DD was desperate to go ice skating with her 6 mates at Alexandra Palace but none of them had any experience (and neither do DP and I). We ended up booking them a teacher for an hour and the lady was absolutely FANTASTIC. They went from wobbling at the edge to skating independently all the way round (and backwards), and the comments included 'This was my best birthday ever', 'Excellent', 'She makes me feel really confident' and 'I want to do this again!' Plus all DP and I had to do was watch and admire.
So if anyone wants a recommendation for a terrific skating teacher, PM me.