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  • These are among the most exclusive and highly trained nannies in the world.

  • Ready? Here we go.

  • They learn self-defense and advanced driving techniques. And even their cooking skills are a cut above.

  • We are sort of training a league of supernannies.

  • Think Mary Poppins... with a little James Bond.

  • The course at Norland College in England costs them $21,000 a year, but after graduation, they can command salaries of $170,000. That's four times the average nanny salary in the UK.

  • Britain's royal family has even hired them.

  • So what does it take to become one of the most exclusive nannies in the world?

  • Trained to protect themselves and the children in their care, Norland nannies are part of an elite.

  • Often working for high-profile employers, they're expected to deal with potential threats, like kidnap attempts.

  • Unfortunately, I have had an experience where a man tried to take the little girl that I used to look after.

  • I said, "You need to give her back." And he said no. And so I just had to pull her off of him whilst holding onto the buggy where her baby brother was.

  • It is scary, but that's why I think parents hire Norlanders because we are given that extensive training for these worst-case scenarios. Because actually, the big wide world is very scary, and you are looking after them as a prized possession.

  • No, your hands are shaking.

  • Got the adrenaline going.

  • In the career they've chosen, a lot of them don't realize what they're capable of, but after getting them into this, they really do command themselves.

  • It takes four years to become a fully qualified Norland nannythree years of study followed by a year's placement with a family. And it's more expensive than studying at Oxford or Cambridge University. But the idea is that their qualification will soon start paying off.

  • Within a year, they are actually averaging about 40,000 (pounds) a year. So that's a young person in their early 20s probably earning more money than perhaps an up-and-coming accountant or lawyer.

  • With the nannies earning that kind of money, skills like cooking and sewing have to be at the highest level.

  • When I was on my residential placement, the family had such a varied diet. They were really into like, satay chicken, and we had lemongrass chicken a lot. So a lot of Pan-Asian flavors, and it was really nice to see.

  • So you place your nori with the shiny side down.

  • These third-year students are learning how to make child-friendly sushi.

  • I then using the bamboo mat to roll your sushi up.

  • I really don't enjoy cooking, to be honest, and so the lessons have been really, really helpful for myself as I am not a confident cook.

  • The students do three years of sewing with us alongside their BA, and they work through a series of six projects, developing their machine and hand-sewing skills.

  • Yes, of course.

  • It could be just doing name labels and buttons or things that, you know, every family, all families need.

  • But going on to making things for their charges, their children might have ideas, and they'll make things with them or for them.

  • - Is it an undoable knot? - I hope so.

  • - But, this carriage pram would take a child up to about two and a half years of age. So do we remember what this is called? - That's the apron.

  • The apron, absolutely, and you don't use that when you're inside because it could make the baby too hot.

  • The students also learn how to prepare an old-fashioned pram.

  • Remember, with carriage prams you don't have to do hospital corners, but you just want to make it as tidy and neat as you possibly can in the pram.

  • Norland nannies still use these today, in college and in the workplace.

  • Remember, attention to detail is really important, so make that look neat and tidy.

  • But principal Dr. Janet Rose wants to modernize the image, both of the college and of the nannying professionknowing how to control a car in skid is just one of the skills a modern-day Norland nanny can offer clients.

  • Norland College was founded by Emily Ward nearly 130 years ago. Her aim was to encourage a better and more educated class of women to enter the ranks of domestic service.

  • So here we have the very first probationers all the way back in 1892, the very first students at Norland. And here we have a photograph of one of our Norlanders who worked for the Greek royal family.

  • Back then, nannies had to wear nurses' uniforms to differentiate themselves from the household servants; puffed sleeves and pinafores were replaced over time by a modest beige dress, brown bowler hat and brogues, and white cotton gloves.

  • Nannies are still required to be immaculate and abide by strict rules: smoking is banned, as is buying alcohol, fast food, or even a takeaway coffee.

  • I definitely found the uniform really appealing. I think there's something about wearing this uniform. You know, you represent 125-plus years of heritage, and this uniform means a lot. It means that we're highly trained and we're really passionate about doing what we do.

  • The college wants to attract more diverse, more international students. Norland is also taking on university status.

  • Soon we will become Norland University, and we'll be the first specialist early-years university in the world.

  • But for Freja, becoming a Norland Nanny isn't about pay or prestige. It's about a passion for the job.

  • I want children to learn because they want to. I want them to explore because they want to and be curious about the world.

  • And for me, seeing that is the most rewarding thing ever. That's more rewarding than any paycheck I could ever get.

  • Seeing a child exploring, being curious, wanting to learn, wanting to grow. That's just so incredible.

  • Which sounds, for parents who can afford it, practically perfect in every way.

These are among the most exclusive and highly trained nannies in the world.

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