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  1. Local swimming school Puddle Ducks Dorset are launching their Swim Academy classes at Montacute School (BH17 9NG) on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from September 2025.

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    They also run baby & preschool classes, and lunchtime Monday Swim Academy classes at this popular pool.

    Swim Academy teaches primary-school children up to the age of 10 to swim beautifully and efficiently, as well as developing essential water safety and lifesaving skills.  Swimming is a journey, not a destination, and at Swim Academy (brought to you from the experts at Puddle Ducks), children learn and have fun all the way!

    Across the two days they will teach their 30-minute classes at the popular swimming pool in Canford Heath.  Children learn through experience, fun and some repetition. They keep their classes fun, lively, varied and exciting to help your child stay engaged and challenged in the water.

    “Montacute School Pool has been one of our longest standing and most popular pools since we first launched, especially since it was rebuilt in 2015.  We're so delighted to be able to offer our first after school sessions at this amazing, warm, immaculately clean pool in a fantastic location.  There's plenty of free parking and one spectator per child is allowed on poolside.” Jane Puddle Ducks Dorset.

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    Puddle Ducks Dorset offer swimming lessons for babies, pre-schoolers and children in Poole, Ferndown, Blandford, New Milton and Wimborne.  Their baby classes start from birth and they teach children all the way up to 10 years in the Swim Academy.

    What is the main reason a parent or carer decides to take their baby, toddler or child to swimming lesson? 

    The resounding answer is ‘To teach them an essential life skill’ – 92% of Puddle Ducks customers cited this as a reason that first made them consider swimming lessons.

    Why Swim Academy?

    Let's be awesome.

    Swim Academy teachers train, teach, and continue to learn, at the highest level, so that your children are taught in the best possible way, from their first class to their graduation.

    Let's keep it small.

    Their close-knit class sizes mean all children get the right level of support to suit their age.  Small enough to nurture; large enough to let go. 

    Let's get there.

    They set clear targets and meet them.  Track the progress of your superstar swimmer through your online account and follow their progress every step of the way. 

    Let's do it.

    Everyone deserves to be rewarded.  They congratulate the duckling that splashes from A to B as enthusiastically as the graceful swan that masters all the strokes.

    Let's have fun.

    Children learn through experience, fun and some repetition.  Practice makes perfect.  They keep classes fun, lively, varied and exciting to help your child stay engaged and challenged in the water.

    Let's own it.

    They don’t knock children down; they build them up.  Their strokes are deconstructed so that nothing is ever ‘wrong’ because they’ve always started out right.

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    Across baby & preschool classes, and Swim Academy, they hold 3 Pyjama Weeks a year, where swimmers go to their swimming lessons in their PJs.  This gives all their swimmers a regular session where the babies/children are exposed to what it might feel like to be in the water with their clothes on.

    They do not positively encourage swimmers to jump into the water whenever they can fully clothed – quite the opposite – but they can provide them with the opportunity to see how it would feel to be in the water, following an accidental submersion/fall into water, showing them that they can still swim, practice turning, etc.

    Special Early ‘Duck’ Offer!

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    Sign up to the new Swim Academy classes before 20th August 2025 for £20 off your first payment; just use code EARLYDUCK20.

    Enquire today to grab a place before they’re all gone!  For more information, please visit Puddle Ducks Dorset

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  2. WOW, WOW, WOW!  We went to see Circus Extreme this weekend and it was mind-blowing, we all loved every minute of it!

    The ROCK IT OUT tour has been years in the making and provides non-stop live entertainment and unbelievable death-defying stunts, to the point where I had to almost cover my eyes at times for fear of a performer falling!

    The show has high energy throughout, world class performers, amazing live music, incredible costumes and extreme stunts.

    Acts include: The Catwall Acrobats, The Danguir Troupe’s Double Wheel of Death, EXTREME® Freestyle Motocross Team, The Globe of Death, Skywalker Marlon, The Didyk Troupe’s Double Ukrainian Swing, Laura Miller’s Aquatic Aerial Hoop, Lucky Hell’s Aerial Sword Swallowing Act and Paulinho Stunt Legend.  Of course we can’t forget Clown Edy who is a master of circus comedy and kept us entertained when the stage was changing for the next stunt.

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    If you’re thinking of going then you won’t regret it, we were completely captivated from start to finish and would quite happily go back and watch it all again.

    Circus Extreme will be at Branksome Recreation Ground in Poole from now until Sunday 3rd August 2025 with multiple performances every day.  The show lasts for 2 hours which includes a short interval.  Snacks which include popcorn, candyfloss and hot dogs can be found in the foyer along with drinks and slush puppies.

    For more information and tickets, please visit Circus Extreme.

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