The Course

About the Programme | The Nanny Academy

The Nanny Academy · Cambridge, England

Built for those who already know this is their calling.

This programme is designed to be fully inclusive, welcoming anyone who has a genuine passion for working with children, regardless of educational background, previous qualifications, or career history.

A minimum of two years' experience working with children is required to apply. This does not need to be formal or credentialled. It simply means you have spent real, meaningful time caring for children and know, without doubt, that this is the path for you.
A valid DBS check is also required before joining the programme. If you do not yet have one, we can advise you on how to obtain this as part of your application process.
The Nanny Academy is currently an independent specialist academy. We are actively working towards formal accreditation through OCN (Open College Network), a nationally recognised awarding body that validates specialist and professional programmes.
Once accredited, this would open the door to student loan funding, making the programme accessible to a much wider range of applicants. We will update this page as soon as accreditation is confirmed. If you have questions about funding or timing in the meantime, please get in touch directly.
The value of this programme comes from what you gain inside it: hands-on experience, industry expertise and professional standards that prepare you to work confidently in modern family homes.
2+
years experience to apply
12
weeks, residential

Included in the programme

Everything you need to succeed

For full course fee details, please visit our course details page.

01
Expert-led training over 12 weeks
Led by Norland-qualified nannies and expert tutors in early years, covering everything you need to work at the highest level.
02
Childcare certificate and accredited certifications
You receive The Nanny Academy childcare certificate on completion, plus accredited First Aid, Safeguarding, Food Hygiene, Swim Safety and Car Seat Training.
03
Hands-on experience
Babies and children visit the Academy throughout the programme. You graduate with genuine practical confidence.
04
Career preparation
CV building, interview coaching and a professional portfolio, all tailored to the private household sector.
05
Your Academy uniform
A full Nanny Academy uniform is provided as part of the programme, so you are professional and ready from day one.
06
Direct job placement
Graduates are placed into roles through The Nanny Academy's own in-house agency, with ongoing mentorship and support.

This is for you

Wherever you are in your career

Because we require a minimum of two years' experience, our students tend to be people who are already working with children and are ready for something more. That might look like:

Childcarers ready to level up
You have been working as a nanny, nursery practitioner or au pair and want to move into professional private household roles at the highest level.
Returning to the workforce
You have spent years caring for your own children or others', and are ready to turn that experience into a structured, well-supported career.
Career changers with experience
You have come from another field but have built up genuine childcare experience alongside it, and this is the direction you want to go.
"We know that some of the most exceptional nannies never excelled in a classroom. They excelled in kindness, patience, creativity, and connection. Those are the qualities we look for, and those are the qualities we will help you build upon."

The programme

12 weeks of real-world training

The Academy is built around immersive, hands-on learning rather than purely classroom-based theory. Throughout the programme, students work directly with babies and children who visit the Academy, developing practical confidence, professionalism and experience in real time.

Every module has been built from real experience, led by Norland-qualified nannies and expert tutors in early years. By the time you leave, you will be fully certified, placement-ready and supported directly into your first role through our own childcare agency.

  • Newborn care
  • Sleep training
  • Child development
  • Safeguarding
  • Travel childcare
  • Household management
  • Swim safety
  • Car seat training
  • Nutrition and cooking
  • Routine management
  • Professional communication
  • Career preparation

After you graduate

The Nanny Academy Agency

A huge part of the Academy is our in-house agency, created to support graduates with placements and long-term career opportunities following completion of the programme. Our aim is not simply to provide a certificate. It is to develop highly capable, confident and employable childcare professionals ready to work within modern family homes.

Course Modules

    • Professionalism, discretion and personal presentation

    • Working in UHNW households, etiquette and expectations

    • Royal Family and formal household etiquette

    • Cultural awareness and respecting family values

    • Being a role model in a child's life

    • Understanding the principal and staff dynamic

    • Confidentiality, discretion and NDAs

    • Household hierarchies and working with other staff

    • Communication with parents, formal and informal

    • Setting and maintaining professional boundaries

    • Managing expectations in high-pressure environments

    • Household management, organisation and scheduling

    • Adapting to different family cultures and lifestyles

    • Handling, swaddling, bathing and dressing a newborn

    • Feeding, winding, reflux and settling techniques

    • Formula preparation and breastmilk storage

    • Setting up a nursery and changing station

    • Supporting parents through the early weeks

    • Breastfeeding / expressing

    • Newborns visit the Academy

    • Caring for children across different age groups

    • Navigating real household routines and dynamics

    • Handling the unexpected with composure

    • Reflective practice and tutor feedback sessions

    • Building your confidence in a professional setting

    • Developing your own calm, consistent care style

    • Anticipation as a core skill

    • Nanny diary, daily planning and communication

    • Setting up home zones and managing household flow

    • Managing multiple schedules, school, activities, travel

    • Going the extra mile for the families you serve

    • Weaning approaches, puree-led and baby-led

    • Nutrition from 6 months through to 5 years

    • Batch cooking, freezing and storing safely

    • Allergy management and dietary requirements

    • Fussy eating strategies

    • Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate included

    • Development from birth to age 5 and beyond

    • Speech, language and early literacy

    • School and nursery preparation

    • Sensory, creative and outdoor play

    • Music, mindfulness and imaginative play

    • Celebrating birthdays, holidays and childhood events

    • Understanding what drives behaviour

    • Gentle discipline and holding boundaries with warmth

    • Managing big feelings, at home and in public

    • Emotion coaching and building resilience

    • Sibling dynamics and rivalry

    • Real toddlers visit the Academy

    • Bathing, teeth, skincare, eczema and nail care

    • Haircare, braiding and head lice

    • Toilet training

    • Laundry, ironing and stain removal

    • Sewing, buttons, name tapes, hems and repairs

    • Emergency wardrobe fixes

    • Maintaining a household to the highest standard

    • Paediatric First Aid: full certification

    • Recognising symptoms and when to escalate

    • Choking

    • Administering medication safely

    • Allergies and anaphylaxis

    • Child protection and safeguarding procedures

    • Online safety and childproofing environments

    • Understanding neurodiversity — a modern approach

    • Autism, ADHD, PDA, dyslexia and dyspraxia

    • Sensory processing and sensory-friendly environments

    • Makaton, PECS and visual communication tools

    • Medically complex care

    • Introduction to SEN and the SEND code of practice

    • Understanding autism spectrum conditions

    • ADHD — strategies for focus, routine and calm

    • Dyslexia, dyspraxia and learning differences

    • Sensory processing and sensory-friendly environments

    • Working alongside therapists, schools and specialists

    • Emotionally sensitive, child-led approaches to care

    • Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and low-demand approaches

    • Giftedness and twice-exceptional children

    • Supporting a child's identity and self-esteem alongside their diagnosis

    • Co-occurring conditions and the importance of the whole child

    • Twins and siblings of different ages

    • Routine synchronisation and fair attention

    • Managing outings, transport and logistics

    • Each child's individual emotional needs

    • Travelling with families — preparation and logistics

    • Long-haul flights with babies and young children

    • Proxy parenting

    • Car seat fitting — hands-on practical session

    • Off-site skidpan driving day in Cambridge

    • Emergency handling, braking and vehicle control

    • Building trust from day one

    • Managing expectations and difficult conversations

    • Raising concerns about a child's wellbeing

    • Living in - boundaries and professional conduct

    • Leaving a role professionally

    • In person - Mock interviews with structured feedback

    • CV, personal statement and portfolio

    • Contracts, NannyTax and salary negotiation

    • Building your professional network

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