The student is a lively, boisterous little boy with a huge amount of energy. He is fairly inquisitive boy with a gregarious and generally mature nature for his age. Typical of families who lead an international lifestyle, he is adept at adapting to change and relates well to the company of people of all ages. This comfort with adults extends to musical tastes and overall comprehension of occasion. He is a thoughtful boy, and other than the times when he is tired, hungry or being particularly playful, he makes contextually sensible deductions and decisions, understanding how actions have consequences which need judgement to distinguish right from wrong.

He enjoys movement and seems to learn best when something is taught to him in a way that involves movement. He finds it hard to follow instruction in a classroom setting because it is predominantly sedentary. Indeed, such is his level of energy that he has that he finds it hard to sit in one place for long and can sometimes seem to appear restless or even hyperactive. There are also some other symptomatic behaviours which may be an early indication of learning differences which an experienced Tutor will have little difficulty making adjustments for, but it is more likely that these indicators are unrelated and are simply the consequences of a vigorous and physically active boy.

He is currently enrolled at a school following the US system, which he moved to from an IB school. There was very little emphasis on formal learning and a lot of time was spent on fun and play, a learning style echoed and reinforced at home. Literacy and numeracy were not deliberately taught either at the school or at home; there was shared belief that at his age, he should spend most of his time exploring, playing and interacting with the world around him without any formal structure or format. Given this preparation, when he his current school for his first grade, he was at an academic level lower than his peers across all measured subjects (reading, writing, maths. Together with the school it was decided that some additional support should be given. Within an academic year, he has reached the standards set by the school for his age. He has not enjoyed the structure and pressure of learning in this manner to catch up, and although this experience has demonstrated that he is a capable boy, it has reinforced the parental view that traditional academic pathways are not in keeping with their own views on the purpose and process of education.

He is an interesting child. When interacting with adults, he is able to think through communication issues and solve them in uniquely intelligent ways. He is undoubtedly a bright child, and will be a pleasure to teach.

In the short term, the Tutor must work hard to ensure that he or she wins respect and adoration from the boy. He must enjoy spending time with his Tutor if this project is to work, so it is essential that that ‘chemistry’ is correct from the very start of this placement.

This role calls for an extraordinary Tutor to work with the student to ensure a rounded education is delivered without the rigid constriction of following a formal curriculum. The Tutor must be able to create an environment that leaves open the broadest spectrum of academic pathways and freedoms of choice for the student. The student should be encouraged to ask lots of questions of his world, developing the skills of an explorer who knows what the right line of questioning is. This questioning should not only feel free, but be free, so it will be essential for the Tutor to maintain a kind of cognitive ‘space’ between his current understanding of something and the next step in an activity that he wishes to explore or revisit. It also means that the Tutor must be able to direct the student’s thoughts about the world around him and the exploration of it without choosing the direction. It will be a challenge for any educator who themselves is a product of the very system that he will be diverging from, to be able to adapt his or her own views or measures of success to this more unschooling-like course.

The Tutor must be an exceptional record keeper as well as an exceptional educator. Although the child will not be following a formal curriculum, or doing formal assessments of mastery, the Tutor must keep superb records about the material that has been covered and to what level. It is hoped that as the student grows up and finds himself and his academic passions, he will want to move on to more structured study patterns. This record keeping will provide essential proof of his abilities when entering more mainstream education, and provide clarity about where gaps are that might need to be addressed prior to such a move.

While the parents would like his schooling to be driven as much by the student as by the Tutor, they do recognise that there are some skills that will need to be taught in a traditional way. Learning to play an instrument is a good example — a student must persist with their practice to reach a certain level of competency before they will truly know if this is a pastime that they want to follow. Likewise sport, foreign language and, to a certain extent, mathematics, all need to be practised to level from which a passion might bloom.

Although it may seem that this role gives the Tutor carte blanche to experiment with non-curricular based learning, it is important to remember that the student must still receive a good, transferable education, albeit based on his personal academic strengths and preferences. With the right Tutor in place, he should have his curiosity piqued; he should develop an insatiable appetite for learning; he should want to engage increasingly with the world around him. It is anticipated that as he gets older, he will choose to do more with his studies and follow an academic route that reflects his passions and the interests that this Tutor will have ignited from an early age.

The Tutor will be responsible for structuring the school day (usually Mondays to Fridays). As the family settles into the pattern of private tutoring, it is likely that they will choose to travel more. The Tutor should be prepared to travel with them while continuing the education to take advantage of the change of scenery. The Tutor should be prepared to use resources in the local area to highlight interesting aspects of the world — visiting a local volcano could form the basis of geology, science or history lessons, exploring a new city could encourage the study of local architecture, engineering or urban planning.

In Singapore, the family live in close proximity to their relatives, and there are a number of children around the boy’s age. On occasion, these children may also travel with the family, and the Tutor is expected to include them in lessons. Additionally, the boy has an 18-month-old sister. As she approaches school age, it is expected that the Tutor will start to include her in lessons too, albeit at a much lower level. It is also a responsibility of the Tutor to ensure that the boy has appropriate levels of social contact with children his own age. This could be, for example, through sports, music, or drama. The Tutor should look for other homeschooling families that the boy could join in with, or perhaps start a new homeschooling group. There is plenty of scope here for an entrepreneurially minded Tutor to develop networks within and beyond the immediate locale.

Ultimately, the parents want both children to develop into well-adjusted, happy individuals who have had a good, solid education and the time to follow their own interests.

While teaching will take place within a clear and formal timetable of lessons, the Tutor should be prepared for a high degree of flexibility to accommodate changes in the family’s schedule, as well as for frequent travel. This role is based in Singapore. Any candidates for this position should be fully aware of the urban nature of the city and the sometimes-challenging climate in which they will be required to work.

This is a full time position and, as far as possible, learning will need to follow a planned timetable. The Tutor should expect to work around forty hours per week with preparation in addition. The Tutor will be entitled to an average of two consecutive days off per week, normally at the weekend, but may need to be flexible regarding the family’s travel plans or other family commitments.

This role comes with good accommodation suitable for either a single Tutor or a couple. When travelling, accommodation will also be provided, but only for the Tutor.

If the Tutor is asked to accompany the Client on any travel, the Client will be responsible for all the Tutor’s travel expenses and accommodation arrangements, but not his or her food or personal telephone usage. It is expected that this role will involve significant amounts of travel.

There is no car associated with this contract, but the family are happy to cover the cost of any taxi fares for work related journeys.

The Tutor should be physically fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. He or she should be a non-smoker. The Tutor should be the kind of person that does not need to be told about the need for discretion or the need to behave in a way commensurate with a responsible position in full time private service.