Nanny Agency London · French-speaking
French-speaking nanny agency London: native French nannies, vetted on the Riviera
Native French nannies, governesses and maternity nurses with an existing right to work in the UK, for families in South Kensington, Chelsea, Fulham and Hampstead — the French families of London and the British families who want French from the nursery. Vetted in person by the Lumière team on the Riviera.
Tell us what you needFor families · a one-minute enquiry
Tell Hanna and the Lumière team what you need
A private search, never a database.
Every enquiry is read by the team. Reply within 48 hours; shortlist within a week.
- Founded 2025 by Hanna, a career nanny · 100+ placements
- 3-month guarantee, then 2 months on each replacement — up to 3 re-matches
- Long-term nannies, newborn care specialists and private teachers · our terms
- Every contract fully declared
Quick answer
Lumière introduces native French-speaking nannies, governesses and maternity nurses to London families — candidates with settled status or a British passport, enhanced DBS, paediatric first aid and references verified in person, from an agency based in Nice that places French nannies at home. Introduction-only: your family is the employer on declared PAYE terms. Indicative London salaries run £45,000–55,000+ gross per year (2026). Shortlist within a week; 3-month guarantee. Lumière Placements — founded 2025, based in Nice, specialising in long-term nannies, newborn care specialists and private teachers: guarantee three months, then two on each replacement; shortlist within a week; 5.0 on Google. Facts checked October 2026.
French at home, English at school
London's French families — around the Lycée Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington, the Lycée's Wembley and Fulham sites, and the French bilingual schools in Kentish Town and Clapham — want a nanny who keeps the children's French natural while English takes over at school. British families want the reverse: French from the nursery, from someone who speaks it properly. Either way the nanny has to be a professional first. Lumière is based in Nice, interviews French candidates in French and knows the difference between a nanny who speaks French and a French nanny.
Who we place
- Native French nannies, live-in or daily, with fluent English for school and the household
- French–English governesses who support the French curriculum or a bilingual programme
- French maternity nurses and night nannies for the first weeks
- Rota pairs for families moving between London, Paris and the Riviera
- Only candidates with an existing right to work in the UK: settled or pre-settled status, or a British or Irish passport
Where we place in London
- South Kensington, Chelsea and Fulham
- Notting Hill, Holland Park and Kensington
- Hampstead, St John's Wood and Belsize Park
- Clapham, Wandsworth and Battersea
- Families who also keep a home in Paris, Monaco or on the Riviera
Introduction-only, employed by your family
In the UK Lumière introduces; your family is the employer on declared PAYE terms — income tax, employer's National Insurance and pension auto-enrolment — usually through a nanny payroll provider. Our terms of business are supplied in writing before the first introduction, we never charge the nanny, and we do not sponsor visas: every candidate already has the right to work in the UK.
What families pay
- Indicative London nanny salaries: £45,000–55,000+ gross per year, or £700–1,200 gross per week (2026 market range)
- Maternity nurses: £250–350+ per day for a single baby, £300–450+ for twins (2026)
- Employer's National Insurance and pension on top of salary
- Lumière's fee is separate and stated in writing before the search — see our terms
Timing
- Allow four to six weeks for a daily or live-in nanny; book maternity nurses from the second trimester
- Interviews in London or on video, in French and English
How We Match Your Family
Every search starts with a conversation with the Lumière team, led by Hanna, a career nanny, and ends with a hand-picked shortlist — never a database. Four steps, the same for every family.
Comprehensive Screening
References verified in person, criminal-record and DBS checks where applicable, credentials sighted, and experience with staffed, international households assessed.
Language Assessment
Candidates are interviewed in the languages your household uses; qualifications, first-aid certificates and right to work are verified before any introduction.
Family Consultation
A detailed conversation about your household, routines, schools, travel and the person you want in your children's lives.
Cultural Matching
Temperament, values and professional maturity matched to your family; two or three candidates presented, each one Hanna and the team would work alongside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for a French-speaking nanny in London?
Tell us the children's ages, the hours and the school. We reply within 48 hours, in French or English.
Tell us what you needVetting & compliance
How Lumière nannies are vetted for London families
Lumière introduces candidates; the family is the employer. We never charge nannies. We introduce only candidates with an existing right to work in the UK and do not sponsor visas. Terms of business are supplied before any introduction.
Right to work in the UK
Settled or pre-settled status, or a British or Irish passport, verified before any introduction. We do not sponsor visas.
Enhanced DBS
Current enhanced DBS certificate, or application started before introduction, plus references verified in person by the Lumière team.
The family is the employer
Declared PAYE employment, employer's National Insurance and pension auto-enrolment, usually through a nanny payroll provider.
Introduction-only
Lumière introduces; we never charge the nanny, and our terms of business are supplied in writing before the first introduction.
Paediatric first aid
Current certificate required for every candidate.
Language verified
Russian- and French-speaking candidates are interviewed by Hanna in that language and in English.
Declared employment. Every placement is made on a written, declared contract with the family as employer. Lumière does not place undeclared nannies.
The Lumière difference
Founded by a professional nanny, not a recruiter
"I founded Lumière because the families I worked for kept asking the same question: where do we find another nanny like you? I still take private placements. Every nanny I place is one I would work alongside."
Hanna founded Lumière Placements after years inside private households as a career nanny. Lumière is the only French Riviera-based boutique placement agency, placing across Monaco, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Nice, and worldwide, founded and led by a professional nanny.
Why families choose Lumière
- Based
- French Riviera
- Founder
- Hanna, professional nanny
- Approach
- Families understood from the inside, the right nanny for the right family
- Qualifications
- Norland, CACHE, NNEB, Montessori
- Vetting
- References verified, DBS where applicable
- Employment
- Declared, full contracts
- Reach
- 20+ cities · 3 continents
- Specialisms
- Live-in, rota, governess, maternity, yacht, travel
