Noahs Ark Pre-School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Ipswich for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 08:30 to 15:00, 5 days a week. £7.00 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 1985, with 36 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Our fees are £7.00 per hour and we also ask for a 30p voluntary snack donation, per session.
One published rate. What you pay depends on the days you need and the funded hours you can claim.
Funded hours
Two year old and three year old funding, as well as the extended 30 hours of Government funding.
What childcare usually costs in Suffolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Suffolk 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
IP4 4QEWhat 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, 10 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and families are warmly greeted on arrival at this friendly pre-school. Staff know the children and families well. Children show close attachments to the staff and seek them out to share in their play. Staff use their knowledge of children's family life to support children to feel safe and secure. They enjoy looking at family photo albums from home, to help children feel settled and secure. This enables children to feel confident in accessing the variety of activities available.
Children explore the learning opportunities with confidence and make the most of the inside and outside areas. They use the grass bank in the garden to slide down with friends. Sometimes, they go fast and hold hands with friends. This helps the children to manage their own risks in a safe environment. Children behave well and play cooperatively together. They enjoy each other's company and make friendships. They play team games of football, where they are considerate and share in their successes together. Children develop independence skills, as they find their coats and bags. They are supported to manage their own clothing, zips and fastenings. Children self-select at snack time and pour their own drinks. They are encouraged to make healthy choices.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance teaching so that staff respond quickly to children's changing interests and adapt the environment to continually extend their learning n ensure that stories and songs are integrated throughout the day, to support the children to develop a love of books and further support their language development.
- 10 November 2022Good
- 21 February 2017Good
- 18 March 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Noahs Ark Pre-School
- Meals
- Nappies
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 £7.00 an hour 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.