Nightingale Academy - Rose Ahmet

Mini Mermaids at Nightingale Academy was a really positive experience for all the girls involved. We picked a mixture of girls who had a range of needs which we thought Mini Mermaids could help with. For example there were some girls who were new to school and spoke little English, so each training session provided them with an opportunity to chat in a small group and socialise with other girls that they might not play with/be in class with. A lot of the girls benefitted from this and this was helped by Aurora who was able to translate key vocab for the girls.* It was lovely for them to have Aurora to translate if they needed, I think it made them feel included and gave them more confidence to ask questions. 

There was also a marked improvement in the behaviour of two of the girls in particular. It was great to see them open up a bit more each week and become more confident in their abilities. The sessions also allowed me and the other teacher involved to build relationships with girls that we don't normally teach which is hugely important especially in a small school. I found it easier to understand the girls behaviour out on the playground because I had got to know them through our sessions. One girls began to speak to me at lunchtimes and break times about stuff going on at home which is a huge step for her :) 

Parental engagement was good and there was lots of positive feedback from the parents. A dad of one of the girls said that he had noticed a change in her confidence and positivity since she had started running. All the parents were so proud of the girls each week and were all very happy for the girls to be part of such a great opportunity!

 
Coach Caroline was super enthusiastic and the girls loved her. She was really friendly and approachable and we enjoyed getting to know her. 

We were so lucky to have Mini Mermaids at our school and the girls were so proud of their achievements. We had a special assembly where they showed of their medals and some of them even wore their tops to our sports day the following week. Thank you so much for the amazing experience and I hope that Nightingale will now be a regular school for Mini Mermaids. 

​*One of our coaches was Romanian and helped translated the curriculum for the girls.