60 Years - A Diamond Jubilee Celebration
by Abby Searle
60 Years - A Diamond Jubilee Celebration
Saturday May 26th , 7.30pm(doors open 7pm)
The Norland College Choir will be singing on 26 May 2012 at the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations taking place in Bath Abbey. The evening will consist of memorable British musical melodies introduced by the Mayor of Bath, Cllr Bryan Chalker.
The Norland College Choir will be part of the line up with, the 100-Voice Bath Chorus Choir – Nurry Lee, piano; The Good Afternoon Choir; Tom Corbishley - James Scott – organ.
Proceeds from this event will be supporting six small local charities.
Tickets: £10 / under 16's: £5
call 01225 463362
Email: boxoffice@bathfestivals.org.uk
Presented by Grenville Jones www.grenvillejones.biz
Norland Agency Joins ANA
by Abby Searle
Norland Agency is proud to have become a member of The Association of Nanny Agencies (ANA). The ANA’s website says “The Association of Nanny Agencies website is for families and childcare professionals who are looking for a reputable and approved Childcare / nanny agency and for every UK Childcare Agency looking to be recognised for professional excellence”.
The Association of Nanny Agencies is a non-profit organisation that supports and informs its members on current laws, regulations in the childcare industry, employment rights and responsibilities and new legislation. ANA aims to promote good practice, quality service and legal compliance by all members. They provide a level of measurability, whereby all member Agencies can be judged against the high standards created and monitored by ANA.
For more information about ANA visit http://www.anauk.org/
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Top Tips to get Toddlers playing outdoors this summer
by Abby Searle
With summer round the corner, there’s a growing trend to get kids away from computer screens and back to old-fashioned outdoor play (yesterday the National Trust launched its list of 50 outdoor activities for kids to do before they are 12, including simple things such as building a den, skimming stones or climbing a tree).
Norland Nursery, which provides daycare for 61 pre-school children in the city of Bath, offers the following tips specifically for parents with toddlers and pre-schoolers to enjoy outdoor play, in a safe and fun way.
- Welcome the weather! Encourage splashing in puddles, catching snow flakes
- Dedicate an area for growing
- Make animal habitats
- Make musical instruments from pebbles, shells, seeds, driftwood
- Take a walk in the park to feed the ducks
- Body paint with mud
- Whittle sticks with potato peelers
- Catch and throw piles of leaves
- Collect sticks
- Make dens with old sheets and lengths of materials
- Camouflage with ferns, twigs and leaves for added action and adventure
- Make mud angels
- Thread ivy and flowers into a crown or headdress
- Collect wool, feathers, grasses and moss to weave with/make a collage
- Lie back and listen to birdsong
- Make perfume with blossom
- Hunt mini beasts, make mini beast houses
- Create stone pictures and sculptures
- Make and write with charcoal
- Make a shaman’s stick
- Create a wild theatre
- Offer lengths of rope and twine to create a spider’s web
- Cook in a clay oven
- Track animals
- Cook dampers on a fire
- Navigate a wild trail
- 123 where are you? An outdoor take on hide and seek
Head of Norland Nursery, Clare Crowther comments: “It’s about changing parent’s mindsets when it comes to encouraging children to discover nature and play outdoors. It is so vital for their natural development, particularly in the early years. At Norland nursery in Bath, we aim to let the children get as much fresh air as possible.”
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Are you self employed?
by Abby Searle
We have recently had some training from Nanny Tax www.nannytax.co.uk and it has come to our attention that even nannies working in temporary positions should still become an employee of the family and have a PAYE system in place (where the family pay’s the nanny’s tax and National Insurance.) The exception to this rule, is if the nanny is registered as self employed with HMRC.
In most cases nannies do not meet HMRC's criteria for self-employment. The childcarers that do are maternity nurses and childminders.
However in some cases HMRC do grant nannies self-employment status. It's important to remember, though, that transfer of self-employment status between jobs is not automatic, and each situation will need to be considered individually.
So in the vast majority of cases a nanny will be employed and it is up to the parents, her employer, to register with HMRC, operate a PAYE scheme and pay tax and National Insurance Contributions on her behalf. Failure to declare an employee to avoid paying tax and NI is a criminal offence which can result in heavy penalties. It also affects a nanny's right to statutory entitlements such as unemployment benefit, statutory maternity pay and state pension.
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Why gross not net?
by Abby Searle
You may have noticed that we have now changed our salary guide on the Norland Agency website to quote salaries in gross annual, rather than net per week. We will also now be negotiating salaries and contracts with clients in gross annual figures. This is in line with advice we have received from Nannytax, the nanny payroll company(www.nannytax.co.uk), who, on their website, have highlighted some disadvantages of agreeing a salaryin net:
- The Government regularly increases the personal tax-free allowances and has cut the basic rate of income tax several times in recent years. If you have a net pay deal your employer does not have to pass any of the savings on to you. Only if you are on a gross wage will you automatically receive the benefit of any cuts by paying less tax and NI.
- A gross wage enables you to compare your salary with any other type of employee in the UK, thereby giving you an opportunity to assess your earning power and consider your career options.
- A gross wage agreement is also essential if you want a to get a personal loan or a mortgage, as the figure the bank or building society will be interested in is your gross salary.
You can read more about this from Nannytax here http://www.nannytax.co.uk/nannies/advice-for-nannies/always-agree-a-gross-wage
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Revised Early Years Foundation Stage is published
by Abby Searle
Over the last four months, Norland College, through its Nursery's eyes, has been one of the organisations working closely with Early Education to look at the revision of the development matters statements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and to participate in its official trialling.
As a general response to the revised statements, Norland fully supports and warmly welcomes the greatly increased focus on how young children learn as opposed to what children should learn. This much deeper focus on the characteristics of young children's learning is presented to practitioners in a universally accessible manner and successfully draws on the work of some of Europe's most recognised early childhood educationalists.
Whilst Norland welcomes the emphasis placed upon play and the clear correlation offered between play and children's learning and development within the statutory requirements of the new EYFS (1.9). Concern remains for the implied use of the foundation years to prepare children for formal learning as they enter year one. Norland would continue to stress the importance of the foundation years in their own right and the wealth of learning that takes place within these very earliest years.
Placing into statutory guidance the need for increased adult led activity raises deep concern that settings which are not confident in their pedagogical approaches or practitioners with limited understanding of child development (as evidenced with the interim Nutbrown Review (March 2012)) may seek a more formalised / adult led approach to young children's learning too early, which may lack purpose or suitability for the child.
The statutory requirement for early years practitioners to participate within a formal supervision process is greatly welcomed. Norland holds a belief that this subtle coaching will enable and empower the workforce and as such raise both the status, training, knowledge and skills of early years practitioners.
Norland is however disappointed to see that the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage have been reduced - particularly with regard to the omission of the essential practice of a key person within the principle of positive relationships. Clare Crowther Head of Norland Nursery said "We are concerned that the removal of such validated practice, could be detrimental to the care of our very youngest of children."
Norland embraces the use of other supportive frameworks such as Early Support and Every Child a Talker and is pleased to see these subtly threaded throughout the development matters statements for the benefit of practitioners and the children they care for.
Clare Crowther said " the development matters statements are supportive in making appropriate observations of children's learning and for the planning of purposeful future learning opportunities. We are also pleased to see the seamless use of the original themes - 'unique child, positive relationships and an enabling environment' all viewed as essential and required in the enabling of learning and development to take place."
The reduction of development matters statements, together with the greater flow now visible within the early learning goals, is a positive step; as is the use of prime and specific areas of learning. The greater focus placed upon; personal, social and emotional development of children, the communication and language of children and their physical development is viewed by Norland as a significant step forward for the framework and begins to offer recognition of the latest neuroscience and understanding of how babies and young children develop and learn.
Norland feels that the vast majority of the permeable broad developmental stages areappropriate and supports the use of these as a guidance tool for practitioners, giving recognition that these stages are designed to be used to inform parents and practitioners as opposed to being used as a 'tick list' of development.
Click here to download the new framework https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-00023-2012
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Childcare Qualifications Review
by Olivia Goulden
Press Statement: 14 March, 2012
Norland College’s response to the publication of the interim Nutbrown Review into early years qualifications, published by the DoE, March 13 2012
As one of the UK’s leading providers of professional childcare training, Norland College fully supports Cathy Nutbrown in the clear correlation she has made between excellent early years provision and an effective qualifications structure.
Norland College continues to create a highly qualified workforce of skilled, knowledgeable and professional practitioners.
In line with Dame Clare Tickell’s review of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the EPPE research, students of Norland College complete a full, level six, early years qualification, delivered by a team oflecturers, qualified to Masters level, all of whom hold sector specific qualifications and bring with them a range of skills and experiences.
Norland College fully supports the interim findings of the Nutbrown Review which stresses the importance of young children being educated and cared for by those with the ‘right abilities and dedication to give them the best.’
Training at Norland College currently consists of an equal balance of practical and theoretical learning. We aim to equip students with the knowledge and understanding of young children’s learning and development, matched with the practical skills that enable them to be confident and ‘ready to work with families’.
Norland college shares the concerns raised within the Nutbrown Review surrounding the broad age focus of current level 2 and 3 qualifications. We agree that there should be a greater focus on the 0-7 years, with an emphasis on child development, observation, pedagogy and parental and professional partnerships. We are particularly enthused by the possible proposal of an ITE qualification that would offer rigor, value and a greater professional respect for the education and care of our youngest children.
Norland College is pleased to see that the consultation findings recognise the need for students pursing early years qualifications to gain experience in a variety of settings – as this is such a strong element of the Norland training. Our students are given placement opportunities within Children Centres, PVI full day care settings, nursery classes, schools, SEN settings, maternity and paediatric wards and within family homes. Our own high quality nursery offers a seamless and cohesive link between theory and practice.
Norland College also welcomes the suggestion of a ‘license to work’ system, to drive up the quality of the workforce. We believe that continued professional development of practitioners is vital to maintain quality across the sector (it is the norm in any other sector or profession, so why not in Early Years?).
Finally (and of vital importance if the sector is to continue to recruit highly motivated and committed practitioners) Norland is determined to work with others in the sector to help promote the need for Early Years to be recognised as a valued and credible career which is rewarded appropriately.
Norland College is encouraged by the discussion points arising from the interim findings of the Nutbrown Review. We welcome the questions posed by Cathy, and look forward to receiving her recommendations later in the year.
Norland College 14 March 2012
Norland in the Press
by Abby Searle
Norland has appeared in various publications and broadcasts over the last few months across the UK and Europe. These are all a result of visits from various press in the dedicated press weeks at the college in Bath that are planned each term.
There is a lovely article written by Alice Cockerell in this month’s (April’s) issue of the Tatler.
The German television station (ZDF)made the following film about life at Norland, which has been broadcast in Germany.
http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/beitrag/video/1586072/Die-Supernannys
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Norland Joins the Flock
by Abby Searle
Norland has joined in with the art project Join the Flock www.jointheflock.co.uk by creating their very own, customised flock of sheep with Norland hats on!
Students and staff will be creating their own herd of Norland sheep to help towards the target of 5000.
Students are also planning on taking this project with them to their placements to see if the children can help as well.
Norland have decided to make this into a charitable activity with all proceeds going to NICO.
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Maternity Practitioner Course
by Abby Searle
The Norland Maternity Practitioner Course taking place on 3-5 February 2012 is now fully booked!
There are still spaces available for this course on 20-22 July. For more information about this course and to download a booking form please click here.
News comments powered by DisqusLatest News
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60 Years - A Diamond Jubilee Celebration
Norland College Choir sings in Bath Abbey
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Norland Agency Joins ANA
Norland Agency has joined The Association of Nannies Agencies (ANA)
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Top Tips to get Toddlers playing outdoors this summer
Discover the Great Outdoors through natural play, urges Norland Nursery in Bath
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