The student is the eldest of four children. He has two sisters (age 9 and 6), and a brother (who is also 6). He is a sensible and sensitive young man, well behaved, gregarious, polite and engaging. He is comfortable around people of a wide variety of ages and in different settings. He is quite good at English for his age with good pronunciation — by no means a beginner — but there is also clearly a long way to go before he will be at the level of fluency required for normal conversation. It is not known exactly at this stage, but it is likely that his reading is probably on target while his writing lags behind, in comparison to his speaking.

He likes teachers who are patient and thorough, but at the same time fun to be with and with shared interests. He plays the piano and loves many sports, especially tennis, football, sailing and boating in general, mountain biking and skiing. He also enjoys chess and is open to trying new sports, such a wakeboarding or rowing. Like most children his age, he does not like teachers who are unfair to him or other children in the class, seem to have favourites at the expense of him or others, or whose delivery is robotic and insensitive. Although his current school is fine, it is not in any way stretching him, hence the motivation to change school. It is fair to say that apart from close family, he has not really ever had a really good teacher who can challenge him, support him and provide a consistently high level of academic mentoring.

His sister is a bright and gregarious nine-year-old girl. She too enjoys sports and music. Although the Tutor is primarily being sought to support her brother, it is inevitable that some of his time will be spent with the other children, and of them she is bound to have the most to gain at this stage. Her English is, as would be expected, not as good as her older brother, although she seems more confident speaking and has good pronunciation. The Tutor will also spend some time with the six-year-old twins, even if this is only ad hoc. Again, while this is not the primary focus, it would be good if the Tutor were able to devise activities that suited all the children, perhaps even together.

The successful candidate must be an experienced Tutor but need not be a qualified teacher. He will be erudite, well read, and well-educated in traditional British private schools. His main subjects of interest or ability will include the Humanities, Classics, English Literature, French and Latin. It is expected that the ideal candidate will have secured top grades in a wide range of school subjects and public examinations and then completed his undergraduate degree from one the top British Universities. He will enjoy many sports and be open to trying new ones.

The primary role of the Tutor is to take responsibility for developing the boy’s command of English, in all its forms — speaking, reading and writing, and in using English in his other subjects, including Maths, Humanities and Sciences. He wants a chance to move to a bilingual English/German school and unless his English is good enough this is out of the question. The study of English will take many forms, whether it be helping with schoolwork, playing chess and discussing the moves, spending time together on the water, kicking a football, visiting museums, art galleries, and other educational trips, or simply talking together about history, politics or philosophy at home during meals. This role is not limited to the student’s English. It also extends to the wider educational values of developing a lifelong love of learning, determination and ambition, so the Tutor should be continuously thinking of and proposing opportunities to increase the student’s comfort, confidence and comprehension in English throughout the gamut of educational contexts. Of particular interest to him are the scientific and technological, so a Tutor who shares these interests and can incorporate them into his tutoring would be ideal.

His parents do not mind what their son chooses in later life, but whatever it is they want him to strive for being the best he can be. They feel that the best thing that they can offer their children up to this stage is a rich education and the opportunity to get accepted by the best higher education institutions. This is one of the main reasons why the Tutor should himself represent this kind of pathway. The Tutor’s role is also one of mentor, someone that is a positive role model for the student, and in time a friend.

Although the Tutor’s main responsibility is to the oldest child, his siblings will also benefit from a British Tutor in the family’s midst. They are bound to want some time with the Tutor, and the Tutor should be open and inviting in this regard, and see the opportunities that this brings for all concerned.

The children’s mother has the responsibility for organising the family’s domestic staffing and the children’s busy after school and weekend schedules. She also has other family homes to manage. The Tutor should be willing to help out in a more general way if requested, as part of the normal hours rather than in addition to them. This might include school runs or taking children to and from activities, or it might involve helping in ways that may be more usually considered that of a personal assistant.

The Tutor is expected to work an average of 40 hours per week, with preparation time in addition. For the most part the hours will follow a stable timetable agreed with the client, but the Tutor should also allow for flexibility, especially regarding travel to other locations.

The expected starting routine will be 6-8 hours a day on each of Monday, Tuesday and Friday, with 8-10 hours on each of Saturday and Sunday. This time will be a mixture of study, schoolwork, educationally rich activities and leisure activities, all involving development of the student’s English. The Tutor should expect an average of two consecutive days off per week; initially these will be Wednesday and Thursday. While this is the plan at the time of writing, the children’s school and afterschool timetables will likely change from term to term, and so this pattern is likely to need to be adjusted accordingly. However it is adjusted, the Client will ensure that the contractual weekly hours and need for two consecutive days off per week conditions are maintained.

The Tutor will have a minimum of eight (8) weeks paid vacation per annum. These will be taken at times suitable to the Client. Any untaken vacation that has accrued at the end of the contract will be compensated by payment in lieu at the prevailing rate.

The Client will provide a fully furnished apartment with Internet.

While in Zürich, the Tutor will be provided with a car when needed to take the children to and from activities. At other time he will need to use public transport, walk or cycle. In other destinations, where lack of public transport limits personal freedom, the Client will make a car available for the Tutor’s personal use as well as for errands related to his work.

The Tutor will need to have a full, clean driving license.

The Client will be responsible for the Tutor’s full expenses arising from any travel required for the position throughout the contract term.

The Tutor should be a non-smoker, lead a physically active lifestyle, and be healthy and fit. He should be engaging, have a good sense of humour and a sunny disposition, yet be a serious educator who is continuously expanding his own knowledge, and who understands his responsibility in this important role.