Practical Classes

Creative Skills

All children learn through play, and play requires creativity from both the child and carer; whether you are creating a spaceship out of a cardboard box for your next adventure, painting your next masterpiece or creating characters for your latest story.

Creative skills lectures teach how creativity can engage children and help them to learn and develop through their play. Using a child’s interests and imagination is one of the best ways to engage children in learning without them even knowing it.

Throughout the two years students produce a number of items as part of creative skills to demonstrate their understanding. These include a baby mobile, a treasure basket, puppets, a sensory resource, books with props and a fancy dress basket. These lectures provide a variety of creative opportunities and allow artistic talents to be used and developed as well as teaching and developing sewing skills.

At the end of your two years at Norland College you are given the opportunity to show off your creations to your family and friends at the Norland College Display Day.

Home Economics

Nutrition and diet are vitally important to children’s development and growth. Norland believes that it is important that all childcarers have an understanding of what a healthy balanced diet consists of and how to ensure that children are getting these nutrients and forming a healthy relationship with food.

In these lectures students are taught how to plan, prepare, cook and store meals for children aged 0-8 years old. They include how to make weaning foods as well as the process of weaning. Students also learn how to cook a variety of meals from scratch taking into consideration alternatives for special diets and fussy eaters.

Other subjects covered in home economics include: personal safety and the safety of children in a kitchen environment; hygiene (you will complete a Certificate in Food Hygiene) as well as encourage children to enjoy healthy food and have fun preparing it.

Practical Skills

Practical skills lectures focus on the wide range of skills needed to care for children from birth. Students learn how to care for a new born baby by making up bottle feeds, changing a nappy and supporting the family prior to and after the birth. They learn about the importance of routines and consistency in a child’s life; how to deal with challenging behaviour as well as how to engage children in story telling.

As part of the practical skills certificate students are also expected to care for a virtual baby (including taking them home overnight!).

First aid training

All Norland College students are required to complete the college 12hr Paediatric First Aid & Anaphylactic Shock Awareness training before they graduate. This training is provided by Mark Davis REMT-A, FRSPH, FRSA, MInstLM, AIfL of ABC Medical Services (Reading) Ltd.

 The course awards a nationally recognised qualification and is valid for three years. Once completed students wear a ABC Medical qualified First Aider badge on their uniform and their qualification is valid for 3 years.

The course has been specifically designed for Childcare practitioners and will enable Norland students to provide the best possible care to children in an emergency situation. Topics covered on the course include: Incident management, Assessing casualties, Management of the unconscious casualty, Resuscitation of babies and children, Airway obstruction, Management of the Asthmatic child, Control of severe bleeding, Management of the epileptic and convulsive child, Head injuries, Fractures, Anaphylactic shock and the use of an Epi Pen & Ana Pen, Poisoning, Burns and scalds, Eye injuries, Meningitis, Sickle cell, Heat exhaustion, Dehydration, Hypothermia and Drowning.

Further information on this training can be found at www.abcmedicalservices.co.uk.

Practical Placements

Norland places the value of practical experience with children very high and as such students spend half of their time during the 2 years at Norland (students spend alternate weeks in lectures and practical placements) gaining hands-on experience in a childcare setting with children from new born to 8 years of age.

Placements change each term and include;

• Day nurseries
• Primary schools
• Family homes
• Special needs school (optional)

In their second year students also spend two weeks in a residential family placement in the Bath area and have the opportunity of a placement at a maternity or paediatric ward in a local hospital. Time spent in maternity wards involves working alongside midwives, caring for babies and supporting mothers both before and after their baby's birth.

Placements enable students to put into practice what they have learnt in their lectures at college and are also part of the Norland Diploma. They provide students with a fantastic variety of experience with children assisting them in making important decisions about where to take their career.

“Thank you for training people to be so caring with youngsters – I think it is the foundation of civilisation.” - Family Placement

Probationary Post

After successfully completing two years at Norland College and in order to complete the Norland Diploma students undertake a year long probationary post employed as a nanny. Probationary posts are paid positions arranged by the Norland Agency and must be within the UK. The employer family is asked to complete appraisals on the student’s performance and a member of staff visits each student at least once during this year long post.

On successful completion of the probationary year and with a satisfactory report from the employer and the college assessor, students graduate with the Norland Diploma. This gives them access to the Norland Agency to find work and refer to themselves as a ‘Norlander’ on their CV and job applications.