Six-Figure Tutors Teach Toddlers to 'Be British'

Published: ২৭ October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

In a brightly lit nursery somewhere in north London, an extraordinary tutoring arrangement is being made. A private tutor, capable of quoting Shakespeare and versed in the finer points of British etiquette, will soon earn an astonishing £180,000 a year to teach a one-year-old child how to “be British.” The job description, listed by Tutors International, might seem absurd at first glance—after all, the child has barely mastered the words “mama” and “dada.” But for this ultra-wealthy family, it marks the beginning of a decade-long project to cultivate what they describe as “a truly bicultural child” destined for Britain’s most elite schools, including Eton, Westminster, and Harrow.

According to the advert, the tutor’s mission is to create a “comprehensive British cultural environment” for the young boy. Working five hours a day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the governor or governess will introduce the child to “quintessentially British experiences,” carefully shaping his habits, tastes, and sporting preferences. The goal: to transform him into what the ad calls “an English gentleman.”

For many, the concept borders on parody—like a plot from a P. G. Wodehouse novel—but it underscores how deeply Britishness continues to be valued among the global elite. Adam Caller, founder of Tutors International, says such demands are common among the world’s wealthiest families, especially those from non-British backgrounds who see British manners, accent, and culture as a mark of distinction. The caller explains that this family, who are not themselves British, hopes to retain the tutor for the next decade, guiding the child until he reaches adolescence.

“They tried something similar with their older son,” Caller says, “but they started when he was five—and by then it was too late.” According to him, the first three years of life are critical. “Children absorb enormous amounts between one and three,” he explains. “Accent, tone, and cultural nuances must be ingrained early if you want them to sound authentically British.”

Caller notes that the family insists on receiving pronunciation—the so-called “Queen’s English.” “They don’t consider Liverpudlian or Newcastle accents as truly English,” he says. “Whether we like it or not, there’s still a perception that certain accents sound better educated.”

James Mitchell, co-founder of Think Tutors, another agency catering exclusively to clients with net worths exceeding £150 million, confirms that many families demand not just linguistic fluency but cultural pedigree. “They often say they want someone who behaves like a member of the Royal Family or a Tory peer,” Mitchell says. “And if they name someone specific, it’s almost always Prince William.”

Academic credentials are equally important. “They need to have attended elite day schools or top boarding schools, followed by Oxford, Cambridge, or sometimes Durham,” Mitchell explains. “They also need to be worldly—comfortable on yachts, in chalets, or flying privately. They can’t be overawed by luxury.”

Despite Britain’s many economic and social struggles, the allure of its mannerisms and etiquette remains powerful. Mitchell says that while his agency works with many qualified American tutors, wealthy families prefer British candidates. “Parents just aren’t interested in Americans,” he admits. “They want the accent, the manners, the calm confidence.”

While this particular position is based in London, many of these tutors—known as governors and governesses—spend much of their time abroad, often in the Middle East or Asia. Tom, a British governor employed by Duke & Duchess International, has spent the past five years working for an ultra-wealthy Dubai-based family. “The children were two and three when I started,” he recalls. “I rotate with another governor—two weeks in Dubai, two weeks back home.”

The lifestyle comes with enormous rewards. Though the £180,000 salary advertised by Tutors International raised eyebrows, Mitchell says such figures are standard in this exclusive market. “These aren’t your average £80-an-hour tutors,” he explains. “Many of them could be earning similar sums as quantitative analysts or corporate lawyers, so the pay has to compete.”

Still, the lucrative salaries have attracted opportunists. “Not everyone is genuinely posh,” says one education consultant who sources candidates for affluent families. “Some just act the part. There are a lot of charming men who reinvent themselves as etiquette experts after learning on the job.”

Even nannies in these circles earn upwards of £120,000 a year, the consultant notes, while governors command significantly more. Their curriculum combines academics with life lessons, cultural education, and strict training in manners. “It’s etiquette that they really want,” says Tom. “Politeness, patience, general good manners—traits many English people take for granted but which are highly prized abroad.”

However, teaching British manners to children raised in entirely different cultural settings can be challenging. “These families have their own traditions,” Tom says. “When I show up and insist that children eat with a knife and fork or hold conversations at the dinner table, it’s completely new to them.”

Developmental gaps can also be stark. “Some five-year-olds are still being spoon-fed,” says another governor. “By seven, they may still act like toddlers because they’ve been so indulged. Often, I’m the first adult to enforce any kind of discipline or standard.”

Ryan McBride, a privately educated former army officer, has worked as a governor for years. He sees his role as part tutor, part role model. “I teach self-reliance—looking people in the eye, standing up when introduced, showing respect,” he says. In the UK, McBride often takes his young pupils to museums and galleries but also introduces them to everyday life. “We walk instead of being chauffeured. We go to shops, buy things with cash, and take the Tube. It’s about helping them experience normality.”

Not every assignment goes smoothly. One governor, who asked to remain anonymous, recalled a recent job with a Kuwaiti family who relocated to London for the summer. “The boy was seven, and his English wasn’t as strong as I’d been told,” he said. “His parents wanted him to become ‘a little English boy’ in three months. I just wanted to take him to the park to play football.”

Mitchell says many parents now begin the process even earlier. “Our youngest student is just 11 months old,” he notes. “A family in the Middle East hired a governess to work on motor skills, art, and basic English vocabulary.” As children grow older, lessons evolve to include topics like current affairs, politics, pronunciation, and eloquence.

“These children will eventually attend social events like Henley or Goodwood,” Mitchell says. “They’ll be expected to hold intelligent conversations with prime ministers or royalty. In that sense, the governor becomes more of a cultural attaché than a teacher.”

Behind the eccentricity lies a broader truth: British culture, or at least a romanticised version of it, remains one of the UK’s most marketable exports. For the ultra-rich, a polished accent, composed demeanour, and mastery of British manners symbolise prestige and refinement. And for the tutors who can deliver it, the rewards are as extravagant as the expectations.