Success for our Mary Poppins

Sandra with mum Julie, sister Rebecca and niece Ana Mae Solley

Sandra Solley (27) of Peakirk, completed her three-year course at Norland College, Bath recently, and is now looking to become attached to a family seeking a nanny.

A Norland nanny, who can cost £60,000 a year to hire, is currently looking after Prince George, and Mick Jagger has also used their services. But Sandra’s only focus is on creating a special bond with the children she will be looking after and not whether their parents are famous.

She said: “For me personally, I’m very much about the children that I work with.

“I’ve always loved working with children. No day is ever the same and you get to watch these little people grow into the people they are meant to be.

“You build a bond with the children - you can’t just turn that off.

“Every child I’ve nannied for I’ve kept in touch with.”

Sandra studied at Peakirk cum Glinton Primary School, Arthur Mellows Village College then New Stamford College, where she obtained a Diploma in Childcare and Education.

She then worked at two nurseries, before working as a nanny for a local family for a number of years.

Sandra is now registered with Norland’s agency as she searches for her next job, but until then she has another big occasion to look forward to - marrying her fiancé Tom Bullock on July 23 at St Mary’s church in Swanage, south of Bournemouth.

And having her own children is on the agenda for Sandra, despite the difficulties of balancing it around a normal 12 hour day with other kids.

“I do see nannying as my career, so I have to work around that when I get to that stage,” she said.

Sandra learned the different nannying theories on her course such as how children learn and how to support their development, as well as many practical skills.

And her excellence saw her rewarded with an esteemed Principal Award which she picked up at a ceremony alongside mum Julie and sister Rebecca.

A new Mary Poppins film is due to come out on Christmas Day 2018, and asked whether she was a fan of the original, Sandra stated: “Yes, of course. Even though I’ve not managed to get a flying umbrella.”