Georgina Hester

Biography

Georgi started work for Norland in January 2021. She first worked in the placement team, supporting students to develop their practical skills. She moved to the lecturing team in January 2022 and has used her previous experience to strengthen students’ knowledge and practice in the classroom. Georgi now works in the Enterprise and Strategic Partnerships department, delivering training to early years practitioners across the world and drawing on her deep understanding of young children and their families.

Georgi has a strong background in early years education and has worked in the sector since 2008. She has held a variety of roles, beginning as an early years practitioner in private settings, supporting children’s development from six months to five years. These roles include room lead, SENDCo and safeguarding officer. She later moved into senior management at a local charity‑run children’s centre, where she supported staff, student practice and families.

While working, Georgi gained a BA (Hons) in Education, focusing on special educational needs, multi‑agency working, and leadership and management. Her undergraduate research explored young children’s early brain development, with particular emphasis on how understanding the developing brain can help practitioners support children’s behaviour and emotional regulation. Her later work also examined how practitioner and parental input contribute to building preschoolers’ resilience, highlighting the importance of attuned, responsive relationships in shaping early experiences and brain development.

Georgi has since completed an MA in Early Childhood Education Studies, exploring perspectives on outdoor play, culture and society, and further deepening her understanding of how context influences early learning experiences. Her research focused on the formation of professional identity in qualified nannies: “It’s about recognising that being a nanny isn’t just a job – it’s a skilled, relationship‑based profession.”