The student is a charming young man, unswervingly polite, socially comfortable, sporty and gregarious. His family is relocating to Barcelona for a year so that he can attend an elite tennis academy. This means taking their son out of school in London for the duration of the time in Barcelona and homeschooling him around the tennis training. They need a Tutor who can provide a full curriculum that matches his current school so that he can reintegrate smoothly upon his return. The family is of Hungarian descent, but the student has grown up mainly in England, and is fluent in English. He has learnt Hungarian at home, and has intermediate Spanish and French. It is hoped that he will improve his Spanish while in Barcelona.

The student is used to working with a Tutor, and the family is looking to repeat their very positive previous experience. In the student, the Tutor will find a boy who works hard and is keen to succeed. His competitive nature and desire to excel spills over from his tennis playing, and the right Tutor will be able to capitalise on this enthusiasm.

The student is currently enrolled at an excellent school in London. The Tutor will need to liaise with the school to ensure that the requisite content is covered while the boy is away. His subjects in Y8 will be Spanish, French, History (his favourite subject), Geography, Politics, Maths, English, Science, IT and Music. He has just dropped Art.

The student has no serious academic issues, though the family does have a history of dyspraxia, and the boy has received additional support for this for the duration of one term, three years ago. He can touch type, but needs to improve his speed and accuracy, and also needs help improving his handwriting and spelling. At present he has no additional support, and is generally performing well at school. He is a voracious reader of all types of writing. He reads the newspaper and loves politics, and he enjoys fiction too. As with many boys of his age, his writing could be improved. This may be a symptom of his mild dyspraxia, and the Tutor should be aware that a marked improvement in the quality and quantity of his written work is one of the key deliverables of this assignment.

The Tutor’s main role will be to ensure that the student has a full and thorough understanding of the work that he would have covered in class were he not going to Barcelona. He or she will be expected to plan, prepare, deliver and assess all material. The Tutor will be required to build a good working relationship with the boy’s London school and especially with his teachers to ensure they are well informed about upcoming material.

The Tutor should have a wide knowledge base and a range of interests that they can share with the family. It is essential that the Tutor is passionate about either tennis or football, but preferably both. The boy plays bass guitar and it would be ideal if the Tutor could teach him or at least join with a complementary musical instrument. A passion for literature or the sciences, for example, would help to inspire him in an academic field as well. The Tutor should be a natural communicator with a kind and caring disposition, and a firm-but-fair approach to their work. He or she should be eloquent, able to explain concepts simply and able to inspire with his or her enthusiasm for any given subject.

The Tutor should be an exceptional educator in a role that will require them to be all things to all people (part driver, part tutor, part friend) and diplomatic, polite and amiable at all times. He or she should be prepared to work closely with other educators, and be very organised in their own work. It would be most advantageous if the Tutor had fluent Spanish. The role would best suit a Tutor who is keen to use their free time productively, perhaps by immersing themselves in all that Barcelona has to offer, improving their language skills, visiting cultural landmarks, museums and exhibitions, writing a book, or finishing a PhD.

The Tutor should not create a high-pressure environment, but equally should not be afraid to push his or her charge when needed. He or she should create a productive atmosphere, one rich with discourse and dialogue that nurtures the development of an inquiring and curious young person.

This role is based in Spain, so it is essential that any candidates for the position have full rights to employment and residency in a European country.

This is a full time position and, as far as possible, learning will need to follow a carefully planned timetable. The Tutor should expect to work from 4.30pm-8.30pm Monday-Friday, and from 3.30pm-8.30pm on Wednesdays, with preparation in addition.

Standard contractual vacation allowance of a minimum of 9 weeks per annum applies to this contract. As per the Terms, the timing of breaks will be at the Client’s convenient, but is likely to follow the general pattern of the normal school holidays in England.

Furnished accommodation will be arranged for the Tutor in Barcelona. This will be in an apartment separate from the Family’s home.

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 except insofar as they are needed for tutoring purposes or take place during tutoring times.

No car is provided for this role. The Tutor is welcome to bring his or her own car and will be able to ask for a contribution towards the expenses involved in this drive up to the value of an economy return flight from London to Barcelona.