There are two children, boys aged 10 and 8. The boys get on exceptionally well with one another. They are kind, bright and gregarious, and clearly hail from a supportive and nurturing family. Both children are warm and caring – they share many interests and are very respectful of one another as well as of their parents. The boys will benefit from a Tutor who is enthusiastic, willing to listen to questions and join in with investigating answers together, rather than someone who just didactically explains concepts.

Both boys currently attend a day school in London, which, although it has a good reputation, is not pushing either boy academically. The older boy had one superb teacher in his first year, but the standard of teaching has not been replicated across the school and his education since has been rather unremarkable and lacklustre. Academically, he is generally doing well at school, but he has capacity to do so much better under the guidance of an inspiring and enthusiastic Tutor.

The older boy has cited his current maths teacher as being his least favourite teacher. Apparently, she is neither very knowledgeable or inspiring, nor does she display kindness or a caring attitude towards her class. As a result, he is in danger of being turned off the subject completely – indeed, while he is evidently a capable student, he already displays signs of not working as hard as he perhaps should during maths classes.

The younger boy is a tremendous bundle of fun and interest. He has a unique way of looking at the world and can be rather lateral with his thinking. He is bright, sharp, and keen to absorb information. He responds well to confident teachers who have a great depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject. He enjoys school, and like his brother, is doing well but not being stretched enough by his current teachers. He seems to have a natural aptitude for mathematics, and will likely overtake his brother at some stage unless the older brother’s enthusiasm can be reignited. With the right guidance, both boys will flourish under private tuition.

The family are normally based in London and are invested in the British private school model of education. However, their international backgrounds (the parents are from Sweden and Germany) have brought subtly different values to the family table – the tri-lingual nature of family life being just one example. In particular, they embrace key aspects of the Nordic lifestyle including a love of nature and the wilderness alongside an interest in technological advances. They are very family-centric and have no televisions in any of their houses.

The boys are typically energetic and active, enjoying a range of sports including karate along with computer games. They enjoy football, shooting and fishing, as well as board and word games. They clearly have a huge amount of respect for their parents and the knowledge that adults can share with them both. They are spirited young people, and will be a pleasure for a talented and creative Tutor to work with.

This position requires an energetic, enthusiastic and interesting teacher who has experience working with children of these ages. This is a serious, full-time role for an experienced Tutor, and although the position is based mainly in Sweden and Switzerland, there will be significant travel opportunities across Europe and to destinations as diverse as Kyrgyzstan and Mozambique.

The ultimate aim is for the boys to be accepted into a highly prestigious public school. During the year, the Tutor must deliver a rigorous curriculum which keeps the boys at the very least on a par with their peers in London. The focussed teaching available to the boys in this role should deliver much better than simply maintaining ground. The Tutor must also have significant experience of the 11+ exam and prepare the older boy for competitive entry exams on his return, as well as setting the groundwork for his younger brother to follow in his footsteps. The Tutor must have in-depth experience of the standards expected at good private schools, and will most likely have been educated in one themselves. He or she must be able to deliver all of the core subjects to a high standard, stretching the boys both in terms of depth of knowledge, and also in terms of breadth of subjects.

The ideal Tutor will have excellent French and at least a basic grounding in Latin. Basic German may also be useful for the Tutor, and a willingness to learn a little Swedish will stand the Tutor in good stead. It would be helpful if the Tutor shared some of the family’s interests (for example, skiing or martial arts). Additional talents or skills that the Tutor can share with the family would also be welcome.

The Tutor will also need to be comfortable living and teaching in an environment which may feel quite isolated – although only 35 minutes from the nearest town, living in rural Sweden can feel very remote. Indeed, the family’s preferred travel destinations all share an element of remoteness, which is a trait that does not suit everyone. The Tutor must embrace a pace of life quite different to that of an English school teacher. They must be self-sufficient, able to enjoy their own company, but also be proactive and able to take advantage of what each location has to offer (such as allmansrätt in Sweden).

The family are keen to retain a sense of routine and as far as possible, the school days should follow a regular pattern. The day is likely to start at 8.30 am, with lessons continuing until lunch. The afternoon will see an additional couple of hours of structured activity, with an hour of homework set each day. Different locations may demand certain flexibility in this regard, but for the most part the contact hours with the Tutor should follow a set pattern. The family are happy for the Tutor to integrate subjects, and would like the Tutor to make full use of technology in their lessons. This technology should not be limited to simply learning to use a computer, but should be expanded to include a diverse range of technological elements such as learning about aerodynamics and piloting skills through flying a drone, using camera footage from the drone to make a short film, writing and recording a script to accompany the film and so on. Technology should be used wherever is appropriate.

The family anticipate the boys re-joining mainstream education from September 2018. The plan is to give both boys excellent foundations for academic success on re-joining their peers, ideally at the top end of their respective classes. To this end, the Tutor should aim to deliver an education that is very broad without increasing the depth of subject knowledge too far beyond what is age appropriate. This balance can be achieved by extending the number of subjects covered to include things like photography, astronomy and geology, as well as giving them a solid basis in practical subjects such as household engineering (how to hang shelves and fix hinges etc.) alongside crafts such as backwoodsman skills, knots and first aid.

This role will suit a Tutor who has a superb academic record, and who can embrace the challenges of working in remote areas. The Tutor must be organized, self-reliant, and independent. They should not require hand-holding for any aspect of the position, even if technology lets them down or their lesson plans for the day fall through. The Tutor will be able to develop an educationally rich program of study that allows for project based learning as well as more traditional class-based lessons. They must also be an excellent record-keeper.

The Tutor must be fit and healthy, a non-smoker. They must be comfortable working in an environment with dogs and cats, as well as other animals. He or she should be a natural communicator with a kind and caring disposition, and a firm-but-fair approach to their work.

Given the remote locations, it is important that the Tutor has a valid driving license and is a confident driver.

The Tutor will typically work with the boys for about 30-40 hours over 5 days each week, with preparation in addition. The timetable must be established with reference to the family’s travel plans, and be flexible enough to accommodate unexpected changes. As far as possible, a consistent pattern should be established, with some periods of formal classroom study as well as activity-based learning.

The Tutor is entitled to two consecutive days off per week, but should not expect these to occur at weekends or to be regular in their timing. As far as possible the Client will try to give the Tutor at least a week’s notice of when their weekend break will be, but the Tutor will need to understand this is not always possible. The standard minimum 9-week (45 working days) paid vacation allowance applies to this contract, with these breaks being taken at times convenient to the Client.

Any untaken vacation allowance or untaken weekend days that have accrued will be compensated by payment in lieu at a pro-rated day rate.

As far as possible, the Tutor will be given their own accommodation away from the family home. In Sweden, this is likely to take the form of a small, local house or apartment being rented for the Tutor. When travelling, however, accommodation will vary, with some locations requiring the Tutor to live-in with the family in a rented house, and other locations where the Tutor will have their own hotel room. Save for the Tutor’s personal telephone use, the Client will cover all bills on their accommodation.

Wherever possible and appropriate the Client will provide for the Tutor to have access to a car for their local personal use. While travelling, the Client will reimburse the Tutor for all local public transport and any travels costs incurred while away from the family home.

The successful candidate will be able to offer more than the minimum requirements of this position and must have been raised in a socially appropriate background. He or she will not only be an excellent educator, but also a good role model: educated and polished, with excellent manners and personal values.