I’m sitting on the lawns of Wilbury House in Cambridgeshire, watching two-year-old Cece stack blocks and noting how she plays; observing whether her movements are coordinated and if she can talk about what she’s doing. I’m not sure I watched my own children so closely when they were at the block-stacking stage – I was more likely to step in and help build towers – but today I’m learning some of the skills it takes to be a professional nanny.
And not just any nanny: I’m learning from some of the best in the profession. My teachers are Louenna Hood, who has been a nanny to several royal families around the world, and Jess Martin, former nanny to high-profile families where bodyguards were part of their everyday lives. Both qualified 20 years ago, in 2006, from Norland, the famous nanny academy that turns out graduates who go on to work with some of the world’s most high-profile families. Princess Catherine and Prince William’s nannies have always been Norland trained.
Louenna and Jess are launching The Nanny Academy in January, which will run three month residential courses at Wilbury to teach nannying skills to 15 “exceptional” students at a time. Applications are already open. “There’s currently nothing like our course,” Louenna says. “Jess and I have done this for 20 years and we’re going to teach the things that you need. People will get a Level Three childcare qualification and over the three months they will gain hands-on experience so they feel confident going into a home, knowing they can wean a baby and potty train a toddler.”
