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Original poster

Nanny Education

66 replies

nannynick · 31/01/2009 22:29

This is a question for parents really, rather than nannies themselves - though of course you can all chip in your views

When choosing a nanny, do you look at what educational achievements the nanny has?
For example, do you look at what grades a nanny got when they were 16 - so in my day those exams were called GSCEs. Do you look at what A-Levels/Higher Education courses they may have done? Do you consider what school they went to - some nannies may be private school educated.

What are your thoughts... do you take any of those things into account when selecting a nanny?

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Tavvy · 01/02/2009 13:23

Yeah I do. I love being a nanny so much but I also love academics so I enjoy studying too and it's always good to learn new things. Keeps me on my toes.
There's been some really interesting points raised here. With regards to experience a lot of my experience has been in schools, nurseries and childrens centres as well as a nanny and I'm always being told that's irrelevent. I don't feel it is as it means I've worked with a huge range of children and parents, have knowledge of the education system - how children succeed and fail within it and how to help - why is it irrelevent? Genuinely curious with this thread.

Blondeshavemorefun · 01/02/2009 13:19

supernanny19 - all parents have seen my certicates - they are in my folder that i take to interviews,along with cv, ref,first aid,crb and recently a wedding certicate as everything i had done is in my maiden name

Original poster
nannynick · 01/02/2009 11:50

Tavvy - that's impressive, you must love doing courses.

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Tavvy · 01/02/2009 11:45

My A levels are in psychology, sociology and human physiology. I find them beneficial to childcare as they cover the main three facets child development is mostly made up of.
Level fours in genetics, child and adolescent nutrition, early years practice, child psychology and currently studying as a child and adolescent counsellor.
I find it really relevent to have a strong academic background in child development as well as experience. Not saying you can't be a fab nanny without it - just my opinion.

SAMS73 · 01/02/2009 11:42

I would say NNEb or a cache diploma. first aid certificate. Really dont care how or what they did in their A levels butvwould prefer lot of hands on experience.If they have any additional qualities ( not qualifications) it is a bonus.Say eg., if they enjoy arts-lots of activities for children, visit to museums, exhibitions. music- children singing,help witheir music. if they enjoy cooking- children get good healthy meals, may be i will also learn a thing or two from the.TBH how many of us do jobs related to our degree/qualifications.

Supernanny19 · 01/02/2009 11:42

Sorry just read what u said nannynick..Well in that case i have a degree in nursing and childcare

Supernanny19 · 01/02/2009 11:40

All the parents..Do you actually see the certificate or just the CV what it happens to be typed on ?

Original poster
nannynick · 01/02/2009 11:36

Not sure Teaching Pay Scale would work... as Nannies are not qualified teachers, so would always be on the Non-Qualified section of the Scale. Mind you, nannies do varying degrees of housework - so perhaps we could add some TLR.

However looking at the figures for non-qualified Teachers, there is quite a close relationship between that and nanny salaries. A non-qualified teacher outside of London is on 15k-24k, in Inner London that rises to 19k-27k. A nanny caring for children with Special Needs may well get a bit more money... so for example an additional 2K (Special Needs Level 1).

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BoffinMum · 01/02/2009 11:27

I know what you mean Nannynick. I think the main thing that affects nanny salaries is the salary of the mother of the family employing them.

I wish there was a mechanism whereby if you agreed to use teacher pay scales then you wouldn't have to pay the employer tax and NI! That way you could have a kind of nanny PGCE which would give nannies more respect and rewards.

tankie · 01/02/2009 11:24

I think it depends on the degree Nick, as some have practitioner options and some don't.

nannyL · 01/02/2009 11:21

My A Levels are not childcare related and my degress is Psychology so not really specifically childcare but not irrelevant either

A levels
Biology
Psychology
Economics

AS Statistics and sociology!

Original poster
nannynick · 01/02/2009 11:19

That raises an interesting discussion point... does the amount you pay a nanny affect the amount of education the nanny has? Not sure that reads right but I think you know what I mean.

Thanks Tankie, will look into that. Wonder if Ofsted accept it for Early Years Practitioner status.

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BoffinMum · 01/02/2009 11:14

Look, Nannynick, you know full well if you came into my life I would probably die with joy there and then, but that I also have to pay at the lower end of what's normal, and I reckon you're worth more ...

tankie · 01/02/2009 11:13

My degree is the BA hons Early Childhood Studies, rather than the Early Years foundation degree. Lots of universities do it, Bristol UWE, Birmingham, East London, Oxford Brookes - you can also do it through distance learning with East London and ICS, which is what I'm doing www.icslearn.co.uk/distance-learning-degree/education-studies/early-childhood-studies/

Original poster
nannynick · 01/02/2009 11:11

SAMS73 - What min requirements do you feel someone should meet so they can work as a nanny?
How the nanny responds to the children is of course also very important, we've had the Qualified Nanny v Non Qualified Nanny discussion in the past. What I wanted to test out was how much other non-childcare related education a typical nanny had - and what parents would expect them to have. 10+ years ago when I did my Nursery Nursing course, I felt that some students on that course were doing it because they couldn't get on to any other courses due to lack of GCSE grades. Times have changed and courses these days I expect have minimum entry requirements.

You are quite right, you should never hire a nanny just based on their qualifications. But does their educational background influence your decision to hire them?

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Original poster
nannynick · 01/02/2009 11:01

Tankie - who are you doing the degree with? Do they not require you to do at least 2 days in a nursery environment? May look into it again, if that requirement has been dropped.

Supernanny19 - some parents will want to look at certificates, others won't. Even when I meet families prior to babysitting for them, they often like looking through certificates.

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Original poster
nannynick · 01/02/2009 10:58

5 GCSEs A-C including Maths, English and hopefully even a Science if I was lucky.

Check, got that.

Childcare BTech from a good local FE college with good reference from tutor.

Check, got that... apart from the reference from the tutor - they didn't do written references 10+ years ago. Though thinking about it they probably did do something when I applied for my first job after finishing the course - but I didn't get a copy to keep on file.

Has had placements in a nursery and a home-based setting.
Check, got that.
It's part of the childcare course - my placements were in Pre-School/Nursery, Infant School, and with Childminders.

One or two extra skills that show native intelligence and motivation, eg couple of reasonable A'Levels, plays an instrument, in a sports team, speaks another language a bit, charity work, that kind of thing.

Check, got that I think.
Musical, helped at Cubs/Beavers for several years, no good at sports or languages though.

Mutterings about doing Foundation Stage EY degree of some kind in the future.
Check, got that... if you count...
how much? Are they joking? Why do I have to do work in nursery to do the course? Type mutterings!

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Supernanny19 · 01/02/2009 10:57

Do you actually see the real certificate or is it what she/he has told you?

tankie · 01/02/2009 10:57

No, I'm very similar to you nick - I have some good academic A Levels and actually left school wanting to become a psychologist, started a degree in politics (what was I thinking? ), realised I'd made a mistake so dropped out after a year, dithered about a bit and kind of fell into nannnying... It's a good few years on now and I am halfway through a degree in Early Childhood.

SAMS73 · 01/02/2009 10:54

As a mum what is more important is not the academic achievements - they should have the min requirements to be a nanny. What is more important is how they are going to be with your children, and whether they will be sensible and fun to be for the children. If the children look forward for the arrival of their nanny and go to them happily and are happy at the end of the day when you return- that is what you are looking for in an nanny.I would never hire a nanny just based on their qualifications.

Original poster
nannynick · 01/02/2009 10:52

NannyL, Tankie, Tavvy and any other nannies with A-Levels... are your A-Levels childcare related?

My BTEC HND in Computing isn't childcare related. I didn't intend when leaving school to be a nanny (well, my parents didn't want me to work in childcare).

Formal childcare training came later - CACHE Diploma in Nursery Nursing (NNEB), once I'd left home!

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BoffinMum · 01/02/2009 10:50

Final post I promise (should have done this in one big go, but I keep having thoughts!)

Ideal Nanny:

5 GCSEs A-C including Maths, English and hopefully even a Science if I was lucky.
Childcare BTech from a good local FE college with good reference from tutor.
Has had placements in a nursery and a home-based setting.
One or two extra skills that show native intelligence and motivation, eg couple of reasonable A'Levels, plays an instrument, in a sports team, speaks another language a bit, charity work, that kind of thing.
Mutterings about doing Foundation Stage EY degree of some kind in the future.

BoffinMum · 01/02/2009 10:43

Similarly if one turned up with a couple of indifferent GCSEs in non-academic subjects and not much else, I would be very unimpressed because that would not show much stickability, and nannying is a tough job IMO.

BoffinMum · 01/02/2009 10:41

Put it this way, if someone turned up with a PhD in physics to do the job, and no education or childcare qualification, I would be nervous, unless they were an accomplished parent themselves or something like that. But I would still prefer someone who had been to a local FE college most probably, because they would have better nanny networks and so on.

BoffinMum · 01/02/2009 10:39

I think I'd be after something on the childcare/EY/nursery nursing/psychology/teaching spectrum. It's one situation where vocational qualifications really count for a lot IMO, because that will have meant placements and hands-on experience outside college.