Childcare
Hire the Best Governess
Education-focused childcare that supports academics, etiquette, and a child's broader development.
Overview
Why hire a governess
A governess is a trusted member of the household who guides a child's education and development. Where a nanny centers on daily care, a governess emphasizes learning, structure, and enrichment.
For families who prioritize academics and cultural development, a governess brings a considered educational approach. They support learning at home, reinforce etiquette and language, and work alongside tutors and schools.
In detail
What we place
What a governess does that a nanny does not
The line is education. A nanny centers on care, routine and wellbeing. A governess centers on a child's learning and development, and in practice that means structured academic support at home, language work, etiquette and social development, and enrichment planned rather than improvised.
Many governesses hold teaching qualifications or have taught formally. They work alongside schools and tutors rather than replacing them, and in internationally mobile families they are often the continuity that a changing sequence of schools cannot provide.
The households this suits
Families who prioritize academics, families raising children across more than one language, and families who move between countries or residences often enough that school alone cannot carry a child's development.
It also suits households with children at different stages, where one child needs academic structure while another still needs daily care. Some families run a nanny and a governess together, and where they do, the division of authority needs to be explicit. Children work out an ambiguity between two adults faster than the adults do.
Responsibilities
What a governess handles
- Academic support and structured learning at home
- Etiquette and social development
- Language development and cultural enrichment
- Coordinating with tutors and schools
- Planning educational activities and outings
- Establishing routines that support study
Who it suits
Households we place for
- Families prioritizing education and enrichment
- Ultra-high-net-worth households
- Multilingual and internationally mobile families
- High-profile individuals
- Families valuing long-term continuity
Questions
Frequently asked
A nanny focuses on daily care, safety, and routines; a governess emphasizes education, academic support, etiquette, and cultural enrichment, working with tutors and schools.
Every candidate undergoes reference checks and background verification before you meet them. References for a governess cover the academic side: supporting learning at home and working alongside tutors and schools.
Many do, though the range matters. A governess covering a six-year-old and a fifteen-year-old is doing two jobs, and it is worth being realistic about that in the brief.
Often yes, and for internationally mobile families it is usually the point. Confirm visa and travel expectations at the point of hire.
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