The role is often confused with a Nanny or a Tutor. It is a distinct role, although the boundaries can overlap, and the difference matters when you come to brief it.
A Governess is a private educator. The role exists for families who want a child’s education carried consistently through a home life that may include several residences, extended travel, or schooling that changes country. 19 London places Governesses for families in the UK and overseas, and many briefs begin with the same question: is it a Governess we need, or a Nanny with a teaching background? This piece sets out what the role covers, what it costs, and what to settle before interviewing.
Governess, Nanny or Tutor
A Nanny focuses primarily on care: daily routine, wellbeing, play, mealtimes, sleep and social development. In UHNW households the scope is often broader, taking in travel logistics, wardrobe and coordination with other staff.
A Tutor teaches a subject, normally in fixed sessions and often visiting rather than living in. The relationship is with the curriculum rather than the household.
A Governess focuses primarily on education: curriculum planning, structured learning, tutoring, language development and academic preparation, alongside the wider education that does not sit on a timetable, such as cultural education, etiquette and confidence in formal settings. The role is usually for children of school age. Candidates will generally hold a teaching qualification, often with a background in prep schools or international schools, and many positions are live-in, particularly where the family travels.
The three overlap at the edges. Some families employ both a Nanny and a Governess. Others want a Nanny with a teaching background who can blend care and education, or a Governess who will also cover a younger sibling’s day. Those are legitimate briefs, but the balance needs stating at the outset, because the candidates for a pure Governess role and for a blended one are different people.
When a Governess is the right hire
The clearest cases are families where education has to survive a complicated life: households that divide the year between residences in different countries, children preparing for entrance to particular schools while living abroad, families relocating between school systems, or a child who is being educated at home for a period, whether through travel, health or choice. A family maintaining a second language will often look for a Governess who teaches in it rather than a visiting tutor.
A typical brief looks something like this. A family with two children of eight and ten divides the year between London and a second home in Switzerland. The children attend school in London for the autumn and spring terms and are educated at home for the rest of the year. The older child is preparing for 13+ entry to a UK boarding school, and the family wants French maintained to a fluent standard throughout. The role is live-in, travels with the family, and works alongside an existing Nanny who covers the younger child’s routine. That brief calls for a qualified teacher with UK curriculum experience, a strong second language and a temperament suited to living in someone else’s household for most of the year. It is not a Nanny brief and it is not a Tutor brief.
There are also cases where a Governess is the wrong hire. Where care and routine remain the priority, a Nanny is usually the better fit. A child who is doing well at school and needs help with one subject needs a Tutor. And a family who mainly wants coverage between school and bedtime is describing a Nanny role with some homework support, which is a different and more common position.
What a governess recruitment agency should do for you
The value of an agency in this area lies in the brief and the vetting rather than the size of the candidate pool.
A proper brief covers the children and their current schooling, the family’s intentions for the next few years, where the household is based and how it moves, what other staff are in place, and who the Governess will answer to when the parents are away. Most disappointing placements trace back to one of those points being left vague.
Qualifications, references and appropriate background checks should all be verified rather than taken from a CV. Right-to-work status and any international visa requirements should be considered early and confirmed before employment begins. At 19 London, every childcare candidate is interviewed in depth and reference-checked, qualifications and first aid certification are verified and DBS status is checked, with background checks conducted as standard. We help define the scope of the role, the daily routine, the reporting lines and any boundaries with the family before any introduction is made.
A good agency will also be candid about timescales. A straightforward brief, a live-out role in London with a UK curriculum focus, will normally move faster than one that adds a second language, a particular school’s entrance process and extensive travel, because fewer people fit it. It is better to know that at the start.
How much does a Governess cost in the UK?
Salary depends on qualifications and experience, the number and ages of the children, the level of travel and flexibility expected, and whether the role is live-in or live-out.
As a 2026 guide, a Governess for a UHNW household commands £80,000 to £150,000+ gross per year. That is a wide range, and where a specific role sits within it comes down to teaching qualifications, language skills, international exposure, the demands of travel and length of experience with other UHNW families. A Governess with strong academic credentials commands a significantly higher salary than a Nanny in a comparable household, reflecting the educational scope of the role. Live-in positions include accommodation and meals in addition to salary.
Where the Governess is employed directly, families should also budget for employer National Insurance, pension contributions where applicable, payroll costs and any accommodation or travel provided with the role. Rota positions require a separate salary calculation because two Governesses are employed to provide continuous cover.
What to agree before interviewing
It is easier to settle these before candidates are involved than to negotiate them with someone you already like.
- The hours and the shape of the week, including how term time and school holidays differ.
- Live-in or live-out, and what live-in means when the household is travelling.
- The educational goals for each child, and how progress will be reviewed and with whom.
- Who the Governess reports to when the parents are away, particularly in a household with a House Manager or Chief of Staff.
- Where the role stops and the Nanny’s begins, if both are in place.
- Travel expectations, and the passport and visa position for the countries involved.
- Salary on a gross basis, how payroll will be run, and notice periods on both sides.
Common questions
Does a Governess need a teaching qualification?
For school-age children, usually yes. Families sometimes appoint an experienced graduate without a formal qualification for younger children or for a defined period, but for entrance preparation or a child educated at home, a qualified teacher is the sensible expectation.
Can a Governess also do childcare?
Some do, in blended Nanny/Governess roles for families with children of different ages. It should be stated in the brief and reflected in the salary, because it changes who applies.
Do Governesses travel with the family?
Frequently. Some roles involve a few weeks a year, others are based abroad or move between residences for most of the year. Settle this before interviewing rather than after.
How much does a Governess earn in the UK?
As a 2026 guide, £80,000 to £150,000+ gross per year for a UHNW household, depending on qualifications, experience, travel and the scope of the role.
Speaking to 19 London
If you are considering a Governess for your family, in the UK or overseas, our Childcare & Education team can talk through whether the role is the right fit and what the search would involve. If the need turns out to be a Nanny, we place those too. You can contact us here or call +44 (0) 203 576 3976.