Q&A WITH MANDY EDMOND, VP, HEAD OF ENTERPRISE & STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, NORLAND
What’s the new mark of quality when it comes to early years childcare and what key competencies
distinguish exceptional early
years practitioners from others? For Norland, everything stems from relationships. Children need to feel like they matter because mattering is not just a nice extra; it is part of the relational environment that supports healthy development. Children need to feel that they are valued and that
they have value to add. In early childhood, this begins through everyday experiences: being noticed, comforted, listened to, relied on, and welcomed as a meaningful member of a community. When children feel they matter, it gives them
emotional security, supports mental health, builds self- esteem, and gives them confidence to explore, try new things and take healthy risks. When a baby smiles, cries, points, asks a question, or seeks attention, and an adult responds warmly and consistently, the child learns: I am seen. My signals count. Someone comes back to me. This is called ‘serve and return’ and responsive, back-and-forth exchanges are important for shaping brain architecture and building the foundation for later learning, behaviour and health. Feeling that they matter also helps children manage
stress. Responsive relationships with responsive adults can buffer children against ongoing stress and support resilience. A child who feels invisible, unwanted, or unimportant may experience the world as less safe; a child who feels valued is more likely to develop trust, emotional regulation and confidence to seek help. In practice, children feel they matter when adults
do small things consistently: notice what interests them, respond to their cues, use their name warmly, repair after conflict, invite their contribution, and show that their thoughts and feelings affect what happens around them. The Norland mark of quality in early childhood
reflects all these principles. Children in Norland settings feel like they matter because it tells them, at a deep developmental level: I am safe, I am valued, I belong, and I can make a difference. That sense becomes part of the foundation for resilience, learning, relationships, and lifelong wellbeing. Staff in our new Norland ECCs (Early Childhood Centres), just like our highly trained Norland Nannies, will be fully trained to provide experiences and care based on this relational pedagogy.
Family life has changed profoundly post-Covid. How has the relationship between childcare providers and families changed? And how has Norland had to adapt? Since Covid, the relationship between childcare providers and families has become much more of a partnership. Families are not just looking for childcare cover; they want someone who understands the whole household: changing work patterns, parental pressure, disrupted routines, children’s emotions, sleep, behaviour and wellbeing. Safe, stable and responsive relationships help children and families feel secure, regulate stress and thrive. For families, Covid blurred the boundaries between
home, work and childcare. Hybrid working means parents may be physically present but emotionally stretched; routines can change week to week; and children may be moving between home, nursery, school, grandparents, nannies and clubs. For childcare professionals, this means communication with parents matters more than ever. Providers need to explain what they are seeing, work with families rather than simply for them, and help create consistency between home, nursery, school and wider family life. Today’s Norlander may be working in a home
where parents are hybrid working, family structures are more varied, expectations are higher and children’s emotional wellbeing is a central concern. Norland’s training has therefore had to place even more emphasis on professional communication, safeguarding, inclusion, self-regulation, co-regulation, respectful routines and understanding the home as a complex environment, not just a workplace.
What countries does Norland currently offer early years education and family support to? And, which regions do you hope to serve soon? Norland’s reach is already global. We currently work across China, Canada, Japan, India, Abu Dhabi and Europe, and Norland Nannies themselves work with families all over the world. What is particularly exciting is the growing
international recognition that early childhood matters. There is now a strong and growing body of evidence showing that the earliest years have a profound impact on children’s development, wellbeing and long-term outcomes. Every interaction, relationship and experience helps shape a baby’s developing brain, which means the adults around young children need to be knowledgeable, skilled, responsive and deeply attuned to their needs.
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GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION & SCHOOLS EARLY YEARS
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