Puddle Ducks レビュー 

The teachers are really kind and patient with parents and kids 👌👌

Teddy has been attending Puddle ducks in Gee Cross since he was 12 months. He is now 20 months and his confidence in the water is amazing to see! Jo and Nicole have been amazing Teachers and Teddy is always so happy to see them!
I feel better knowing that Teddy is learning skills that could one day be life saving in the water.
I wouldn't take him anywhere else!

We have had the best experience with puddle ducks. I enrolled my little boy after covid when he was 5 months old. He is now almost 4 and has an abundance of confidence in the water. Every lesson, you and your little one are taught little sayings, words, phrases and then it all comes together and you just watch them flourish! Even things like turning to climb into the water using "turn, turn, turn" we implemented into our daily lives too. We had Mark from a young age and he was brilliant. Always a smile on his face and so great with the kids! We have had Nicky for our lessons in ormskirk for most of the time. Wow, what a instructor. Henry can now swim with his face under the water for 7 seconds, coming up to take breaths and diving down for objects. It makes me so unbelievably happy to see. We have unfortunately had to move from puddle ducks as Henry moved up a skill set and the times and days no longer suited us. I will be sad to leave puddle ducks and I thank you for everything you have done to help us in the water.

We’ve been part of the PD family for over 6 years. My youngest daughter started at 8 weeks and my eldest joined swim academy at age 4. Both girls have loved every minute of their lessons and have now become confident swimmers that are safe in the water. This was all I wanted- I wouldn’t want them to have lessons anywhere else. What I didn’t expect was that I would end up training to be a Puddle Ducks baby and pre-school teacher myself. My happy place is in the water I loved being able to support other families build the confidence that my own children were developing. Helen has been a consistent part of our journey as swimmers and for me as a teacher, she’s ha d lovely relationship with both girls and our whole family- we’ll miss her! We’ve been lucky to build bonds with a number of teachers and awesome poolside assistants, big love to Liz, Verity, Nic, Louise, Abby, and Laila. Special thanks to Faye and the back office team, Lindsey and Jo for making everything run smoothly!

We have had a fantastic experience with Puddle Ducks for our first daughters swimming lessons. Friendly, well-trained and informative staff. Overall a very enjoyable experience :)

We have loved our time at Puddle Ducks. Fantastic lessons and my little boy is always excited for swimming.

Puddle ducks classes are fun, interactive and a positive place to learn an essential new skill. Each class has its benefits, from tiny babys in floaties, all the way up to older children. Rebecca is a warm and welcoming teacher who helps both you and your little one to become more confident in the pool. I am so happy that we found her classes as we really do get great value for our money. The balance of learning new skills, understanding why we are learning certain techniques and time for safe play, really makes for an excellent session each time

We swim with Puddle Ducks Chester, Wirral & North Wales with all three of our toddlers, ages 4, 2 & 1.
We LOVE our time with each of the boys in their lessons. It's so lovely to see the progression of each as an indiviudal and watch the sessions adapt to their abilities. Our eldest has had a long journey of struggling to submerge, with a child-led approach I have felt so comfortable with him leading the way. He's now in the first steps of enjoying to swim under the water - a day I never thought would happen! Whilst my youngest practically lives under the water and wants to jump in constantly! The perfect lessons for our tribe. Thank you team Puddle Ducks

Both our girls love Puddle Ducks and we are so glad we chose them for our swimming lessons. We are in the Wakefield, Barnsley, Sheffield & South Leeds branch.
In total we have been swimming with puddle ducks since 2020, and now with one in Little Dippers and one at Swim Academy we love the service and set up. The lessons have given them both such confidence and ability in water, it makes swimming on holidays so much more relaxing to know your children are safe!
The teachers are all lovely and so good with the kids, for us the main thing with the lessons is they listen to your kids and adapt for their ability and stage. No dunking!! If your child doesn't want to put their face in the water then they don't have to, this is not the case at lots of swimming lessons.
The courtesy classes are also great, considering the number of child classes where you miss a lesson and you lose that money. Here you have a courtesy class to use at any other venue (subject to space). The management staff are so lovely and helpful as well when we have had any issues or queries, they have sorted it for us really quickly.
We all love puddle ducks and recommend them to all our friends.

Uhtred has a splashing time at Little Dippers with Emma! He has come on leaps and bounds through his lessons at Puddle Ducks Wakefield, Barnsley, Sheffield and South Leeds.

We have been swimming with Puddleducks (Wakefield Franchise) since my daughter was 6 months old, she’s now 10 years old!! ALL the teachers over the years have been AMAZING. They have taught her to be safe & confident in and around the water, alongside teaching her excellent technique in Swim Academy and how important this is. Throughout the whole programme, my daughter has always enjoyed her lessons and really looked forward to getting into the water, as they make the teaching fun and interesting.
Thanks to Puddleducks she has been given confidence within the water and continues her swimming journey at the fantastic new pool in Huddersfield, BigBox. Thank you to everyone at PD!

I could not recommend Puddle Ducks ENOUGH for the courage and confidence they have instilled in my son, not only in the water but in outside life too!

We joined in Nov 2023 where my son was in Level 1, since then he has completed both Level 1 & 2 and is currently waiting to join Level 3. When we first started Frank HATED putting his head in water, whether that be in the shower or bath, pool you name it. Now getting in water is more of a positive thing for him, rather than a negative.

When my opportunity to sit pool side comes around, it’s amazing to see how far he’s come along especially with us going on holiday soon - I know he has skills to help himself in the water, should I not be there with him which puts me more at ease.

I would recommend joining puddle ducks to any parent, especially those who have a child with neurodiversity and are worried.. the teachers are FAB and your child will 100% be looked after 💖

The website did not make clear that lessons started immediately that week upon booking. We wanted my daughter to start after her 8 week vaccinations and my husband tried to book lessons a few weeks before to start after this. When we telephoned to query this, the lady on the phone was incredibly rude and tried to push for us to start immediately stating that there was no risk (I am fully aware of NHS guidance that babies can start swimming prior to vaccinations and I also work in healthcare, specialising in Microbiology & Infectious Diseases but felt that due to baby being early and tiny at birth, we felt more comfortable waiting until afterher vaccinations). When my husband told the lady "no because my wife doesn't feel comfortable until after our daughters vaccinations as baby had been born early and was tiny" he was very rudely told "oh I see, it's what the wife says goes is it?". This is incredibly derogatory and not supportive to a new mum who was only concerned about the welfare of her child.

As the website was unclear, they agreed to start our daughters lessons after 8 weeks of age. Little did we know that rather than move all of the lessons a few weeks later, they had converted the first 4 lessons to courtesy lessons. We hadn't had this explained to us and had been led to believe the whole block had been moved. When we realised they had been booked as courtesy lessons, we planned to use them at the end of the block as other pools were too far away and lessons at these were on the days my husband worked so the only sessions that we could attend were for the days & times that we had booked. We were informed at our daughters last lesson that we couldn't do this as "we were no longer paying customer's" despite the fact that we had already paid for these lessons and they were within the expiry date.

The lessons themselves were OK, however, if two parents attend the second parent must stand in the
changing room and cannot watch the
lesson. Again, this was not explained to us and at our first lessons when I stood at the side after handing our daughter to my husband who was getting into the pool with her, I was told this in rude manner. I also felt incredibly uncomfortable doing this, particularly considering our earlier dealings with Puddle Ducks as I had already been given the impression that Puddle Ducks did not care about how we felt about our child's welfare. The teachers stated this was for health & safety, however, another company who used the same pool for swimming lessons on a different day allowed parents to stand at the edge of the pool.

A majority of the people I have had dealings with have been rude and stand-offish and the company have ripped is off during a time where every penny counts.

Prior to attending Puddle Ducks, we were excited for my daughter to go to swimming lessons with her Daddy as this was something for them, but from our first dealings with Puddle Ducks, this has been soured. We no longer felt excited and have been left feeling apprehensive. This is absolutely not fair on my daughter. We were so keen for her to be comfortable in water from a very early age, especially considering that we live very close to a body of water, but we were left uncomfortable even taking her to swimming lessons.

Took the opportunity to take a trial with the aspiration of further lessons. From the second we got there it was evident the advice given prior to the lesson had been incorrect resulting in my normally confident little girl having every ounce of confidence knocked out of her during her 25 minute session. Guidance was unclear throughout and she was expected to hit the ground running with no consideration to her previous experience. She was shouted at constantly due to the unclear guidance and lack of understanding of what was expected of her. As a teacher (albeit not a swimming one) I am aware of how to speak to children and adults of varying ages at respective levels. It was clear the linear approach of Puddleducks did not seem to cater for the weaknesses of someone who had clearly been placed into the first available slot of a well established group who were well versed in the expectancy of them. I left feedback on my email response from the chase of payment, but 6 days later it wasn’t followed up and no one felt it appropriate to contact me to address the concerns I expressed or indeed ask how the session had gone. Had these concerns been addressed then I most certainly wouldn’t have left this review. There is no real concern for the customer and their learning journey, it’s purely money and that’s evident from the multitude of complaints I note on here. Having had to console a broken child at the end of the session (to her credit she didn’t shed a tear during the session) I cannot say anything positive about the experience. As her parent it was evident she was scared and upset throughout - To the point I nearly pulled her from the class myself, only keeping her in in the hope she would adapt to the challenging circumstances. I couldn’t comfortably recommend Puddle ducks, nor would I be comfortable paying £19 for a 25 mins session where even 4 children proved difficult for 2 teachers to cope with. I appreciate a small averagely busy pool with outside noise and external sound probably presents its own challenges. All of the children struggled to hear a lot of what was being said, mine included. I certainly struggled from immediate poolside. With no clear guidance as to what they wanted from the children and mine being wedged into the first available space where children clearly had experience of underwater swimming it really wasn’t the correct introduction to swimming classes for someone who was new and scared and who had been advised prior that goggles were optional. Without them she would have been in trouble as the focus was solely about having your head underwater. An overall upsetting experience for both parent and child and after a completely different experience elsewhere I am confident she will continue the journey she had previously established, and restore some of the confidence Puddleducks and the two specific trainers knocked out of her in record time.

Booked our daughter onto the floaties classes four weeks ago, paid up front for six lessons. Since then each lesson has been cancelled, last weeks five minutes before the class. We were obviously already ready and outside the building at this stage. We have not had any communication this week to say if the class is back on or not. But my patience is wearing very thin. So far I am not impressed at this company.

My little girl has been swimming with Puddleducks since 6 months old and has just completed all her swimming levels and is now a fully fledged swimmer. Teachers have been fantastic- very supportive and re-assuring throughout her swim journey. Puddleducks is a little on the expensive side, and there are issues with their courtsey classes, but if you want your child to learn to swim well, this company is definately recommended. My children are both well ahead of their family members and friends making the money spent well worth it. Thank you, Puddleducks.

Our start with Puddle Ducks was a little turbulent due to things outside our/PuddleDucks control. After enrolling my child in their swimming lessons for £150 he fell seriously ill after just two sessions. This situation led to a misunderstanding with Puddle Ducks about their ‘courtesy lessons’ vs. ‘suspension’ policies, the latter being more suitable in our case.

We found the courtesy lesson policy to be quite impractical for our case. Not only did they “hold no monetary value”, but they also couldn't be used towards future lesson payments. The only option was to attend extra sessions in the same week on top of the new ones I'd have to pay for – a tough ask for any busy parent and overwhelming for a child just recovering from illness.

After some back/forth, Puddle Duck reached out to resolve this which is a good step. My advice to parents would be to familiarise yourself with the courtesy lesson policies else you might be in for a surprise like I was (especially if your child is likely to become ill). For Puddleducks: I do not remember that the courtesy class policy was explained to me before I paid money. It might be a good thing to remind parents before they pay for a bulk of lessons.

The lessons themselves were a hit with my son. He genuinely enjoyed the time he spent in the pool, and the quality of teaching was commendable.

Updating the initial negative review to a more neutral one with intents to update it as we get further through the lessons.

I sought advice from my GP before enrolling my daughter in swimming. He said she would be fine. I made sure I spoke with Puddle Ducks before booking so that full disclosure was made of my daughter’s chronic eczema. I felt very encouraged by the positive and supportive attitude of the lady on the phone. Unfortunately I never spoke to that lady again and Puddle Ducks very quickly changed their attitude.

On our second lesson, we were barred entry from the only shower available at the venue because another child with eczema needed it and his needs came first. I explained our situation and they expressed astonishment. Nothing had been communicated to them and they had not noticed my daughter’s condition. At that point it affected her scalp.

Later that week, a lady who I will refer to by her initials rang us. AB repeatedly invited us to cancel our swim school place. She strongly encouraged us to cease swimming. When I declined, she said my daughter would need to wear a swim hat. I explained this would have no affect on her condition. This was confirmed by medical professionals. AB said that the sight of my daughter’s condition was likely to upset the other parents. To my own shame, I decided to acquiesce because the class was at a convenient time at a short distance.

We consulted with a sports equipment shop and bought a swim cap. They advised us against the soft cap as my daughter who is only 1 would be easily able to remove it. Since AB had said the hat was necessary to be permitted in the class, we had no other realistic option.

We persisted with the class but the pool was unusually cold. My 1 year old typically ended up with chattering teeth and would be shivering by the end of every class. This was despite wearing the warmest swimsuit available. Her eczema has radically improved however and is no longer noticeable. Still, when she became upset by the hat and I asked if we could remove it, I was told no. It was a requirement regardless of the improvement in her condition and regardless of her distress and discomfort. At this point I realised I was doing my child a disservice by continuing to bring her into this toxic environment. The teacher was completely dismissive of the upset being caused.

I would add that the other parents in the class were all lovely and all expressed shock at the idea of them being upset by the sight of my daughter’s eczema.

I contacted Puddle Ducks to let them know we wanted to withdraw. Once again, AB spoke to me. She confirmed once again that the swim hat was a requirement regardless of my 1 year old’s current condition and never mind if it caused her distress. I pointed out that the other parents said they were not upset by her scalp. AB said it was actually the teacher who had been bothered by it. At this point, I don’t even know if this is true or if it was AB who has a problem with children who have eczema. When I outlined an email with all of the above and CC’ed the main Puddle Ducks inbox, I received a very puzzling reply claiming that it had only ever been a suggestion that my daughter try wearing a hat. This was the complete opposite of everything AB and the poolside staff had been saying for months.

My daughter has been assessed by a paediatric dermatologist who has confirmed that she is fine to swim and it will not cause any flare ups. Puddle Ducks were never concerned with her welfare. They just found the sight of a toddler with a skin condition to be a bit yuck and wanted rid of us as soon as possible.

I think the important thing to remember is that there are a lot of swimming providers out there. I have been able to find an alternative in our area within easy distance. If this one doesn’t work out for whatever reason, there will be others. Parents should not settle for a provider who employs people who express such toxic views. They don’t deserve your money.

I’ve joined the waiting list for my child on the website and filled the questionnaire.

However, in order to actually join the waiting list, customer service has already sent me emails asking for additional information (including confirmation of the day, which I have clearly applied for on the website). While asking for confirmation of the day, they don’t provide me with options, which means I need to go to the website and check the day I applied for again.

That is wasting everyone’s time - customer’s and your stuff. I’m working full time and I have 2 kids, I honestly don’t have time to bounce these emails.

Someone needs to look at your customer service and improve the efficiency and customer’s experience.

Up until recently I would have absolutely recommended Puddleducks, but since Suffolk merged with Norfolk it is no longer the personal service we have loved.
Recently they have decided that as the rest of the class is progressing more than my daughter the class will change to Swim Academy 3, there are no lessons available we can make for my daughter to attend level 2. She has been to puddleducks since the pre-natal exercise classes and learnt so much but due to the impersonal and really poor service we are leaving. The final straw being "we will waive the notice period as there is a waiting list" so sad to end this way