Real-life ‘Mary Poppins’ at the world’s most famous nanny school have undergone anti TERROR training – to learn how to deal with threats including kidnappers.
Students from Norland College are being taught how to spot and deal with modern threats such as stalkers, online predators, paparazzi and cyber criminals.
For 125 years the students have traditionally learned skills such as cooking, education, housekeeping and deportment to look after the likes of Prince George.
But they are now being taught how to cope with the modern world and given up-to-date James Bond-style training,
They have had a training day learning how to keep an eye out for and escape terrorists and kidnappers
Self-defence classes and evasive driving, skill were also taught at a racing circuit in nearby Wilts.
Norland student Natalie Sedgman said: “It was really interesting for us to understand that the smallest piece of information could potentially lead to a dangerous situation.
“I feel a lot more aware of how much information can be collected from every day online activity.”
Social media usage was central to the lessons taught by former head of UK Counter Terrorism, Brigadier Paul Gibson,
They focused on how to avoid giving away sensitive information which could be used to commit crime.
Paul said: “The range of threats exposed to high net worth and high profile individuals and their families is extensive.
“The role of the nanny in looking after their children puts them in a unique position to both be targeted and to act as a credible obstacle to actions such as kidnap.
“By understanding how a pattern of life is established through social media and direct observation, mitigating actions can be put in place to best protect the nannies and their charges.
“Our training provides the nannies with a foundation to think ahead and prepare for potentially threatening changes in their environment, a skill they can apply to every aspect of their lives.”
The doors to the college, which helped to make childcare into a profession in it’s own right, were flung open in 1892 by founder Emily Ward.
Dr Janet Rose, principal of Norland College said: “The majority of our students go on to become nannies for a wide range of families, each with different circumstances, but the common factor is that our children are our most precious possessions.
“We teach our students that the safety and well-being of the children is their priority.
“All of our training is about equipping our students with the knowledge and skills they need to care for children in a modern age.”
She added: “When Emily Ward set up Norland 125 years ago, she was revolutionary about how childcare as a profession was viewed, and was always thinking about the particular needs of children and their families.
“I think she would feel proud of the way we are moving the curriculum forward to meet modern day challenges.”
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