Yvelines, France (PAR 0522)

The young lady is first and foremost a dedicated and passionate equestrian. She rides daily where possible and cares deeply for her own horse and other animals. Horse riding encompasses many areas of her life, from friendship groups and competitions, to Instagram promotion solicited by small brands to include her in their publications. Whilst a career as a professional rider would be a dream come true for the student, she is also a realistic, conscientious student who values her studies and desires a solid, all-round education to allow for further study beyond the French baccalauréat.

The student attended pre-school in Paris and another school in the south of France, before embarking on a bilingual French/English route at an international primary school from the age of nine to twelve. Since then, she has slightly digressed in English, having re-entered the French system. During the pandemic, her average scores suffered, most likely given the disorganised and inadequate approach to online tuition offered by her school. She also perhaps failed to thrive in a school environment of forty students per class, in which she negated participation in order to avoid offering wrong answers or embarrassing herself. A lack of self-confidence towards school generally hindered her progress but she has been able to catch up and flourish under the guidance of another TI Tutor over this last academic year.

She is a perfectionist, neat and organised in her notes and serious about improving her grades and recovering her level of English; the standard of English is definitely one of the challenges. Sensitive to anything which knocks her confidence, the young lady responds well to patient teachers who she can trust. She is most at ease with non-authoritarian individuals whom she can openly question when unsure. Most of the time, she enjoys the fun, caring approach of her horse riding coach, for example. However, even he does not strike the ideal balance in terms of tuition and motivation, often making her feel annoyed or demotivated when criticised or in need of further explanation.

Despite any struggles, the student is strong-willed and diligent, with good judgement and a mature ability to understand different people and adapt to a range of situations. She enjoys participating in a theatre group as a confidence-booster and in good preparation for public speaking or interviews. She has largely outgrown any separation anxiety from her mother when visiting her father and siblings. She does, however, feel sad that her father cannot attend horse riding competitions and generally struggles to leave her own horse. Like most young people her age, she loves to spend time with her friends, most of whom form part of the equestrian community. Further hobbies include surfing in the summer, along with golf and tennis with her father.

The Tutor will have in-depth knowledge of the economics A level syllabus and ideally a strong command of French, which is spoken at home. The Tutor will need to work alongside another tutor already in situ to design and deliver a suitable timetable, that will inevitably need to be adapted when travelling and competing. They will be highly organised in consolidating the student's knowledge and bringing her up to date with her studies. They will offer tailormade resources to tackle any difficulties that she is experiencing, and ultimately, extend her expertise in line with or beyond that of her peers. It will be essential that the Tutor work as efficiently as possible, distilling the work to the minimum the student needs for a good grade. There is simply no time for busy-work!

The Tutor will also need to help develop the student's English towards a native level. Whilst currently testing at upper intermediate (B2) level, outside of her limited class time, she is not exposed to very much English at all. The Tutor will be expected to encourage more reading and watching of English-speaking films and documentaries outside of the formal teaching time to help her expand her vocabulary and understand more cultural references. This of course will generally improve her attainment across the board. She is capable of reaching high expectations and becoming a fulfilled individual ready to take her exams before graduating, after which business and law are potential choices for higher education.

Whilst the Tutor will be mindful to limit mobile phone time where possible, it is important that the young lady become fully computer-literate. The tutor will use technology and devices appropriately for academic discovery and digital presentation of work produced. The Tutor will also be aware of prerequisites and pathways available to the student with her possible subject choices in mind for higher education, be that in France or internationally.

A passion for animals or horse riding would certainly enhance the student-tutor bond for the young lady. The tutor must certainly be considerate and accommodating of travel and competitions required of her level of practice, which often entails excursions of three weeks and may be assisted by the Tutor. There are usually six possible trips per year, and these could include Spain, Belgium and Italy. A degree of flexibility is thus required of the Tutor, along with the ability to adapt the classroom provided in the family home and create online or remote resources when travelling. Changing locations will always provide new areas of exploration and inspire diverse teaching and learning opportunities.

The Tutor will be sharing a full-time home-schooling timetable with another tutor doing a different A level and so will likely rarely exceed 20 contact hours per week, with preparation time in addition.

The Tutor will be provided with furnished accommodation in Yvelines, close to the family’s home. Apart from the Tutor’s personal telephone use, the Client will cover all bills regarding accommodation and travel. The Client will also provide accommodation when travelling and a vehicle for the Tutor to facilitate the short commute whilst in France.

It is likely that the Client will provide a stipend for accommodation and the Tutor will need to make arrangements themselves – this will not be done for them by the Client.

The family may opt for the Tutor to accompany the student on her trips abroad. These competitions can occupy several weeks of the year therefore the Tutor will need to be flexible and willing to adapt the schooling schedule accordingly.

The successful candidate will be an experienced educator, an enthusiastic role model and most importantly, sensitive and patient in their approach to teaching. The Tutor should be a personable professional who fits seamlessly into the household, upholding excellent manners, personal values and promoting a positive and interactive learning experience.

The Tutor must be fit and healthy and a non-smoker.