Noah's Ark Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Northampton for from 2 years up to school age, open 08:30 to 17:30, 5 days a week. £18.00 a session for under 3's that do not qualify for govern, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 2008, with 26 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Session | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3's that do not qualify for governbirth to 3y | £18.00AM/ PM | |
| All ages | £6.00Breakfast Club |
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £5.00 a session Breakfast clubin addition to funded hours
- £5.00 a session Lunch clubin addition to funded hours
- £7.00 Lunch & Pudding
- £7.00 Tea & Pudding
What a funded hour still costs
Funded hours cover the childcare. These are charged alongside them.
- £1.50 to £3.00 a day Snack charge1/2 day session
Funded hours
15 or 30 hours for eligible 2, 3 or 4 year olds.
Worth knowing. Free government hours can be taken in either our morning or afternoon sessions for 15 hours, or both for 30 hours. Voluntary fee for snacks and meals not included in government funding.
What childcare usually costs in West Northamptonshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Northamptonshire 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
NN5 4ULWhat 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.
Ofsted inspector, 17 May 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy attending this welcoming playgroup. They arrive happily and are pleased to see their friends and the staff. Children understand the daily routines and they are confident to join in with small group activities and in activities they choose for themselves. For example, children lead an activity where they make potions. They explore the textures of sand, compost and leaves when they mix them into water and then pour the water out. Staff talk to children and support them to be confident about messy play.
There are high expectations for children at this playgroup. Children learn to use equipment, including scissors and sticky tape dispensers, because staff supervise them well. Staff encourage children to find out how to fold the paper to enclose the parcel and secure it with tape. Children show real persistence during this activity because the staff support them effectively.
Children behave very well. They know about the playgroup values, which are 'to be safe, kind, respectful and to have fun'. Staff help children use these values when they play, and this enables children to work together very well. Children share, deal with disagreements and begin to manage their feelings in a positive way, which helps prepare them for their future learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve staff interactions during small group times, to ensure that all children involved can take part in a meaningful way.
- 17 May 2021Good
- 16 July 2019Needs improvement
- 27 January 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Noah's Ark Playgroup
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £18.00 a session still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.