There are two children, a 14 year old girl and an 11 year old boy. The children are following the British curriculum in their current school, which, as with many non-UK schools, has a distinctly international flavour.

The students are curious and engaging young people, with a lively sense of humour and quick wit. The children are enthusiastic and interested in a wide range of subjects, and confident about expressing their own opinions while listening and adapting to those of others. The family enjoy lively discourse, much of which centres on worldwide and local geopolitical subjects. It will be essential for their Tutor to be broad-minded, and able to contribute with ease and in a way that adds to this dialogue. The children are bright, attentive and polite, and will be a genuine pleasure for a capable, energetic and well-organised Tutor. Both children prefer teachers who are calm and patient, people who genuinely care about their students, kind people who are knowledgeable, positive, and encouraging, yet firm.

The girl is a bright and capable young woman who has tremendous potential. While there are some gaps in her learning, these are most likely the result of lacklustre teaching; it seems that, to some extent, her school has lowered their expectations of her capabilities, and this has had the consequential effect of reducing her confidence and ambition. There are certainly some gaps that must be addressed, but this is more likely the result of the school’s teaching than any reflection on her ability. She loves a wide range of music – singing is her passion, whether it be opera or pop. This passion must be fostered and nurtured as part of the tutoring, since she would like to take GCSE Music.

The boy is perhaps a little more talkative and has none of his sister’s academic hesitation. The academic demands of school have not really tested him, and the content has not reached the same critical stage as his sister’s upcoming IGCSE courses. With less pressure and the effects of being the younger of two siblings, he is quite mature and more worldly than many young boys of his age. He enjoys playing the piano and again, this love of music must continue to be fostered as he is homeschooled.

The children’s mother tongue is English. However, up until three years ago, they both attended local Italian schools so are therefore bi-lingual. While their spoken English is excellent, there are issues with spelling and sentence structure which show in their writing. Both children are mature enough to appreciate the importance of a broad education that embraces other cultures, and it would be helpful if their Tutor could encapsulate this in their lessons.

The girl will be starting her IGCSE courses in September 2014. She is expected to take nine or ten subjects covering the usual Mathematics, English, Science, Humanities, and Spanish. In addition to the typical subjects, she is keen to explore several of the very many other IGCSE subjects on offer.

The girl has struggled with the written word, and there have been concerns that there might be some mild dyslexia, although it is just as likely to be because she was never taught English phonics when young. Tutors International has recommended that while a Tutor might find it useful to implement some of the techniques used to support children with dyslexia, there should be no need to seek a formal report unless accommodations in exams are needed.

Although university is still some years away, the children are mindful of their academic ambitions. To this end, all academic doors should be kept firmly open with a view to attending a top university either in England or the USA. This means that the additional time that full time homeschooling offers children in the learning process should be used to extend the subject range and depth beyond the scope of what schools can generally offer.

Because there is an obvious age gap between the children, the Tutor must prepare two sets of lessons at an appropriate academic level for each child. They should be stretched to achieve their potential, but not to the point that learning becomes a chore or burden. There may be some subjects in which they can be taught together (for example, art and drama classes, or some of the more unusual GCSE subjects if the children agree) and this should be encouraged when possible.

Both children enjoy a range of extra curricular activities that place demands on their time outside school. The family is keen for these activities to be kept up, so the Tutor will need to work around their schedule and must be flexible enough to cope with last-minute changes to their planned timetable.

The Tutor will be responsible for delivering a broad curriculum. For the girl, this will mean starting the first year of her IGCSE courses.

The Tutor will need to create a formal programme of study and a weekly timetable that follows the content of a specially designed curriculum. It is expected that the children will be taught most subjects separately, and then be together for others. The Tutor should not create a high-pressure environment; instead there should be a relaxed but productive atmosphere rich with discourse and dialogue that nurtures the development of inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people. The family are looking for a person who can inspire a love of learning.

The Tutor should adopt a range of activities, from the traditional to the more progressive, involving a great deal of practical and hands-on learning, to enthuse and educate the children across all their subjects. When possible this should take advantage of living in Italy, integrating visits to museums, art galleries, theatres, and sites of historical or anthropological interest. The Tutor should also take advantage of modern teaching equipment, such as various education apps and specialist software especially with regard to GCSE Music. With such resources and individual attention it should be possible to provide a far better schooling experience than they could get in school.

The Tutor will typically work from Monday to Friday starting at 8.30 am (with an hour for preparation before school) and finishing at 1.30 pm. Breaks will be important throughout the morning depending on the subjects being taught and the concentration span of the children.

On Fridays during the first session, there will be an assessment session, with an opportunity for the children to demonstrate mastery of material studied during the week. These mastery assessments may take many forms: oral or written tests, presentations to parents, friends, family or other visitors, or any other platform that the Tutor feels is appropriate. If the children demonstrate satisfactory mastery, then the second period on Friday mornings will be rewarded with learning activities that they most enjoy. If not, it is a time to consolidate any areas of the week’s learning that remains insecure.

The Tutor will be responsible for recommending the resources he or she needs. Additionally, the Tutor should be able to contribute to the children’s range of interests, whether this is their sports, music, or any other activities that the Tutor suggests. It is essential that the Tutor speaks and writes impeccable English, has fluent Spanish and has a good grasp of Italian.

One of the main reasons for having a Tutor full time is the flexibility it affords. With a full time Tutor who can deliver all the school subjects and help teach languages and music it will be possible for the tutoring to be arranged around all the other activities and sports. Clearly this will mean that the Tutor will need to be well-organised at all times and be ready to accommodate the family’s fluid schedule, calmly and with good grace even if, at times, it may be inconvenient in relation to what has been planned.

The Tutor will typically work weekdays from 8.30 am to 1.30 pm. There may be occasional weekends and evenings when the Tutor will be required to work, and if this is the case then he or she will be given time off in lieu, or compensated in some other way. If such time is requested, the Tutor will have plenty of notice and the Tutor should not feel that this time has to be used to work like in school time – more recreational-style learning such as watching an educational film, or playing intelligent games would be much more appropriate.

The Tutor is entitled to a minimum of nine weeks (45 working days) paid vacation per annum. The dates for this will be at times convenient for the Client, and are likely to follow the general pattern of the school terms and holidays.

Furnished accommodation, together with the schoolrooms is provided for the Tutor in a large apartment in a small town near the family home. This stunning space, a 16th century palazzo, is right in the heart of this Renaissance town and will serve as the Tutor’s living and working quarters.

If the Tutor is asked to accompany the family when they travel, the Client will cover her or his full expenses.

The Tutor must be a non-smoker. It is inappropriate for the private life of the Tutor to be known about by or in any way to affect the Client. Equally, the Tutor should not have to be told what would constitute proper attire or standards of personal presentation or behaviour for a role of this nature.