There are two students, boys ages 12 and 10.

Both boys received rudimentary education through the Montessori system from an early age. Classes were of mixed ages and the boys have similar ability although they are at different levels of maturity consistent with their ages. They are confident readers and writers and enjoy basic mathematics. They have a thirst for knowledge and enjoy researching various topics for home-working. Both boys are sociable and enjoy challenge and new experiences.

The older boy is bright, lively, engaging, and is particularly articulate. He is empathic with those around him and has a clear sense of right and wrong. When he enjoys a subject, he has a huge capacity to learn; however, he is reluctant or finds it difficult to record information, preferring instead to use his memory. When he finds some subjects difficult to master, or when he is tired, he has a tendency to adopt avoidance strategies. He had struggled with reading and writing when he was younger, having being bullied at school and diagnosed with moderate to severe dyslexia at the same time (issues that he is coping very well with at this time). This had a huge impact in his character and personality and he suffered greatly from a lack of confidence and low self-esteem. Consequently, he was removed from school and has ‘flourished’ since being educated at home by his mother. He loves animals and nature and has a strong sense of moral justice. He prefers the company of adults and/or younger children with whom he does not have to compete. He is at the stage where he will benefit from the support of a knowledgeable, worldly, interesting Tutor who can motivate him in a mature and non-patronising manner and who is sympathetic to his personal needs.

His younger brother is an entirely different prospect altogether. Whilst he is also engaging and confident, he is introspective and quite considered in his outlook. He is not manipulative and prefers to knuckle down and get on with his work. Though both boys were in the same class at Montessori, the age gap and difference in maturity is palpable. The younger brother is very much the little boy. He is a steady learner and loves to challenge himself with quizzes, tricks and outdoor physical pursuits, especially with ball games and swimming. Academically, he reads well and his writing skills are improving all the time. He likes mathematics and loves to research general studies as he home works. He is ready in most respects to advance his studies and will benefit from the guiding hand of a dedicated teacher. Sometimes it seems as though he is overshadowed by his older brother and will steal himself away to a quiet space and play with his Lego or read his books, but he does know what buttons to press to get a reaction from his older brother. He loves video games and will have to be monitored if he is to be allowed any access to them at a future time.

On the whole, both boys are the best of friends and are very protective of one another. They have a wry sense of humour, are kind, gentle and honest. They will work well with the right encouragement. To get the best out of them, the Tutor must build trust and friendship, but still maintain the teacher-student boundary. Both boys also have other external interests (study groups, Latin, history, guitar and piano lessons) that must be allowed during their free times.

The Tutor will be employed full time and will have to prepare a curriculum that will first bring the children to the ISEB 13+ standard. Once these standards have been mastered, the Tutor should begin work on GCSEs in the following subjects as a minimum: mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, computing (programming and/or computer science), English, humanities, IT and French. The successful candidate will probably have strengths in the areas of science, maths and computer studies while being sufficiently competent across the remaining subject range.

The Tutor will be expected to work closely with the boys’ parents, not only because they know their children best, but also to ensure continuity between tutoring periods. Such an understanding of each of the children’s characters will be essential if the Tutor is to develop a highly personalised scheme of work and delivery methodology suited to the strengths of each student. This targeted and empathetic approach is one of the main reasons why this family chose to home-school their children.

The Tutor is to maintain a detailed record of works completed, progress reports and a strategic analysis of where to concentrate teaching and learning effort in order to achieve the desired result – examination pass results.

The Tutor will typically work with the students for 5 days per week, from 9am – 5pm. There will be a one-hour lunch break around 12.30pm and and other breaks taken as needed to maximise the learning. On occasion the boys will be out with their parents — this is time the Tutor should use for preparation and is not considered time off.

Unless there has been shown to be a clear need for homework to prepare for the following week, or in the run-up to exams, weekends should free of homework. The Tutor’s preparation time is in addition to these contact hours.

The Tutor will be entitled to a minimum of 9 weeks paid vacation per annum as per the Terms.

This is a live-out role and accommodation is not provided unless travelling with the family.

Travel, and all expenses this incurs, will be met by the family on all journeys where tutoring takes place.