The early years higher education provider Norland in Bath, has seen a graduation of its degree graduates of fully qualified Norland Nannies.
On 22 March, Norland held its degree and diploma graduation ceremonies in Bath Abbey. The 144th cohort of students (known as Set 44) took its place as the next generation of Norland degree graduates in their gowns of brown, blue and gold to receive the degree certificate.
This year, the 132-year-old institution achieved a Gold rating for the third consecutive time in the national Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 for its outstanding student experience and outcomes – the highest quality rating possible in undergraduate teaching.
The Right Worshipful The Mayor of Bath (Councillor Dine Romero) attended the graduation ceremony, with The Deputy Mayor of Bath (Councillor Dr Bharat Pankhania) and The Deputy Mayoress Mrs Alison Pankhania attending the diploma ceremony.
The Mayor said: “I was honoured to present special awards to students who have gone above and beyond the already high expectations of Norland College. Norland has a long history of providing exceptional quality training and it was great to meet staff and the students as they continue to develop the future for childcare.”
Dr Janet Rose, Principal of Norland, said: “It is wonderful to be back at the Bath Abbey to celebrate with another cohort of students achieving their degree and Norland Nanny status. It’s a particularly special year for us given that we have been awarded another TEF Gold. This national recognition pays tribute to the excellence not just of our courses but also to the opportunities afforded to our graduates, particularly now that we have our own professional association for our alumni.”
Founded in London in 1892 by education pioneer Emily Ward, Norland was the very first educational establishment to offer any kind of childcare training. In establishing Norland, Emily Ward created the profession of the nursery nurse and the training model on which all future nursery nurse training would be based.
The Norland spokesperson said: “Fully qualified Norland graduates can look forward to outstanding employment opportunities and lifelong career support. Since its infancy, demand for Norland-trained professional early years practitioners has outstripped supply. Norlanders uniquely benefit from 100% employment opportunities through their own in-house employment agency. Last year, the Norland Agency had six permanent jobs for every Norlander seeking one and average starting salaries of £40,000 rising to £65,000 after five years, making Norlanders among the highest graduate earners.”