The student is six and is the middle child of three boys. He gets on well with his siblings and is a gregarious, curious and personable boy. His academic giftedness (measured IQ of 141-144 at age 5) is evident throughout his approach to intellectual tasks and he is capable of working at a high level. He also shows great imaginative play, and responds well to individual attention and praise. Like many children his age, he is acutely aware of fairness and consistency and distrusts adults who make promises they cannot, or do not, keep.

The boy is doing well enough in school although he is fairly young in his class (born early May), and has been offered a place at a good school. Given his academic talents, his parents feel that he is capable of an academic London prep school, and they would like him to make a competitive application to a more academically challenging school. At present he does not seem to have developed the self-motivation or confidence required for success at this more challenging hurdle, even though he has the right temperament for the schools and is clearly well-suited to their academic and social demands.

He works really hard at school, where he reads at age 9, but is much more reluctant to work at home and when pressed he can become awkward and use a range of diversionary tactics to avoid an unwanted task. At these times he is never aggressive and only mildly impolite. The causes of this are not obvious at this stage. It could be that he is just a little immature relative to his peers, or, as one of the assessments suggests, he finds some tasks too menial.

The Tutor will work with the boy after school two or three days a week for about two hours each afternoon or early evening. The purpose of this work is to ensure that everything from his current school is finished and secure, that he is well prepared for upcoming new school work, and that he is extending himself in preparation for the 7+ or 8+ examinations.

This third component will require the Tutor to engage him in activities not necessarily set by the school and will almost certainly meet with some resistance. It will take a skilled educator, someone who is able to reflect on their own work and the results it brings, and so be able to alter his or her plans according to what works best for the boy. It is equally important that the Tutor has the ability to communicate their rationale and observations in a clear and well-organised manner, so that the boy’s parents and TI can advise and support as required. This role therefore requires an experienced educator and Tutor, someone who has a proven track record of success when it comes to helping children prepare for Westminster Under and/or Colet Court and with developing the minds of highly able young boys.

The Tutor will typically work six hours per week on days and times to be agreed between Tutor and Client once the Tutor has been appointed. This will need to be flexible to accommodate the boy’s after-school activities and other family commitments, which will likely change during the school year.

This is a non-residential role and accommodation is not provided.

The Client will cover the cost of public transport between the family’s home and the Tutor’s normal place of residence in London Zones 1-5 or the Home Counties. If the Tutor chooses to drive, then the Client will reimburse the Tutor at the rate of 45p per mile, but is not responsible for expenses relating to parking or Congestion Charge.

Ideally the Tutor should be a non-smoker. He or she should lead a healthy lifestyle and be in good physical shape.