Norland College graduates include nannies for Boris Johnson and Prince George

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BATH, England - Classes start at 9.30am sharp.

From the foot of the driveway, walk through the gates vaulted ceilings bearing the school's name and through the north-facing windows of the main building one can see the neat rows of students settling in for a long day of lectures and practicals, their hair combed back with the same militaristic precision.

With their uniform of tweed blazers, white gloves, beige aprons and brown bowler hats, the nannies in training at Norland College, one of the most old and older s prestigious nanny schools in the world, have made incongruous figures on the modern landscape.

Even in its 130th year, Norland students remain highly sought after. "A big career with little people", promises the prospectus, which seems about right: there are on average seven job openings for every "Norlander" graduate. Most, with only a few years in the business, can expect to earn six-figure salaries, caring for the offspring of bankers, royals and celebrities, working freelance or joining a carousel. of domestic staff - private tutors, housekeepers, chefs - who serve the globetrotting elite.

ImageNorland College's campus is located in Oldfield Park in a grand Georgian house set on a steep hill in the city of Bath, South West England.Credit...Sophie Stafford for The New York Times

ImageNorland nannies are in high demand. There are on average at least seven job openings for every graduate Norlander. a newly minted Norlander can never truly be known, as confidentiality is taken very seriously. Mick Jagger and Roger Federer are among many high-profile figures who have allegedly employed Norlanders – rumors the college neither confirms nor denies (although there is no doubt that Boris Johnson himself was partly brought up by one, thanks to an affectionate hymn by his sister Rachel in The Times of London).

There are, however, occasional exceptions to such professional caution: "We have We were very lucky that the Royal Family let Prince George's nanny wear the Norland uniform to a christening in 2015 because we would never have shared any client information But with that they obviously did publicity for us,” said Janet Rose, Principal of Norland College.