Private Tutor

Students: A boy, aged 6

Overview
An experienced and broadly capable educator is required to work with a boy aged 6, starting as soon as possible or September at the latest. The position is in Oxford, though there may some travel. The boy is following the British private school curriculum, preparing for 7+ entrance exams in January 2016. He needs to be in a strong position to continue his education in his new school from September 2016.

Students
The boy is delightful, engaging, curious about how things work, and interested in the world in general. His parents are erudite, intelligent and well educated with a global perspective that encompasses philosophy, music, philanthropy, the arts and education. There are clear signs that their son has inherited his parents’ work ethic and breadth of interests. In September 2014, the boy and his mother relocated from China. The boy coped well with the move, settling quickly into his new school where the staff say that he is doing well. However, it is clear he could be doing much better.

The family would like their son to attend a high calibre prep school from September 2016, and need to prepare him well both for the entrance exams in January 2016, and for his continuing academic life in the new school. The boy is not currently in a position to make a competitive application to the school of his choice. There are gaps in his knowledge, not caused by lack of ability, but rather lack of opportunity. His early years education has been very different to that of his peers, and his experiences to date have not matched the standards and norms of British private schools. This difference of experience needs to be addressed so that he is in a strong position going into the exams.

The boy is fluent in Mandarin and English, and has just started learning French. He also has piano lessons, sings well, and enjoys listening complex music such as orchestral performances. He is a member of a local drama school, which he thoroughly enjoys, as well as showing a certain aptitude in art. Switching from a Mandarin speaking environment to an English school has left him lagging behind his peers in certain areas such as reading, where he is currently on level 7 of the Oxford Reading Tree while his peers are on level 12. He is also slightly awkward in conversation - he understands broad topics, but needs to improve his listening skills and learn to answer the questions he is asked. There are no concerns regarding his attention, but he would benefit from help understanding the nuances of spoken English.

The boy’s mother is also keen to improve her English, and is hoping to take advantage of having a Tutor working with her son. She is already receiving tuition for her pronunciation and linguistic ability, but would like to learn about English literature, social sciences and philosophy. The Tutor should be comfortable working with both a primary aged child, and an intelligent, cultured and motivated mature student.

Role of the Tutor
The best pathway for the boy’s education has yet to be decided, and it may be that the tutoring starts down one pathway, and then switches to another at a later stage. It is therefore important that the Tutor is flexible and adaptable in their working style. They should be equally effective taking full control of the boy’s education as they are when supporting and extending the work set at school.

The full role of the Tutor will take one of three forms: Full time home schooling, full time supplementary after school and weekend support, or part-time home schooling and supplementary after school tutoring. On the full days of tutoring, the family envisage 2-3 hours of intense and rigorous academic work during the mornings, followed by structured afternoon activities that are designed to be both educational and fun. The Tutor is encouraged to take the boy to London or other locations as well as places in Oxford that enhance his education.

The Tutor should be comfortable working to the highest levels of a competitive curriculum. They should have first hand knowledge of the requirements of top-level private schools, and experience teaching children to pass the exacting entry examinations. They should be able to explain concepts simply and effectively, targeting weak areas and helping to plug any gaps in knowledge. They should be eloquent and able to inspire the children with their enthusiasm for any subject, and they should have experience of the kind of tests that the boy is preparing for. The Tutor is also required to help the boy learn good manners and better techniques for interacting with people - he can be prone to avoiding eye contact, and his non-verbal communication needs to be brought up to a standard where he can properly acculturate with his peers.

While the primary focus of this role is the boy, the Tutor should not neglect his mother’s wish to benefit from the time with a British Tutor around. Accordingly, the Tutor should be erudite, interested in their world, and passionate about something at a more mature level than that needed by the boy. The Tutor should be an exceptional role model; diplomatic, polite and friendly at all times. They should be organised, inspiring, efficient and flexible in their work. The Tutor must speak and write impeccable English and hold a recognised teaching qualification.

Hours, Holidays, Travel and Accommodation
The Tutor will work an average of about 50 hours per week with preparation time in addition. They will be entitled to two consecutive days off per week, though these will not always be on weekends. Untaken holiday entitlement will be compensated for at the end of the contract.

The Tutor may be asked to accompany the family when they travel, which is quite frequently. During any periods of travel the Client will be responsible for all the Tutor’s travel and accommodation expenses, and for all meals during times where the Tutor is accommodated in a hotel. The family does have a driver whose services can be used to take the boy out. If necessary, the Client will rent a car for the Tutor.

The Client will provide separate, furnished accommodation in the form of a coach house on the Client’s property. This accommodation will have Internet access. A room in the family home will be made available solely as the schoolroom in the event of any periods of home schooling.

It is essential that the Tutor is a non-smoker, is fit and physically active and leads a healthy lifestyle.

For a full job specification and instructions for how to apply, please visit; tijobs.net/406 

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