year 3 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 focussing him on Maths, handwriting and grammar, his relatively weaker areas, and keeping his attention from wandering. He is reading at the level of a ten 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, football, judo and tennis.

The 6 year old is also doing well in school. Although he is only in year 1, he is academically gifted (measured IQ of 141-144 at age 5) 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 reading at level eleven (age 9) on the Oxford Reading Tree. He and his brother are 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 the older boy.

This position requires a youthful, energetic, enthusiastic and interesting teacher who has experience working with children of these ages, able to develop an educationally interesting and challenging summer curriculum. The Tutor should have the expertise and knowledge to design a safe program for the boys that encompasses the local resources. This must be achieved within a framework of constructive discipline based on respect and fairness with firmly established boundaries. Although the summer holiday, it is important to the family that the children’s minds are kept busy and active.

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 broader humanities. The successful candidate will have a proven track record at preparing young learners for the very best of London’s private prep schools.

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 Tutor will typically work with the boys for about six hours a day for five days a week, with preparation in addition. The timetable will need to be established with reference to family’s vacation plans, 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 3-4 hours per day of activities with a mainly academic theme with both boys together and about 2-3 hours of more leisurely activities, preferably something physical, sporty or creative.

The Tutor is entitled to two consecutive days 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.

Untaken weekend days that have accrued will also be compensated by payment in lieu.

The Tutor will be provided with his or her own studio apartment or hotel room in Hong Kong, separate from the Client’s accommodation. Save for the Tutor’s personal telephone use or use of hotel facilities (like dry cleaning), the Client will cover all bills on this apartment.

The Client will reimburse the Tutor for all local public transport, and may be able to make a car available for some excursions. In general, though, the Tutor should not expect to have access to a vehicle for his or her personal use.

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 must be fit and healthy, with a sunny disposition and positive outlook. She should be a non-smoker. Both children love water and water sports, so the Tutor must be a confident swimmer.

The family is very private, and the Tutor will be expected to maintain complete confidentiality both during and after their appointment.