Hire a Governess in London in the UK Internationally
Hire a Governess or Governor with Imperial, the leading Governess Agency and Governor Agency based in London, placing throughout the UK & Overseas.
Looking to hire a Governess? Now in our 29th year, we have extensive experience placing Governesses and Governors with families whose priority it is to support their childrens’ learning throughout their school career.
In this competitive world where children have continual and endless school demands and deadlines, families who require full professional academic support will choose to employ a Governess for their children. While this is an option for families with children aged 7 and older, we find some families would rather start earlier to ensure their child is fully supported giving their children an advantageous head start.
Governess Meaning
What is a Governess? A Governess will take a particular interest in the child’s intellectual development while of course providing the necessary care and structure for your childrens’ everyday needs.
A Governess is a Qualified Teacher employed by a family to teach their children in the private home. They can teach one or more children depending on the childrens’ ages, the size of the family and their educational requirements.
An Imperial Governess is placed with families who are looking for a professional to educate their children and nurture their educational, social, and creative development. They will set up a learning syllabus to ensure the children meet all their developmental and educational milestones.
Parents have the choice of employing a Governess as an addition to the children attending full-time school and supporting their Curriculum. Alternatively, parents can employ a Governess purely to home school their children for which we receive many requests.
As a leading Governess Agency, Hire a Governess, talk to our specialists today, call now +44 (0) 20 7795 6220!
Educating a child who attends school
For those children who attend school, parents employ a Governess to compliment the childrens’ learning. Working closely with the childrens’ school curriculum, they will tutor all subjects that are agreed with the parents and supervise homework.
By employing a Governess, the family can ensure they have consistent support for their children to reach their academic potential and will foster the childrens’ confidence in subjects which may have proved challenging.
Educating a child who is Home Schooled
Our Governesses can also teach children who do not attend school which we refer to as ‘home-schooling’. They will create and deliver a bespoke home-schooling program according to the family’s preferred Curriculum to enable the children to achieve the highest level of progress.
This could be for a fixed term of a minimum of one year while the parents are on location if filming or touring, or it could be that their lifestyle dictates this. This is usually the requirement of an UHNW family or Celebrity who prefers to retain their childrens’ privacy and who travels extensively.
We place our Governesses with both school educated and home schooled children. The Governesses can undertake either role and adapt seamlessly to the family’s requirements.
What is a Governor?
A Governor is a fully qualified teacher and is the male equivalent of a Governess. Some families with boys may prefer to employ a male role model and we can certainly facilitate this requirement. They range from those who specialise in Sports Education and teach specialist academic subjects to those who offer purely an Academic Curriculum.
How do we Select the Right Governess/Governor?
Some families prefer to employ a Governess who specialises in their childrens’ age group, ie an Infant Teacher for the younger children and a Senior School Teacher for children aged 11+ years. Regardless of the age range, we are able to match the right Governess to teach according to the family’s preferences.
The Educational Curriculum
Our Governesses are educated and qualified to teach either the National Curriculum in England or the International Baccalaureate.
The National Curriculum in England is set out below:
- Early Years Foundation Stage (from birth to 5yrs)
- Key Stage 1 (5-7yrs)
- Key Stage 2 (7-11yrs)
- Key Stage 3 (11-14yrs)
- Key Stage 4 (14-16yrs)
- Key Stage 5 (16-18yrs)
The International Baccalaureate (IB) stages are set out below:
- Primary Years Programme (3-12yrs)
- Middle Year Programme (11-16yrs)
- Diploma Programme (16-19yrs)
- Career-related Programme
What Schedule does a Governess work?
When working with school-eductaed children, she will take them to school and use part of her day to lesson plan before the children are back from school. She could work a 5 or 6 day week depending on the family’s preferences.
When working with children who are home-schooled, she will work a 5 or 6 day week and for a set number of hours similar to a school day. She may also enlist specialists to during the course of the day depending on her expertise and the parents’ requirements.
Some clients prefer to employ a Governess or Governor on a Rota basis where 2 will be employed and each will work a 7 day week for 2 weeks’ on and 2 weeks’ off. There will only be one on duty at any one time and with one ‘resting’ for 2 weeks while the other is ‘on duty’. This ensures continuous educational support and a smooth transition between the 2 Rota Governesses.
The Duties of your Governor or Governess
In addition to teaching, a Governess will supervise and care for her charges at all times. They will look after the childrens’ needs, welfare, development and health and safety. They will also provide basic first-aid, as required.
- Teach the curriculum such as English, Maths, Science, History and Geography*
- Organise your childrens’ timetable to study, take activities and sensible rest periods
- Teach your children to play a musical instrument(if musical), a language and a sport
- Prepare your children for school assessments/exams at selective schools
- Recruit specialist Tutors where necessary
- Make suggestions for your childrens’ reading list
- Teach self-awareness, creativity, manners and social etiquette
- Prepare meals and attend to household errands relating to the children only*
- Diary and wardrobe management
- Purchase the childrens’ clothing including their school uniform
- Arrange and accompany your children to age appropriate and enjoyable activities such as football, tennis and swimming
- Organise and accompany your children to educational outings, museums, art galleries, the theatre and sporting activities
- Take your children to and from nursery/school either by driving or by being driven
- Liaise with your childrens’ teachers
- Respect your wishes to work with specialist tutors and the family Nanny to meet objectives, through progress and development
- Teach during the school holidays even when travelling according to your wishes
- Build a trusting relationship with you by communicating and observing confidentiality at all times
- Accompany your children on family holidays or travel alone with them to other locations and homes
- Keep you up-to-date with your childrens’ progress and milestones
- Recommend age appropriate educational toys and games
- Provide proxy parenting when required
What’s the difference between a Nanny and a Governess?
A nanny will work with babies aged 3+ months, pre-school and school-aged children taking care of their everyday needs and supporting their developmental milestones. A Governess on the other hand will be employed for children aged 5+ years and will be more focussed on the childrens’ education and personal development.
For those clients unsure which professional would be the best for their family, our consultants will talk through family’s requirements and will advise you accordingly.
Governess & Governor Qualifications
Governesses will work alongside the childrens’ school(s) to keep fully up-to-date with the childrens’ schooling as well as their academic and creative demands. They range from being very experienced Nannies in their 30’s or 40’s to those who hold any of the qualifications listed below:
- 3 years private household experience for UK placements and 5 years private household experience for overseas placements
- Qualified primary or secondary school teacher
- Specialised degrees
- Foreign Language (TEFL)
- English as a Second Language (TESOL)
A Governess will expect to work up to 10 hours per day 5 or 6 days per week depending on the family’s requirements. Salaries do depend on the Governess’s age, experience and qualifications.
Governess and Governor Rates of Pay
Country locations
Live-in Governess – £750pwn – £900pwn
Live-out Governess – £20phn – £40phn
London
Live-in Governess – £900pwn – £1200pwn
Live-out Governess – £40phn – £60phn
*Depending on expertise of the Governess
As a leading Governess Agency and Governor Agency, talk to our specialists today, call now +44 (0) 20 7795 6220!
