Nanny Education

[nannynick]

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?

I'm 22 and have 10 GCSEs (9A/A* including 2 English, Maths and 3 Sciences) 3 A-levels, all As, (Geography, maths and music), an AS in Maths (and then something in critical thinking which really doesn't count), a BMus (2i) from a Russell Group university and I'm working on another one from the Open Uni, none of which are in childcare related subjects and yes, employers are impressed BUT those tend to be the ones with either mini-geniuses for children or who are highly educated themselves (at least Bachelors and 1 Masters per parent). I show them all my certificates and they do comment on why I want to be a nanny but at the same time I'm up front with them - this is not my career. I'm going to train as a teacher in a few years so my academic acheivements are important and yes, I am a fairly educationally focussed nanny. If they don't like that, they don't employ me. I nanny now because I enjoy working with children and because I think it's important to have a good holistic knowledge of children if you're going to be a teacher, not just seeing them as 30 little brains that you have to drum the national curriculum into. I feel like I know a lot more about what 5-11 year olds enjoy doing from being a nanny and that will make me a better teacher one day. I also do it because it pays much better than a lot of other graduate jobs, because I can live in Paris, because I get a free studio flat (which would otherwise cost me about half my salary!) and because I hope I'm having a positive impact on a child's life. I'd like to think my current charge will always remember that I taught him to build marble runs, took him to museums, helped him see that he do things for himself/sort out playground disputes without resorting to an adult and baked him cinnamon cookies every Tuesday.

More relevant as a nanny/governess (I feel) are childcare related things - CACHE, MNT maternity practioner, 1st Aid, child protection, positive behaviour management and placements in nurseries, working as a nanny, helping with Rainbows, Beavers, Brownies and Guides, teaching Sunday school and helping with youth clubs. IMO they make me a much better nanny than the ability to explain glaciation, organic chemistry or the influence of the French musical tradition on music at the court of Henry VII but with my current charge a broad and well-founded education helps!

why does salt dissolve, frannikin?
"basic explanation"
but why?
"more detailed explanation"
so is sugar ionically bonded, because that dissolves too
"um not exactly.... further detailed explanation"

why am I colourblind, frannikin
"basic explanation of genetics"
are you colourblind
"admission that no, I'm not colourblind and it's unusual for girls to be colourblind"
why is it unusual?
"brief explanation of genetic difference between males and females and why having 2 X chromosomes makes a difference"
like that bleeding disease
"agreement that yes, haemophilia is similar but for different reasons"
what reasons...

Sometimes I can see why they specified an 'educated' nanny!

frannikin - hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I've always thought of you being a lot older than 22! Must be your mature outlook on life.

I guess you care for a 7 / 8 year old... or are reception aged children learning about genetics and chemistry?

Lol this isn't a scarily bright reception child - I have a 7 year old!

Not sure whether to be flattered or offended at the being older than 22...I think I'll go with flattered. But now I'm worried I'm old before my time ! How old did you think I was?! And why?

Hard to say, I suppose I figured you were around the same age as me, perhaps a little younger - so around 30. (sorry ) You just seem to be a sensible person, someone who's been there, done that kind of thing. Suppose it shows how an 'on-line persona' can be quite different to that person in real life.

Oh well that's not so bad.... I would class myself as sensible - but that's mostly from people who know me going "you're so sensible" like it's a bad thing! As for the 'been there, done that' I've had a lot of jobs because this is the first FT perm job I've had - the others have been temp in school holidays or part-time which I guess gives more life experience than someone who has just had 2 FT perm jobs in the same amount of time and I've always been pretty independent, travelled around a bit, lived in different places. You grow up quickly doing that.

But yes, let this be a warning to everyone! People are not all they seem online (insert spooky music).

I think it completely depends on the age of the child. For babies primarily what you need is someone who loves looking after babies, and who has had plenty of experience. Smarts are probably more useful than qualifications at that age. We have had three nannies, none of whom had made great strides on academia, but two had formal level three childcare qualifications, and one had level two. The latter was fantastic, had a really good head on her shoulders. Of the other two one was full of common sense type knowledge, but had no interest in the world, whilst the other just wasn't that bright (but was also pretty young). When what you want is someone who will have a happy time playing with your baby, going to soft play and toddler groups, the park, doing fairly basic play activities (playdough etc) and cooks to instructions healthy meals/purees then being academically bright is probably not required (indeed I too would wonder what they were doing, as I am academically bright and found looking after babies very unfulfilling).

However once your children get older, then I think it is very pertinent, and something of a problem. In my experience (and the evidence here would suggest the contrary!) many people who go into childcare are not academically inclined. Certainly none of the childcarers we have had were able to help with homework very well (our last nanny helped dd with some project type stuff and her spelling and grammar were awful). My mother once tried to persuade one of our nannies to read the Guardian - both were horrified. the nanny at being expected to engage in quasi-intellectual discussion, and my mother at the nanny's lack of interest!

So for school aged children someone with a CV that showed wide interests and knowledge would be great, but then once your children are at school age nannies are very expensive for the three or so hours you need childcare in the afternoon.

I think if you posted the question on nannyjob or something similar then you may get a different response to the level of education a nanny has. I found mumsnet becuase I was "researching" a rash a former charge had and found a thread on here which suggested it might be something to do with washing powder...then I just sort of wandered around a bit. Mumsnet isn't the most obvious place for nannies to hang out so you've got a fairly small and not necessarily representative sample.

Frannikin - so pleased somebody else explains things like that to their charges. I explain everything in detail - my eldest (4) loves it and we talk all the time and even my 2.5 year old enjoys that chat. I had a great time explaining a genetics related question to 4 year old but was so proud when he proudly showed off his knowledge to his (v impressed) dad.

Nooka - excellent point. I think it would be great if nannies had both in an ideal world but cest la vie. I've always found childcare (except teaching) has a bad reputation as being a 'thick' girls subject. Totally disagree but general opinion on adults around me seems to be that.

There have been many arguments sorry discussions on nannyjob about qualifications versus experience. Very divisive subject

Nooka...

just cause you are acedemically bright and "find looking after babies very unfulfilling" doesnt mean we all

I was alwasy very acedemically bright and find looking after children very fulfuling...

cant think of anything worse than sitting aat a desk all day mysellf

My bossses have all said the positively LIKE having an intelligent nanny!

though had i have not been run over on the morning of my 1st GCSE exam (yes i got 12 GCSES in hospital) right now im pretty sure i would be a medical doctor... as life panned out im not and im sure im much happier being a nanny!

don't have a nanny but i would chose on basis of childcare qualification and personality and our click

parental intuition,reference's from past employers,and how we all get along

qualifications,as a minimum NNEB.anything else is additional not mandatory

school attended- not particularly relevant,and tbh i wouldn't necessarily know if a school were private or not

Sorry nannyL, I wasn't meaning to imply no-one could do both, just that I personally would wonder about why someone academically inclined would choose to look after babies for a career. Not necessarily in a negative way, just in a very different to my experience/feelings type of way. To be honest most of the people I have met in the childcare world (small sample - maybe 10-15 people) have not been terribly interested in schooling, having decided at an early age what they wanted to do, gone to college at sixth form level, and only taken vocational qualifications following that. I wouldn't have thought nannying attracted that many graduates because it doesn't pay terribly well and has very little career progression compared with man other careers. However as an employer I would think it was fantastic to have someone able to answer existential questions and assist with more difficult homework. I just wouldn't expect to be able to afford it!

I agree with nannyL

I am not nannying anymore, has been long time.
When i did, i started with NNEB, then did a Degree in Child Psychology (and yes enjoyed looking after babies as career). My employers were usually impressed and happy about my degree because it was so relavant to the job. Also spoke 2 european languages (as first languages) and this was usuful too. I knew nannies who didn't have this but had other skills ie playing piano/keyboard which is fab for this job.

It is not bad paid, especially in London. And there are things to do like sigh language, working with SN children, working abroad, skiing resorts, ...working for celebrities .

frannikin i bet your lucky charge will remember all those things....you just illustrate the point i was going to make. i'm not really interested, as a nanny employer, in paper qualifications, i looked first at nannying experience on the CV and then in interview relied massively on how they interacted with ds and then how they came across to me. i'd have noticed if someone had left school at 15 or had a phd in quantum physics but anywhere between those two, it doesn't seem particularly relevant.
what i was looking for (and got) was someone bright, interested in the world, imaginative and capable of coming up with stimulating activities as well as someone kind, loving and calm - none of which you can tell from their GCSEs. my nanny is doing an OU degree in her spare time and i suspect won't necessarily be a nanny forever - i think she'd really like to be a child psychologist - but i'm fine with that: i'd rather have only a few years of a bright, go-getting nanny who then goes and gets another job but know that they've been really good years.

spot on woodstock3.cant agree more.

I think for a small number of nannies there are well paid opportunities, possibilities for interesting travel etc. But as a not particularly well paid person (above average, but at the time not wildly so), I managed to pay my nanny's gross salary out of my net salary for the three or four years I needed a full time carer for the children. She went on to a similar position, for I suspect similar pay. I think that's quite representative for most positions. Of course it may be that the self-improvement possibilities are not being picked up by many, and that there are lots of things they could move onto, and greater rewards possible. Of course lack of career progression might not be a problem, and that's totally fair enough, but most graduates I know expect to increase their initial salaries by five fold or so over a career, and I suspect that's not that likely in childcare.

I actually find looking after babies very fulfilling too! And plenty of graduate friends of mine are earning less money than me in call centres. However, I didn't start nannying for the money or career progression - I'm not interested in ever being someone's manager, and I love what I do.