-
Helen - WINNER
WINNING NOMINATION
My daughter has been attending level 1 swimming lessons for the past year and we've been really lucky to have had Helen as her teacher.
Helen is really animated with the kids and knows just what to say with funny and encouraging tips to help them with their swimming (e.g. look at my hairy toes or swim like mermaid) and she teaches the safety advise and Q&A's in such a way that gets the point across whilst making them giggle (and the parents too!). It's great, my daughter beams and has gained the confidence to respond to Helen too.
I had some concerns when my daughter's confidence dipped when in the deep end. Helen really took on board my concerns and adapted the lessons accordingly, giving her the extra nurturing support that she needed, to the point now where she can swim unaided in the deep end, showing real trust in Helen.
Thank you Helen! We appreciate what you're doing. Kirsty & Eva Slack“She has worked wonders with Zach, she's kind and patient” Kelly Lovering with Zachary
“Because she has patience, engages the children well and sees each child individually with their strengths” Emma Alderson with Eira
“We love our Puddle Ducks sessions with Helen! Arlo started attending at 6 weeks old and is now 6 months and has just moved from Floaties to Splashers. Arlo has had some ‘challenging’ sessions where he has cried for chunks of the lesson but Helen has always made sure he could still be part of the lesson and I have never felt awkward about the fact he was crying. My husband and I have seen Arlo’s confidence improve so much in his lessons and this is all down to Helen. Puddle Ducks is one of our favourite activities and we are so proud of Arlo and the progress he is making. We want to say a huge thank you to Helen for always being patient and making Arlo love being in the water so much!” Bethany Smith with Arlo
“She has the children's full attention and trust and is so engaging and clear. She knows what each individual is working on/challenged by, we all appreciate her humour” Michael Durband with Arthur
“We nominated Helen because Alfie wouldn't be where he is now in is swimming and we think she’s a brilliant swimming teacher, and also she is sadly missed at Everlast in Barnsley. I've seen a massive improvement from him since he started at Barnsley I know Louise is there as well but its Helen what got him through especially his 25 metre rolling from the front and back. We think she's a STAR ⭐️” Samantha Sellers & Alfie-Jack
“Helen is an excellent teacher. her way of communicating with the children and also instructing the parent is very clear. She also engages with the children very well. She is currently on a leave but Daksh still always waits for Helen to come to and teach.” Gowrav & Daksh Gokhale
“Helen is an incredible swimming instructor. She goes above and beyond every single week to ensure that Belle feels comfortable in the pool so that she can thrive. Annabelle wouldn’t be the confident swimmer she is today without the constant support from this incredible lady! THANK YOU HELEN!” Lucy Cooper & Annabelle
“Helen is fantastic with the kids. Endlessly patient and always making Evie feel safe and secure when she’s in the pool, which has seen her confidence in water grow. She always seems to make the kids have fun in every lesson and I wish I could’ve have a swimming teacher like her when I was a child learning to swim!” Claire & Eva Harrison
-
Emma
“Mary goes to her swimming lesson with her daddy and has been with Puddle Ducks since she was 16 weeks old. They've many different pools with lots of teachers and Emma is exceptional. She is engaging and encouraging and absolutely brings out the best in Mary” Charlotte with Mary Surblys-Seale
“Attentive and keep the children at ease” Emma Mugi & TJ
“Very clear on instruction , keeps it fun but focused” Emma Mugi & Kiera
“Emma has taught Belle from being 6 months. She’s amazing! She’s been so patient and kind with Belle and takes the time to personalise the lesson if needed. I strongly believe a lot of Belle’s confidence in the water has come from Emma’s teaching. I look forward to my youngest joining one of Emma’s classes!” Aimee & Belle Brearley
“Emma has the most wonderful sense of humour and makes me and my child feel relaxed and makes every class an enjoyable, fun experience. She is very easy to talk to and even in the changing rooms after class she is a sparkling ray of sunshine and is always up for stopping and chatting to my little one. He is always smiling at Emma and loves his lessons and I believe the majority of that is down to her.” Charlotte Wilson with Jude
“She's amazing. Patient. Friendly. All the babies love her and learn so much” Sarah Braddick with Lilly
“Emma is so lovely and friendly. We've had to share who can bring Oliver between nans, other family members and everyone had commented on how great she supportive she's been. She's been amazing with Oliver too when he's having an emotional day etc she's really patient and understanding if we need to stand to the side. Her lessons are really fun, I love the songs and how she interacts with all the little ones making Oliver feel comfortable” Charlotte Sneddon & Oliver
“Emma is bloody fantastic!
My daughter talks about Emma all of the time and when it’s swimming day she says “see Emma swimming”
Emma takes the times to explain everything, makes it personable and is always smiling and enthusiastic.
There are times when my daughter and other children are having their moments but Emma makes you feel at ease and assists in distracting or trying to get them to co-operate. We really enjoy Monday mornings 😍” Emma Raikes & Nala“Emma is a wonderful teacher, she is so attentive to all the children in her class and she really takes the time to get to know them and what makes them tick. She has found her number one fan in Luca, he talks about her constantly and is always asking “is it Emma swimming day”
He isn’t always the easiest of pupils and has a very stubborn streak but she always gets the best out of him , whether it’s persuading him to actually blow bubbles (instead of just saying the word “bubbles” while smiling) or getting him happily swimming independently on his woggles!
She makes his lessons such a highlight of his week!” Liz & Luca Cavallo“Emma has taught both of my children, her lessons are informative yet fun. I have really enjoyed lessons with her 🙂” Lesley & Jack Wood
“Emma has known our children since they were babies and always remembers them, even when she hasn’t seem for a while. She now teaches them again and always pushes them to do their best and achieve their full potential.” Lauren & Isla Penny
“Emma has known our children since they were babies and always remembers them even when it’s been a while. Emma was the only teachers our youngest child would allow to be held during lessons when she was a baby. She still remembers Emma and loves it when she teaches her. She’s also made fantastic progress in her care.” Lauren & Erin Penny
-
Catherine
“Catherine has been the best and most accommodating teacher from day one. Sydney hasn't always been the easiest child to have in the water and she has gone out of her way to help and make him feel special until he came around to being in bed class. She makes every lesson enjoyable always high energy and fun filled she makes every lesson enjoyable” Paige & Sydney Phillips
“Catherine greets us all with a beaming smile. Her bubbly personality makes the lessons fun for the children and their carers. She is an excellent teacher. She projects her voice in a clear way so she is easily heard above splashing and giggles. Her instructions are broken down well so they are easy to understand and her teaching points are valuable. Catherine knows each child’s level and sympathetically works with the adult to help them improve at their own pace. There is always a bubble of excitement in the changing rooms in anticipation for Catherine’s fab lessons. She’s definitely our star teacher.” Wendy Renton with Ralphie
“Catherine is amazing at what she does and Theodore loves her. He’s so engaged with her style of teaching and she makes everything so fun! For parents too! We love Catherine and hate weeks she isn’t there!” Emily Jones with Theodore
“Where to even begin… Catherine is so lovely, welcoming, friendly and enthusiastic in our lessons! She makes it fun for both the parents & babies! We love our lessons with her!” Sara Stuart & Millie
“We love Catherine so is so friendly and warm in and out of class. Harriet loves her lessons with her and is always looking for Catherine’s praise and approval. We love her classes each week” Rachel Thornborough & Harriet
“Always engaging and enthusiastic with all the children and puts them at ease”. Naomi Hodson & Jacob
“We have been attending swimming sessions every week since our daughter was 6 weeks old; she's now 10 months. Catherine’s enthusiasm and clear love for her job have encouraged us as parents, giving us the confidence to support and help our daughter build lifelong swimming skills and a sense of water safety. Thank you for making each session a welcoming and safe space that we look forward to every week.” Aeron Martin-Chambers with Edith
“In Erin's words "Catherine helps me do what I need to do"
Catherine is so kind, respectful and so bubbly. She encourages Erin and Finley to try new things and goes at their pace.
We always look forward to our Sunday afternoons with Catherine and Nic “ Janine Brown with Erin & Finley“I think Catherine is an amazing teacher! Very good for getting children to be independent during the lessons to learn to do things on their own, I’ve noticed Kayd loves her lessons and interacts so much more than others he’s had. She has an amazing bond with kids and I think she deserves this. She goes round every child to suit each level of child and pushes to their need which is very good as every child is different and on different levels to others” Keavy Siddall & Kayd
“Catherine is brilliant. Her enthusiasm and energy is infectious and we have so much fun whilst learning. We've always felt part of the puddle duck family because of Catherine's warmth and kindness...little things like remembering everyone's name! We love you Catherine x” Yasmin K Toplis with Ronny
“Catherine really does go the extra mile to make both and your little one feel at ease when in her lessons. We never go away feeling disgruntled even when we haven't had the best lesson Catherine provides constructive advice and support. She really is an asset to your team!” Katie & Arabella Ashley
“She teaches Freddie every week she is so kind and explains things great to us. Freddie loves swimming now”. Amy & Freddie Butterworth
“I want to nominate Catherine for all her support and hard work in Rudy's swimming journey. He has always marched to the beat of his own drum during his lesson and although loves swimming, in true Little Dipper style doesn't like been told what to do!! To get round this she always tries to make it fun to capture his imagination and adapt to his needs. She gives him options and lots encouragement to help him warm up to the lesson and give the activity a go, with no pressure to help him relax. Thank you for all you care and patience and always making lessons so much fun. It's very much appreciated!” Steph & Rudy Knowles
-
Paula
“Paula has been so supportive towards rose and I. She makes roses lessons very fun, and she always come over to check if me and rose need extra support while doing certain exercises in the pool lesson.” Hannah Marsh with Rose
“Paula has great people skills supporting the parents as well as the children and uses her skills and experience to great affect my child talks about Paula at home and want to do well to impress her each week she supports us both through there development just a great teacher overall and Jacob has just passed his 5 metres which Paula noticed on the day after Jacob did a demonstration for her that he would do it and he did thanks to Paula he has smiled all week having done this achievement at puddle ducks 😊” Allan & Jacob Laud
“We recently switched classes and teacher so our son and daughters class were next to each other. Paula has been great during the transition. Very professional. Made us feel welcome. The class was busy for Rosa's first session but we felt looked after.” Kayleigh Herrick with Oliver & Rosa
“Paula is very calm, composed and patient. My daughter is usually sceptical with people and doesn’t like doing or following instructions, however Paula does it with so much composure , patience that Violet listens and is actually excited to try new things.
I am not a swimmer myself & used to fear being in water. Paula has made that go away and we actually love coming to her lessons and I get to bond with my child.
We think she is a fantastic teacher and Violet actually now looks forward to her swimming lesson and dipping her little face in the water
Thank you Paula”. Benhilda Chirowodza & Violet“A massive shoutout to Paula for being super patient, friendly, smiley and made every lesson entertaining and fun for everyone!
At first, Jacob did not enjoy swimming and had very little confidence in the water and now he cannot wait to get in the pool screaming with excitement!
Thank you so much! 😊” May Duong with Jacob -
Verity
“Verity makes every lesson fun and engaging - it a one of our favourite parts of the week. Verity understands my child and what they need to do next to progress” Liz & Austin Norbury
“I want to nominate verity because she is always pushing Bryn on and keeps him motivated. Verity is also very helpful to taik to regarding Bryn's swim classes.” Kirsty & Bryn Timlin
“Because my two children are VERY different and Verity is fantastic with both of them. Encouraging Harrison who is quiet and reserved and changes her approach with Keira who is very much I will do what I want on my own terms.” Carrie-Anne Newsome with Harrison Keira
“Ella enjoys her lessons with Verity so much and smiles throughout. It’s a joy to see her enjoy the water as much as her brother” Gemma & Ella Colquhoun
“Verity has been Seth's teacher throughout Puddle Ducks and has got to know him really well. He has gone from a tiny Splasher playing and splashing around in the water, to a confident Swim Academy swimmer under her instruction, it's lovely to see how much he has learnt along the way. But more than that it's how much Seth loves his lessons, Verity works hard to figure out how to motivate him and tap into what he enjoys as a person to get the best out of him. She is responsive to his needs, especially if he is a little frazzled from school and helps him focus the lesson. Thank you for all that you do and the support you give, it's very much appreciated!” Steph & Seth Knowles
-
Julia
“My son is having a lot of fun during lessons with Julia :)
He cannot wait till Wednesday and his swimming lesson.” Marta Dabrowska & Hubert“Julia is fantastic and always goes above and beyond for the children every lesson and is the reason we continue with lessons at Puddle Ducks” Eleanor Baker with Jasper
“Julia is absolutely brilliant. My baby is 7 months and has been swimming since he was 2 months. Ismaeel gives the best smiles to Julia. Julia engages with the children and makes lessons so fun by making jokes. She supports my partner as he is not a confident swimmer so he can hold my baby better. Always happy to see Julia in lessons!” Tasmia Saleem & Ismaeel
“Eve absolutely loves her swimming lessons with Julia and asks all the time if it is Sunday yet so she can go swimming with Julia. Julia makes sure she spends time helping each swimmer to progress at their own speed. Julia’s encouragement and support has allowed Eve to move up into Dippers before her third birthday! Thank you” Jodie & Eve Stanley
-
Steph
“Steph is brilliant with Nora. Full of encouragement and Nora absolutely loves her sessions with her.
She puts Nora at ease and always seems happy to be teaching the classes.” Kim Lane with Nora“Steph has so much patience & enthusiasm with all the children! She is a brilliant teacher and Fletcher looks forward to seeing Steph for his lesson every Sunday afternoon x” Sarah Griffiths with Fletcher
“Very good, always happy. Encouraging the children, Max likes her.” Sheryl Taylor with Max
“Steph is a great teacher and Joseph absolutely loves his swimming lessons, he has grown so much in confidence and Steph is so supportive and encouraging for his development. We have just had our second baby and she was brilliant when we swapped over to my husband taking Joseph in the pool just before I had the baby. I had done Joseph's swimming lessons since he was 4 months old so the idea of swapping was so daunting but she really helped with the transition for us all. Thankyou Steph - you're amazing!” Annabel Rhodes & Joseph
-
Louise
“Louise excels in been a swimming teacher she has the patience of a saint so good and caring with the kids my daughter absolutely loves her she grown a bond with her she trust her fully with anything in the water she feels safe and so do I. I know there all good teacher but I think Louise deserve it, we have had a couple of swim teachers amazing but Louise gets my vote” Jenna Holt with Cici
“Safa loves her “Miss” Louise, she is fantastic and teaches with utmost patience and the biggest smile on her face! She’s a lovely human being and deserves all the admiration and respect!” Eman Mohsin & Safa
“Louise goes above And beyond in every lesson. She is so welcoming and always supports Ada even when she is nervous offering adaptations and encouragement. We love Louise!” Ellen Featherstone & Ada-Mae
-
Rachel
“My daughter has been through a difficult few months suddenly refusing to get changed and go swimming. Rachel has always been supportive and helped with suggestions, not just now but with previous obstacles such as an aversion to woggles. Daphne is now back happily swimming in the water and doing activities I never thought she'd take part it.
She loves swimming and always can't wait to see Rachel in the pool.” Josie Falconer with Daphne“Rachel's unwavering good humour and smile, and how she notices the children putting in effort means Esca loves his lesson, works so hard and tries new things.” Emma Conder with Esca
Rachel is amazing with the kids, she has such a great sense of humour but also gently brings out the best in every pupil!
We will really miss her at Ashgate Croft!! Jenny Mei-Peng Lim & Sebastian -
Josie
“Josie is an excellent swimming teacher! I was so nervous about bringing my 8 week old to her first swimming lesson as I am not 100% confident myself, but as soon as I got into the water, she made me feel so relaxed, confident and Matilda loves her lessons! Matilda is now so water confident and is coming on excellently with her lessons and it is all thanks to wonderful Josie!” Emily & Matilda Hopper
-
Abbie
“Scarlett wants to nominate Abbie as her star teacher because “she has really helped me get better at swimming, she helped me get my 25metres and she makes me laugh. She’s wonderful”
Abbie has done wonders with Scarlett after she had a bit of a blip in confidence when she suffered some ear problems. It’s lovely to see how much Scarlett trusts her and how well she’s doing now” Liz & Scarlett Cavallo -
Emma & Louise
“Emma and Louise are always so friendly to existing students and new. They are knowledgeable and put you instantly at ease whilst making lessons fun and educational. As someone with a rather uncooperative toddler, they accommodate her so well and help find ways for her to learn. It’s the only class I have always consistently tried to go to and Olivia now constantly asks to go swimming so she can see Emma” Bryony & Olivia Gorman
“Cassandra loves Emma and Louise! She watches them all the time, even more than me during the activities. Emma is very gentle with all the children and she explains every activity for us. Louise is also lovely and always helpful. They have both helped Cassandra gain valuable skills in swimming already, can't wait to see her grow and become a strong swimmer with Emma's and Louise's direction. I could not have asked for better instructors for my baby!” Violeta Diamanti & Cassandra
-
Verity & Abbie
“The support and encouragement that Verity and Abbie have given Ava is invaluable and immeasurable. Ava would not be in level 5 without the care and understanding they have shown her. Ava loves swimming at Puddle Ducks because of them!” Andrea Stanger with Ava
“Abbie and Verity are both amazing and have brought Robert on fantastically to have moved up to level 3 sooner than we thought he would” Gemma & Robert Colquhoun
-
Steph & Julia
“William was a very nervous learner and often found swimming lessons quite overwhelming and he struggled to fully engage with the tasks put to him. Since he has been attending Steph and Julia’s class he has started swimming independently, gained in confidence in the water, and his attitude to lessons has completely changed. Instead of being reluctant to attend he now looks forward to his lesson and throws himself into it enthusiastically. I feel this is a credit to his teachers who have engaged him and made him feel comfortable and happy.” Matthew & William Singleton
-
Verity & Steph
“When Ilaria first started she would cry and want to get out, both teachers helped to make her feel comfortable in the pool once this wasn’t no more an issue. ilaria wasn’t very confident in water but again both teachers have built her confidence up so much. Well done & thank you to both teachers” Richard & Ilaria Jones
-
Julia & Edward
“Both teach Quinn on a Sunday and she has grown so much in confidence. She sometimes needs some extra time to do things and they always encourage her! She enjoys her class and that's down to the teacher!” Frances & Quinn Cumming
