Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Darwen for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 17:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 2006, with 80 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Blackburn with Darwen
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Blackburn with Darwen from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
BB3 1JEWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
- 14 July 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 18 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff create a very warm and friendly atmosphere for children. This, alongside secure settle-in arrangements, helps children and their parents form close bonds with key staff. All children, including those who are very new to the setting, are settled and happy. Parents are very complimentary about the level of service they receive and highly rate the quality of care and education provided for their children.
Leaders have constructed a balanced and sequenced curriculum. This takes good account of what they know about children's current learning and skills. It is also designed to help children acquire new learning and be well prepared for future learning and school. Furthermore, the curriculum focuses on helping children encounter wider experiences that complement their learning and support their wider understanding. For example, children enjoy visits from the local dentist. This helps to allay children's fears of visiting the dentist. It also helps them understand the importance of implementing good dental hygiene routines.
Staff are excellent role models. Their cheery nature and keenness to help and support children shines through. For example, they shower children with praise and encouragement and are always on hand to give a reassuring cuddle when needed.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to strengthen their educational practice so that all aspects of the curriculum are delivered to consistently high levels n provide closer monitoring of staff's practice, particularly following training, to ensure that all staff have understood key messages that further improve their practice.
- 18 January 2024Good
- 7 December 2018Good
- 9 April 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.