Rise of the Norland nanny

The young nannies arriving for their morning lectures at Norland College in Bath make quite a sight. Although the road is empty, they bank up along the pavement waiting for the lights to change. They are in their winter uniform of brown hat and gloves, hair in a neat bun; some push old-fashioned Silver Cross prams with plastic babies in them. Eventually the green man appears and the nannies cross.

These girls look as if they are being trained for a bygone era — and that is certainly part of their appeal — but they are well prepared for modern life. Founded in London in 1892, Norland College made its name providing nannies for British aristocrats and royals. Back then, a nanny might have stayed with a family over a lifetime, but these days it’s a career, not a vocation, so it’s normal to move on every few years. As a result, the new nannies are a different breed: ambitious, smart, middle-class. Often they’ve picked Norland over university — and given how many job opportunities the qualification provides, and how much you can earn, it can be a shrewd move. Moreover, a new type of employer now requires their services: the international elite. Much like British public schools, Norland nannies have become popular with rich foreigners who are desperate to do — and pay — whatever it takes to look the part.

The Edwardian-looking college uniform has been slightly redesigned to make it more practical, with the waistlines brought in to look more attractive. The girls are constantly reminded that they are neither au pairs nor lowly servants, but something more noble. Where once some of them might have been brought up by a Norland nanny themselves, others see it as a fast track to the high life, the modern equivalent of becoming an air hostess.