The student is a very bright, kind and talented young woman. She has spent the last year of her education home-schooling herself. Although she is doing very well, the course is not academically challenging. Given that she aspires to study at one of the top Californian universities (probably Stanford, UCLA or UCSD) a more academically rigorous course is required. This is likely to be National University Virtual High School (NUVHS). No matter how good the online program, studying in isolation rarely produces the best outcomes. With a full time Tutor to help explain and develop ideas and ensure mastery of subject material, a student can maximise their potential, and with this in mind she would like to combine graduation from the US High School with some British qualifications in IGCSE and A level. The end-of-course assessed approach of the British educational system fits well with a busy sports commitment and is an advantage when it comes to applications to top Colleges.

Mathematics is the girl's self-proclaimed weakness. She has experienced poor teaching in the area, which has understandably put her off, and it will be up to the Tutor to help her to re-engage with the subject. The combination of poor teaching of the subject and the current home school program has resulted in learning how to do the work without really understanding what she’s doing. Her History program is similarly uninspiring, and it would be good if the Tutor could help her discover new areas of interest within a historical context. Her strongest subject is English, but her current program is not at a high enough standard — the A level will be a more worthy challenge. This could also be true of her Spanish program. She is lucky to find languages relatively easy, and will need a Tutor who is very strong if not fluent in Spanish to help her achieve her potential.

Her talents are many and varied. She is an exceptional equestrian, and she is keen to see how far she can go in the sport. She is also an excellent singer. Her current academic interests lie in marine biology, which she hopes to study at degree level. She clearly requires a Tutor who will enable her to translate her enormous potential into success in public exams. Given the breadth of her interests and extra-curricular activities, and therefore the time pressures she is under, the Tutor will need to ensure the teaching is both dynamic and efficient. She responds best to Tutors with whom she can relate, who are friendly and can provide anecdotal examples, who are light in manner, but who clearly have deep levels of knowledge and who can speak with a voice of experience.

Currently, the student is following a US curriculum. However, in September she will change to a mixture of the UK and American curricula, concurrently preparing for a selection of IGCSEs and/or A-levels alongside her American High School diploma. She will also be working towards the SAT (and SAT subject tests) as an essential part of the US college admissions. The ideal Tutor will have a solid understanding of the requirements of A-level work, as well as an understanding of the American curricula and college admissions systems. The Tutor needs to be sensitive to the aims and needs in both spheres of her assessed education, and should coordinate the material so that both areas are addressed (where possible, concurrently).

The student's current academic path should step up few levels in September. While the girl has identified herself as an aural learner, it is important to keep all academic doors firmly open and encourage her to learn equally well from written texts at the same time as improving her own written work. The Tutor needs to help her to develop good study skills as the groundwork for her future studies at university.

The Tutor also needs to have an exemplary personal academic record, with solid GCSE and A-level grades from their school days. They need to have knowledge of the American school system, and experience with the SAT exams would be most beneficial. The student has not yet selected her A-level subjects, but the Tutor must have a range of subject knowledge and experience that will help facilitate entry to the best universities.

The Tutor will be in charge of structuring the school day, which is likely to take place between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. Alongside this, the student will be attending gym in the morning (before school), individual study after school hours, continuing her equestrian training, and taking part in other extra curricular activities such as singing practice and piano. Her timetable is very tightly packed and she is struggling to fit everything in, so it is important that the Tutor is flexible in their approach to teaching, but strict enough to keep her academic work on target.

Homework should only be set as required; it should be tailored according to the student’s schedule and progress, in order to consolidate the classroom learning and in preparation for assessment. The family recognises that developing good revision techniques and test-taking skills are an essential part of the learning experience. Frequent, relevant testing should therefore be carried out and reported; this will allow her and her parents to monitor her studies, and will provide the reassurance that normally arises from classroom environments where there is peer-comparison.

The Tutor needs to remain flexible, with a youthful adaptability, but without any loss of discipline when accommodating the family’s organic, fluid schedule. This can often mean that their plans may change at short notice, and therefore the Tutor needs to be all the more structured and organised.

A room has been set aside in the family home in Nevada, and a suitable space will be arranged during any travel. It will be the Tutor’s responsibility to advise on the resources and equipment needed to make this into an effective place to study. In addition, the Tutor will be responsible for ensuring that the classroom remains organized and properly stocked.

The Tutor should expect Saturday and Sunday off each week, but will need to be flexible in this regard to accommodate travel or competition schedules. Meals occurring during teaching times will be taken with the family.

This is a full time position. The Tutor must be able to respond flexibly to the client’s requirements in terms of availability and working time. The Tutor should expect to be working with the student for at least 40 hours per week, and to fit their preparation time in during evenings and afternoons as needed.

Fully furnished and pleasant accommodation with all modern conveniences including high speed Internet will be arranged and provided by the Client.

The Tutors should expect to travel with the family several times a year, for a few weeks at a time as they follow the equestrian circuit, and to their home in England. At these times the Client will cover all expenses for the Tutor, and the tuition should continue irrespective of the location. The Tutor is expected to make full use of their surroundings. Time spent in New York, for example, should include trips to relevant museums, exhibitions, plays and conferences.

If an American fills this role it is expected that the Tutor will bring their own car when they relocate.

Should a non-American candidate be the successful applicant, the Client will rent a car for the Tutor for up to six months to give the Tutor time to take their Nevada driving test and establish the necessary credit history to be able to make arrangements for his or her own personal transportation.

Also, in a change to the Standard Terms, although the first outward and final return flights will be covered by the Client per 12-month contract, there will be no intermediate flights covered for domestic candidates, and one, not two, per contract term, for candidates needing to relocate to the USA.

As the student is a dedicated equestrian, the Tutor will need to be comfortable around horses in particular and animals in general.

The Client has requested our highest level of background screening with regard to potential Tutors. This will include our usual screening as well as credit checks and drug tests. The Tutor should also be aware that the family will likely conduct their own screening in addition, and require the Tutor to sign their non-disclosure agreement.

The successful applicant for this role will be a non-smoker, who leads a healthy lifestyle and takes regular exercise. This position would suit either a man or woman.

In addition to the essential requirements, the ideal Tutor will themselves have received an excellent education, be intelligent, thoughtful and well-organised and able to teach across a broad range of subjects and levels, including Spanish. It is essential for the Tutor to be able to inspire and the student to learn to the highest academic standards while continuing to develop in her a positive lifelong love of the acquisition of knowledge and pursuit of excellence.