"From day one at Norland, I have felt really welcomed and accepted" – Sam's story
11 April 2025
Head of Students, Sam, spoke with us about his experiences at Norland as well as his plans for the future.
Sam (Set 46) chose to study at Norland after finding his love for working with children through work experience and his role as a swimming teacher. Now in his third year and as Head of Students, Sam reflects on the welcoming and accepting environment at Norland, his highlights from the early years degree and diploma course so far, and student life at Norland and in Bath.
“At the start of this year, I was excited to be appointed as the first male Head of Students. I grew up in Suffolk and came to Norland straight from my A levels. I studied A levels in Biology, History and PE as well as a Diploma in Sporting Excellence in Modern Pentathlon.
“During my A levels, I had the opportunity to do some work experience at my own school in the nursery and junior school. Helping out and spending time with children made me feel like I really wanted to work in the early years. I also worked as a swim teacher during sixth form, and this reinforced wanting to work with children, as I really enjoyed seeing them progress and develop.
“Once I had decided that I wanted to work in the early years, Norland seemed like the clear choice. My mum showed me an article about Norland and it stuck with me. I thought it looked like so much fun and, when I looked into it, I saw it was the best place to study an early years degree as well as well as having great job prospects.
“When you are a nanny, you spend lots of time with the children and establish a unique bond compared to lots of other roles in the early years.”
“I quickly realised that Norland was the right place for me and that I wanted to go into nannying, as I enjoy being able to build really strong relationships with the children and families I work with. When you are a nanny, you spend lots of time with the children and establish a unique bond compared to lots of other roles in the early years, as well as having a big impact on both the family and the child. I could also see that there was lots of support for student at Norland and it looked really friendly.
“From day one at Norland, I have felt really welcomed and accepted, and part of the Norland community. I have enjoyed all aspects of the course, from developing my knowledge of theories of childcare on the academic side, where I have found there to be lots of overlap from theories I learned in my Biology and PE A levels, to the practical skills we learn in food and nutrition and sewing.
“I have particularly loved placements. Being able to put everything I have learned into practice and to work with children is the best part for me. Whenever I see a child reach a new milestone it’s amazing, and it’s nice to get to the point where you know the family and the child inside out.
“We get to have a wide variety of experiences over the years. In my second and third years, with the placements progressing into family homes, I have had a taste of building those relationships, and it feels like what I came to Norland to do. I also had a placement in a school which I really liked, and I can see primary school teaching as something I would want to do later in life, once I have done some nannying for a number of years.
“It’s important to highlight the role men can play in the early years, going against the stereotype.”
“Academically, I really enjoyed my second year. Having completed the theory groundwork in the first year, what we learn in the second year was a really exciting development. There are lots of interesting topics we cover, such as our module in Professional Development, which got me thinking about my own practice. We also learned how, as an early years practitioner, we can influence play and how children experience and develop through play. This was an eye-opening topic for me on how much of a role I will take as a nanny, and how important play really is, and I was able to draw on my own experiences during these lectures.
“This has been further developed in my third year, where we have spent time thinking about our values as nannies and exploring our individual professional identities, as well as exploring topics that we are passionate about for our dissertations. My research has looked at how twins experience identity and agency when playing outside and the influences of the outdoor environment.
“There are lots of opportunities around Bath to get involved in extracurriculars and clubs, and I’ve done quite a lot of different activities. In my first year, I was involved in the Norland climbing society, netball through Bath Spa Students’ Union, and rugby with a local Bath team. Both netball and rugby were introduced to me through two older male students who were two years above me, and I really enjoyed both sports.
“Part of the fun is thinking where I could be in five or ten years and knowing that being a Norlander means I will always have good opportunities for jobs.”
“Last year, I became involved in a local swim team and have competed regularly for them. This year, I set up the Norland netball club and have loved the opportunity to plan and run these sessions. Because Bath is a city with lots of students, it is quite easy to find somewhere to do any kind of activity you are interested in, and Norland are very good at providing opportunities to set up our own clubs wherever possible.
“As a male student, I have felt really welcomed and accepted. I think it’s great that Norland has male students, and I’ve found that families and early years settings are appreciative of the individual perspective I bring. I also think it’s important to highlight the role men can play in the early years, going against the stereotype.
“I’m excited about the wide variety of options and opportunities that will arise from being a Norlander. Part of the fun is thinking where I could be in five or ten years and knowing that being a Norlander means I will always have good opportunities for jobs. I’d like to travel for my job and think it would be an amazing way to experience different cultures whilst working.
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