The student is a charming young man. He is an intelligent boy – quiet, introspective and keen to learn. He is perhaps a little immature in some respects, but he has a good attitude to school and is certainly curious about the way things work. He currently attends a private school in Rome, where recent changes of leadership and staff have led to a decline in the standard of teaching. Currently in year 5, he has been doing well up to now, but his parents can see that the teacher in charge of year 6 is simply not up to the task. Combined with their plan to have him attend a top level London private school from year 9 onwards, they can see that the school is no longer the best option for their eldest son. He is indeed woefully underprepared for the 13+ pre-test exams, but it is thought that he will be able to reach a much stronger position with the guidance of a full time private Tutor.

The student is effectively tri-lingual. He considers English to be his first language, though Italian is spoken at home. He also has French to a very high level. Although comfortable in English, there are undoubtedly areas that will need shoring up. He feels that his weakest area is comprehension, but while this is actually generally sound, he would benefit from the introduction of spelling mastery techniques. His writing skills are in need of attention – familiarity with how to write a 3-, and then a 5-paragraph essay, would serve him very well.

The student is mathematically able and is able to learn new concepts with ease. His number pattern recognition and verbal reasoning skills seem reasonable, but there is no real measure of his general knowledge or understanding of current affairs. These are certainly areas that the Tutor will need to work on before the pre-test this winter.

While the oldest boy is certainly the focus of this role in the short term, his twin siblings will also benefit from the oversight of a good Tutor. The younger brother and sister are 8 – they are bright, engaging and gregarious, well-travelled, enthusiastic and a delight to be around. They are both more vocal and energetic than their older brother (who can at times find their excess energy a little irksome) and they show an interest and curiosity in the world around them that their older brother is sometimes lacking. Both twins are coasting at school, and it would be of great benefit to them both to have access to a Tutor who can stretch them by introducing new subjects to study, or by bolstering their studies at their school through extension material in preparation for their own pre-tests in a couple of years.

Based primarily in Rome, the role has elements of travel involved including a 2-month period on the family’s yacht in the Mediterranean over the summer, and 3 months in San Moritz during the winter months.

This role calls for an able, calm, easy-going and well-qualified educator with a sense of humour, and an excellent track record in preparing students for entry exams. They will need to be well educated themselves, have first hand experience of British private schools, and an understanding of the standards maintained by top-flight UK secondary schools. He or she should have a passion for learning and a deep-seated enthusiasm for sharing knowledge.

The plan is for the Tutor to accompany the family on their motor yacht over the summer holiday. This will give the Tutor the opportunity to set good foundations ready for full time home schooling for the student on their return to Rome for the start of the 2019-2020 academic year. While the aim of this role is to get the student up to standard for the winter pre tests, the Tutor should be mindful that the period on the yacht is the family’s summer holiday, and as such their tutoring should be perhaps a little lighter and more creative than the tutoring they intend to deliver in Rome, using games and exploring port cities as part of their lessons. It could be a very inclusive experience for the family, with the student’s academic lessons skillfully woven throughout fun and engaging activities that create lasting memories of a great summer at sea.

While on the yacht, the Tutor will be regarded as one of the crew members, and not as a member of the family to be waited on by the crew. They should expect to have a small portion of their time (up to two hours a day) working as part of the crew under the direction of the Captain, and in crew uniform. Their work will be at the Captain’s discretion and will likely follow their interests where possible (for example, if the Tutor is interested in food, they may be asked to assist the chef). The tasks will not be menial, and the professional status of the Tutor will be respected at all times.

On returning to Rome, the tutoring will accelerate, and the intensity of the lessons will be increased. The idea is to warmly encourage the student rather than to ‘hot-house’ him – he will likely be far more responsive to tutoring when encouraged. It is believed that he will not respond well to high-pressure tutoring, which is fine in the short term, but it will be important to increase his tolerance to pressure to better prepare him for exam situations.

Given the flexibility of home schooling, the Tutor should aim to incorporate as much of the surroundings as possible into the lessons of the day, taking advantage of the location to bring alive a history, science or mathematics lesson, blending subjects where appropriate to reduce repetition, and inspiring and enthusing the student with the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. The Tutor will be responsible for planning a curriculum, setting a timetable, delivering lessons and assessing mastery. In the run up to the pre-test, the Tutoring must remain focused on exam success, though this can be done through a number of delivery channels and the lessons need not be dull or repetitive by any means.

Once the pre-test has been taken, both the student and the Tutor can afford to relax a little, branch out in the subject material and enjoy the opportunities that private tuition affords. The student is a bright young man, and there is no reason the Tutor can’t use this time to complete all of the material for year 6 – and perhaps even year 7 – while setting up solid foundations for the remainder of his academic career.

The family intend to spend three months of the winter in San Moritz, at which point the Tutor should also be providing lessons for the twins to ensure they remain on par with their peers in Rome. Again, the Tutor can use this time to deliver fun and creative lessons through various projects, creating lasting memories for the family.

The Tutor must be highly organised and an excellent record keeper. He or she should be able to provide evidence of the work covered and to what level should future school applications require additional assurance that standards have been maintained. The Tutor should introduce effective study methods, as well as revision strategies and stress management exercises that could help the student and the twins in their future lives – both academic and professional.

The Tutor should be an interesting and erudite individual, open minded, well-travelled and have experience of the British private school pathway. He or she will not only be a superb educator, but also a good role model: educated and polished, with excellent manners and personal values. They should be reliable and trustworthy, flexible regarding work schedules, and should have a genial temperament. It would be a bonus to find a Tutor who can bring extracurricular activities or skills that can be shared and enjoyed by the whole family, such as drawing, astronomy or debate. A sound knowledge of music and the ability to play an instrument will be very well received. Knowledge of Latin, as well as the ability to speak a second European language to a high level, will also be advantageous.

The Tutor is expected to work with the student for an average of 35 hours a week over five days, with preparation time in addition. The Tutor should anticipate that some weeks will be busier, but these should balance out with lighter weeks during the period at sea and after the pre-test season.

There should be no need for additional homework unless there is something specific that requires more practice. The days should normally follow a structured timetable which includes regular breaks, opportunities for sport, music, and other extracurricular activities. There may be occasions when flexible working hours are required, for example, to fit in with the family’s travel plans.

The Tutor is entitled to two consecutive days off per week which will usually be Saturday and Sunday. The Tutor may need to be flexible in this regard as there may be the odd occasion when the Tutor is required to work either on a Saturday or Sunday, but in these cases, the Client will try to give the Tutor at least a week’s notice of when their ‘weekend’ break will be. Untaken weekend days that have accrued will also be compensated by a pro-rated payment in lieu.

The Tutor will be entitled to a minimum of 9 weeks (45 working days) paid vacation per annum at times convenient to the Client.

While in Rome and San Moritz, the Tutor will be provided with their own private live-out accommodation. In Rome this is likely to be a small apartment somewhere close to the family home. In San Moritz, it may be a room in a hotel or a small apartment. All bills excluding the Tutor’s personal phone bills will be covered by the Client.

It is possible that the Tutor’s accommodation will also be used as the school room, so the Tutor must keep the area clean and tidy, with all resources well stocked and suitable displays up to help inspire learning. The Client will cover any travel expenses associated with this role, as well as meals and food during any periods of travel.

While at sea, the Tutor may have to share a cabin with another member of the crew.

Meals occurring during tutoring time will be covered by the Client if the Tutor eats with the family. Otherwise all meals are the Tutor’s responsibility and expense.

The Tutor must be fit and healthy, a non-smoker, without visible piercings or tattoos.

The Tutor must ensure that he or she has the requisite travel and health insurance, has received the required vaccinations, and has the necessary visas.