The student is a genuinely lovely girl. She is engaging, kind, calm, hard working and both interesting and interested. She relates well to adults and has a good sense of humour, as well as a mature manner in her approach to her interests and to people of all ages. She can, on first meeting, seem quite demure, but it is evident that she has some strong opinions that will develop as her confidence grows. She is intelligent (last measured IQ of 130), but has a range of learning differences that are atypically grouped. She has been diagnosed as twice exceptional because although she is gifted, she also has a significant learning difference. Although her abilities are now thoroughly diagnosed and well supported (there are full and very good evaluations available), these have understandably affected her education.

The student's school history is a little uneven. She grew up in the Bahamas, and then after a family tragedy, moved with her mother and brother to Colorado. In Colorado, she went to Vail Mountain School and was an ‘A' student. While there, she suffered from some IBS-type problems and generalised anxiety alongside mixed dyslexia symptoms. None of these symptoms are attributable to her experience at the school; instead, these were caused by nausea resulting from a stomach virus from some time earlier.

Her mother remarried, and three years after the marriage began, she and her new stepbrother were both sent to boarding school. After some effort, the boy settled into one school and she started at another. She was a conscientious, hardworking, and meticulous student, and made the Dean's List in her first few weeks. Repeated failures within the school's academic and pastoral care contributed to a return of some of her anxieties, and after a month, she returned home.

The student's learning differences are typical of “stealth dyslexia,” and present with a range of symptoms from within the ranges attributed to Dyseidetic Dyslexia and anxiety, but without being specifically indicative of any single pathway. There is no reason for these to present insurmountable obstacles to her desired educational outcome of attending College, but it does mean that for her to master the content of school level material, her teachers must adapt material to fit her learning style. She learns best from teachers who engage her in face-to-face tuition rather than through lectures, which bodes well for private tuition. In addition, she will continue to receive specialist help from a vision professional, who is helping her to learn focus and purpose, and it will be important for the Tutor to see this help as a continued resource. She receives extra time in her assessments to help compensate for her dyslexia.

The student has also recently developed an acute phobia of vomiting, which in turn leads to anxiety about stomach upsets in general. The triggers for this condition were at least in part caused by some long-lasting stomach upsets brought on by travel to some out-of-the-way locations, but this is no longer a factor. The Tutor must be aware of the way she connects her fear of nausea and resulting anxiety to help prevent her from becoming an overly fussy eater or oversensitive to minor discomforts. This is just one example of the kinds of anxiety with which she is well advanced in learning to cope, and it will be important for the Tutor to work with her therapist to continue to identify the different types of anxieties that arise and the skill sets needed for managing these when they occur. For example, she has developed generalized anxiety about spelling, reading, reading comprehension, writing, and understanding spoken words (such as in a podcast), and her therapist knows that this can be attenuated if the Tutor designs lesson plans that first fully accommodate her learning difficulties and then pace her treatment progress, in close cooperation with her therapist, as she resolves these learning difficulties.

On the recommendation of the family therapist, the family relocated to Del Mar, CA, so that the student could show horses, which is something she enjoys and is good at. She has done that for the past year, and has been receiving her schooling through an online equestrian accredited school. However, this online schooling pathway is not a long-term solution, and the family is now looking for a Tutor to help guide her through the rest of her education.

The student is heavily involved in the equestrian world, and currently trains 8-9 show horses. However, she is aware that this is taking up more time than she really wants to give it, and has decided not to pursue show jumping as a career option. She would like to be able to devote more time to other interests, such as art classes and modelling, as well as to improving her education. Her own educational plan is ultimately to attend a US college, though she currently has no plans for what or where to study. However, this end goal shows that she has the desire to learn, but she currently lacks the skills and confidence to succeed in a standard school environment.

Like most children her age, the student has strong ideas about what makes a good teacher. She dislikes those who just lecture from notes, who are dull and dogmatic, and who don't seem inspired by their subject. In contrast, she likes teachers who really engage with their subject matter, who are organized, who mix up their teaching styles, and who are enthusiastic about each and every topic they cover.

The Tutor, along with Tutors International, will have sole responsibility for the outcome of the student's education. At the moment, there is no clear indication of the student's academic abilities, but it is assumed that she is working at a similar level to that of a slightly underachieving American 12-13 year old. She has not yet progressed beyond Algebra 1, and it is clear that her learning style is not always compatible with the rather prescriptive way of teaching favoured by American schools.

The Tutor must approach their task gently at first, helping the student to overcome her self-doubts and ensuring that she has solid foundations for continuing her studies. At present, even an hour of study a day is not always possible. Although she is meticulous and wants to do well, there is a consensus among her therapists and advisors to the family that she will need to re-learn the stamina needed to maintain and increase her efforts so that the tendency for the anxieties which are currently largely under control are not reignited. Once she is on an even keel, the Tutor will be able very slowly and cautiously to increase her workload until she is working at a suitable level for her ability. There is no envisaged timescale for this process, and it will need to happen at a pace that does not trigger the return of currently well-managed problems. To make a later application to US colleges, she will have to complete some standard American academic courses, such as US Government and US History, and it may well be that the British educational system is more suitable for her because of the lack of GPA accumulation and the freedom to match the pace of learning at the level of the student. As such, a mix of American classes and English GCSEs may benefit her the most. When the time comes, both A level courses and SATs can be investigated, but again, the Tutor should not worry about the timing of these without careful reference to her wider interests and overall recovery strategies. For the time being, at least, the goal is to accommodate and remediate so as to help her regain some academic success with a managed level of anxiety.

At this point, it is important to keep all academic doors open and encourage the student to learn equally well from written texts as from direct input from the Tutor. Her written work must improve, along with the development of good study skills that will serve as groundwork for her future studies, both with the Tutor and at university.

The family have a good support network in place, including therapists and education specialists. The Tutor must be able to work with these professionals, building strong relationships and ensuring that their recommendations for the student's learning style are followed between sessions. She is an able young lady, but she has not yet mastered the techniques that will help her to manage her learning differences, and neither has she accepted that some of her learning differences can actually be used to her advantage. She is a student with vast potential, and the right Tutor should be in a strong position to unlock this for her.

The Tutor must be very organized both in the classroom and in their record keeping. They must be flexible, able to work independently and as part of a larger support team. They should be relaxed about the amount of travel involved in this assignment, and creative in the way they deliver their lessons. For example, if the student struggles with the technicalities of graphs in a Mathematics lesson, the Tutor could explore graphs in the guise of Geography or History. Indeed, blended lessons of this nature that utilize on enquiry-based approaches are likely to best suit her learning style.

The Tutor must have a solid grounding in the full range of high school subjects, and it would be advantageous if they also had an understanding of both American and British education and assessment systems. They must be able to build the student's confidence to the extent that she is comfortable tackling new material, and is not afraid of perceived failure or of being corrected. A subscriber to Dweck's incremental/growth mindset theory would help her understand that “talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence.”

The Tutor is required to set up and follow a clear curriculum pathway, and to help the student overcome her confidence and learning difference issues. Additional external teachers may be called upon to help teach specialist areas such as Music or Art. In these cases, the Tutor is expected to coordinate and manage the extra classes.

At some point in the future, she may choose to re-integrate with a traditional school. In this case, it is likely that the Tutor's role will initially involve bridging work to ensure smooth integration and then become about support, helping her with her homework and ensuring that she is well prepared for the demands of school. As time goes on, it will become clearer if this is a path that she and her family wish to pursue, but the Tutor should be prepared for this sort of change to their working habits should the need arise.

The Tutor must be proficient in the use of computer hardware, software, Internet, and the interface between laptop computer and HDTV screens. Examples of such interfaces include, but are not limited to, Chromecast (Google) and Apple TV. This knowledge level of computer use and problem-solving will be essential in the development of teaching materials focused on learning concepts with combined media such as images with text, audio with text, and visual images with text and audio.

It will also be essential for the successful applicant for this role to become familiar with the details of the assessments that the student has received and to adjust his or her teaching to allow her to experience academic success from which she can re-grow her confidence and at the same time develop lifelong strategies that will allow her to continue into College without the support of a Tutor. It is expected that this will take time and patience, and the Tutor should not feel under any obligation to achieve this according to any fixed timescale. Nonetheless, it will be important for the Tutor, together with Tutors International, to set up and maintain a record of achievement and an assessment model that allows the student, her mother, and other adults responsible for her wellbeing easily to understand and follow, and especially for the student to engender a sense of continual success and improvement in her own academic developments.

This is a full time position and, as far as possible, learning must follow a carefully planned timetable. The Tutor should expect to work around thirty-five 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 and the student's other activities.

Furnished accommodation will be arranged for the Tutor in all locations. In California, this will be the guesthouse on the family's property. At their Colorado, Florida, and Bahamian properties, it is likely either to be a room in the family home or a local apartment or hotel room.

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, laundry or personal telephone usage, except insofar as they are needed for tutoring purposes or take place during tutoring times.

If the Tutor is an American, it is expected that he or she will bring his or her own car to California (the cost of this transport will be covered by the Client). In all other locations, the Client will provide access to transportation as required. If the Tutor is not American, it is essential that he or she has a full, clean driving license, and that as soon as possible after taking up the position, she or he will obtain a California driving license.

The Tutor must be fit and healthy, and a non-smoker. Due to the locations of the role and the types of activities the family and student enjoy, the Tutor must be competent and comfortable in a variety of aquatic environments. While there is no expectation that the Tutor must be able to do all the same sports as the student, it would be helpful if he or she would at least be willing to have a go, when the occasions arise, at joining in with swimming, snorkeling, surfing, jet-skiing, scuba diving etc. He or she should also be comfortable aboard a range of different boats including small sailing boats, catamarans and larger motor yachts.

The Tutor must be organized, self-reliant, and independent. They should not require ‘hand-holding' for any aspect of the position. This role requires a Tutor who is flexible and able to adapt their plans to the different locations and the needs of the family without fuss. However, although independence in daily self-management is essential, the Tutor should appreciate that she or he is one of a team of people involved in the student's treatment and academic programs. The Client will manage this team, and the Tutor should expect to receive guidance from a number of different professionals, perhaps through a liaison assigned by the Client.

The family has a number of horses and a range of small and large dogs. The Tutor must be comfortable working in an environment with these animals.