Meet the Team

Find out more about our brilliant team - both in and out of the pool!

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  Natalie

  Franchise Owner, Senior Baby & Pre-School and Swim Academy Teacher

  Natalie launched Puddle Ducks East Surrey back in 2011 when her daughter Tilly was just 9 months old. Having had lots of fond memories as a child in the water, Natalie wanted to pass this love of swimming onto her own daughter and signed up to baby swimming classes. It was during this time that Natalie realised her career in Insolvency was not her real passion and that teaching children a valuable life skill was! Natalie has since had a little boy called Seb and both her children, and many others that she and her wonderful team of teachers have taught, are confident and happy swimmers!

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  Suzie

  Head of Teaching. Senior Baby & Pre-School, Swim Academy & Elite Swim Academy Teacher

  Suzie is a busy mum of two energetic, sports-loving boys and has been part of the Puddle Ducks family since 2014. Her journey began in the water as a parent, and after seeing first-hand just how powerful those early swimming experiences can be, she retrained as a swimming teacher in 2018.

  With a background as a professional dancer and choreographer, followed by an off-stage career as a producer and project manager, teaching and inspiring children and young people 'to be the best they can be' has always been at the heart of everything Suzie does. After six years successfully balancing roles across both the creative industries and aquatics, she now works exclusively within the swimming industry.

  Suzie is an STA Level 3 Baby and Preschool Swimming Teacher, STA Level 2 Swimming Teacher, and a Swim England Level 1 Assistant Coach. She is currently training as a tutor, with the aim of playing an even greater role in developing, mentoring, and supporting the next generation of swimming teachers.

  Alongside her role as Head of Teaching for Puddle Ducks East Surrey, Suzie also works as HQ Accreditor for Puddle Ducks Head Office and as Assistant Coach for Marlins Redhill and Reigate Swimming Club. Suzie is passionate about refining technique, building confidence, and nurturing a lifelong love of swimming and the water.  

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  Nikki

  Senior Baby & Pre-School Teacher and Swim Academy Teacher

  Nikki joined Puddle Ducks in 2019. She had been working in retail for 12 years prior to that. She was watching my kids swimming one day and thought, that looks like a fun job! She did some research and following a recommendation from a friend decided to join Puddle Ducks and the rest is history! She finds being a teacher such a fun and rewarding job and loves celebrating milestones with the children when they achieve them! Nikki qualified as a Swim Academy teacher in 2024 so is looking forward teaching those classes too now

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  Sarah

  Baby & Pre-school Teacher and Swim Academy Teacher

  Sarah qualified in 2018 as a Baby & Pre-school teacher. She previously worked for 30 years as a nanny. Teaching at Puddle Ducks is so much fun and she finds it so rewarding watching babies and children grow in confidence and to be part of their swimming journey is so special. When she teaches she can't stop smiling from the time she gets into the pool until she leaves! Sarah qualified as a Swim Academy teacher in 2024 so is looking forward teaching those classes too now. Away from Puddle Ducks she really enjoys the outdoors and playing sports and being active.  She also loves to go camping at music festivals with her husband and two sons and has 3 rescue dogs which complete her family!

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  Edie

  Baby & Pre-school Teacher

  Edie began her Puddle Ducks journey in October 2024. Edie has always been passionate about swimming and is thrilled that she has the opportunity to turn her favourite hobby into a career. Outside of swimming she loves spending time in nature and reading. She has previously worked with children in different roles and finds it so rewarding to teach them such an important life skill. 

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  Tracy

  Baby & Pre-school Teacher

  Tracy joined Puddle Ducks in 2023 but is a swimming veteran! She started her swimming career after retiring from competition swimming way back in the early nineties! Since then she has dipped in and out of teaching babies, pre-school and older kids around three children of her own and expat placements both in the USA and Moscow! Swimming and teaching swimming has always been her passion and she loves nothing more than seeing the little ones progress into confident swimmers

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  Joanne

  Baby & Pre-school Teacher

  Joanne has lived in six different countries on three different continents. She has had a range of different jobs; in financial services, and then as a translator. To fit things around her kids she started as a cake decorator, and most recently has been painting pet portraits.

  When she was little she was terrified of putting her face in the water, but now she loves snorkelling! She wishes she had been able to overcome my fear of water sooner, and seeing a previously anxious child blowing bubbles for the first time is just the best feeling!

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  Ruby

  Swim Academy Teacher

  Ruby began her Puddle Ducks journey in July 2024. Previously a swimming teaching assistant, she decided to combine her love of swimming and teaching by completing the STA Level 2 teaching award and became a Swim Academy teacher with us. Alongside swimming teaching, Ruby is also a second year student at Kingston University, studying psychology. Ruby enjoys the rewarding process of watching new swimmers grow to love what she has a passion for and hopes to continue this work throughout the completion of her studies and beyond. 

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  Evie

  Swim Academy Teacher

  Evie joined Puddle Ducks in 2025. She has always loved being in the water, whether swimming in the pool or enjoying the sea on family holidays in Portugal and is excited to share that passion through teaching.

   Alongside working with Puddle Ducks, Evie is studying English, Media and French at A level. She is really looking forward to getting to know the children and their families and helping them grow in confidence each week.

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  Rose

  Swim Academy Teacher (holiday cover)

  Rose started her Puddle Ducks journey in July 2022. The first 6 months of her journey involved the role of Poolside Assistant which welcomed her into the world of work. In December 2022, she began her STA Level 2 training. This led her to become a newly qualified Swim Academy teacher by February 2023. Since starting this position she describes how she’s learnt so much and developed not only her teaching skills but also her social skills. She enjoys seeing the swimmers’ progressions whilst still having lots of fun. Whilst balancing the role alongside school, she still takes part in her favourite sports, including club netball and dance. She says, " Every week I learn something new and continue to grow in my role as a Swim Academy teacher" 

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  Scarlett

  Swim Academy

  Scarlett joined Puddle Ducks in July 2026 and began teaching in the September.

  She has always enjoyed swimming, especially on holiday and is currently in Year 13 studying Dance Politics and Sociology A-Level.

  She is looking forward to helping the children learn to love swimming and grow their confidence in the water! 

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  Ursula

  Poolside Assistant

  Ursula has worked for Puddle Ducks for approximately four years. She’s a mother of three beautiful girls aged from 8-13 and is married to Matt. She was previously cabin crew for ten years and loves travelling, with Dubai as her favourite destination. She’s recently taken up golf and loves to cook and host dinner parties for friends and family. Ursula says it is great to see the young babies progress through all the different stages into competent swimmers at the Swim Academy level.

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  Helen

  Poolside Assistant

  Helen has been working with Puddle Ducks since 2019. She loves her job working as a Poolside Assistant and enjoys singing along to the songs. When she’s not working for Puddle Ducks she helps at her local Beavers where her son attends.

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  Linda

  Poolside Assistant

  Linda joined the Puddle Ducks team as a Poolside Assistant in March 2025 and currently works at Wray Common in Reigate on Thursdays.

  Linda retired nine years ago, so it has been wonderful to return to Wray Common, especially as both of her children were students there. Linda used to help in the classroom and support the swimming lessons they attended, so it feels very special for her to be back in a familiar and welcoming environment.

  Linda truly enjoys her role as a Poolside Assistant. She loves meeting the parents and their children and finds it’s incredibly rewarding to see the fantastic progress their little ones make each week.

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  Mae

  Poolside Assistant

  Mae started with Puddle Ducks in December 2022. She is loving the job and says it has taught her many new social skills and allows her to learn something different every week! She is currently an A-level student and has many interests including art, history and even health & social care. She loves working alongside her sister, Rose, from whom she took over the role of poolside assistant, on a Saturday when Rose became a teacher! 

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  Claire W

  Customer Service Assistant

  Claire has been working in the Puddle Ducks East Surrey office since December 2019. She has a passion for Customer Service and a background in Marketing and enjoys helping Mums, Dads and Carers with queries around their children's swimming lessons. She has an interest in health and fitness and is sporty herself and has run two marathons!

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  Laura

  Marketing Manager

  Laura joined Puddle Ducks after having her second child as working full time in the marketing world just didn't appeal any more.

  Having spent 20 years working in marketing agency's in London Laura wanted a job which she could do around her children. Puddle Ducks is perfect for that, it enables her to use all her marketing skills whilst also being able to spend plenty of time with her children.