A governess educates school-age children inside a private household. She runs the academic side of the children’s day around their school schedule, teaches languages, and helps teach manners and social skills. She works inside the family, follows the parents’ rules, and has to earn the children’s trust before she can teach them anything.
This page gives you a full example job description to use as a template when hiring. See our hire a governess page for more details about the role. That page covers what governesses do day to day, salaries by country, the difference between a governess and a nanny, as well as how to hire one.
Example of a governess job description
Here’s an example brief for a full-time, live-in governess working with two school-age children in a London household, with regular travel to a second home in the South of France during school holidays. The role is a typical UHNW governess role – term-time hours around the school day, much longer hours during holidays, and a curriculum-led approach outside of what the school covers.
About the family
A high-net-worth family is hiring a governess for their two children, aged 7 and 10, both in private school in central London. The family also spends school holidays at a second home in the South of France, and the governess will travel with them. The household already has a nanny, who handles the children’s daily routine and care. The governess will lead the children’s education, languages, and cultural side of the day.
Responsibilities
During term time
- Collect the children from school and supervise homework and revision following the school’s curriculum
- Teach French and basic Spanish through conversation, reading, and structured activity
- Run after-school activities the children actually enjoy: museum visits, music practice, art projects, sport
- Help with manners, conversation, and how to greet adults at the dinner table
- Keep the children’s school, tutors, and other household staff (especially the nanny) updated on the children’s progress and routines
During school holidays
- Travel with the family to the South of France and stay with the children full-time
- Run a structured learning schedule for reading, languages, and cultural activities
- Plan and lead day trips and outings that build on what the children are learning
- Keep routines, language practice, and reading consistent while the family is away from London
Ongoing
- Send the parents regular written updates on each child’s progress
- Plan and source materials for upcoming weeks
- Coordinate with the nanny on handover times and the children’s routine
Requirements
Essential
- Minimum 5 years as a governess in a private household, or as a teacher in a private school with HNW family experience
- Native or fluent French; conversational Spanish a strong plus
- Degree or qualification in education, child development, or a related field
- Verifiable references from previous private families
- Up-to-date first aid and safeguarding certifications
- Comfortable travelling with the family for weeks at a time
Personal qualities
- Patience to teach a child who’s struggling, authority to keep them focused
- Warm but firm presence with the children
- Comfortable working alongside other household staff, especially the nanny, without being territorial
- Discretion about the family’s life
- Comfortable working with parents who are present and hands-on with the children’s education
Work conditions
- Full-time, live-in (private bedroom and bathroom in the London home; private suite in the France home)
- Term time: typically 3pm to 7pm weekdays, with weekend activities
- School holidays: full-time, including travel
- One day off per week during term, two during holiday weeks where possible
- Salary based on experience
Common variations on this brief
The example above is a standard UHNW governess role. The two variations we see most often:
- Nanny-governess (or “norland-style” hybrid). The brief covers both education and the daily care role. Common with younger children (4–8) where the family doesn’t want two separate hires. Norland College graduates are often the candidates families want for this version.
- Multi-property travelling governess. The family moves between three or more homes during the year, and the governess keeps the children’s education going across all of them. There’s no permanent base. Some of these roles include a part-time or shadow governess at one of the properties to share the load.
The biggest decision before you write the brief is whether you want a governess who teaches the school curriculum, or a governess who teaches a separate enrichment programme alongside the school. Both exist. The candidate market for each is different.
Using this job description
The details in this job description that you’ll need to be aware of when writing your own are the children’s ages, the languages required, whether the role is live-in or live-out, and whether the governess will travel with the family. Make sure you put your own specific details in there.
Jonathan de Vanderbilt, one of our recruiters at Morgan & Mallet, has flagged what makes the difference between a fast search for a governess and a slow one: “The fastest searches start with clarity. When a household can explain expectations at week two, month two, and month six, interviews improve and candidates self-select accurately.” For a governess role, the irregular hours (term-time vs holidays) are the part most worth being specific about. Vague briefs on schedule cost weeks of search time later.
Morgan & Mallet places governesses across the US, UK, Europe, and the Middle East. If you’d like us to refine a job description for your family, or help you hire, get in touch by calling +1(646)965-2308 or contact us online.
Looking for a position as a governess? Find the latest roles on the Morgan & Mallet job board.
This job description was reviewed by Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet International.