Noahs Ark Pre School
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Dereham for babies from 9 months up to school age, open 07:30 to 17:00, 5 days a week. £6.10 an hour for 0 to 2 years, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 2002, with 55 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
46 weeks a year, price list dated January 2026.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 yearsbirth to 2y | £6.10Children aged 0 to 2 years | |
| 2 to 3 years2y to 3y | £5.90Children aged 2 to 3 years | |
| 3 to 5 years3y to 5y | £5.70Children aged 3 to 5 years |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
Early Education Entitlement funding for children from 9 months old; 30 hours funding each week, term time only.
Worth knowing. Early Education Funding Entitlement hours are applicable term time only. For any additional sessions beyond the 30 hours each, or for sessions outside of term time, fees apply for all families. The fees are charged at our usual hourly rate.
What childcare usually costs in Norfolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Norfolk 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
NR20 4TXWhat 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, 11 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Babies and children grow in confidence and gain new skills in the relaxed atmosphere of this welcoming pre-school. They enjoy playing with their friends and welcome others to join in. Children excitedly look at pictures of themselves and their families and friends that are displayed on the wall. This helps them to feel secure. Daily routines are well thought out to ensure that children can develop their independence. Children have a good balance of being active, when they busily enjoy their play, with more-restful times.
A broad and challenging curriculum is in place for children. This is understood by the skilled and knowledgeable staff team. Adult-led activities are used particularly well throughout the day to give children interesting experiences linked to what they need to learn. For example, older children relax during a soothing and calming yoga session. Toddlers create dough versions of the real caterpillars that they found while digging outside earlier in the day. This helps to develop their physical skills and also reinforces the memory of their earlier learning. Staff introduce new concepts to children and stretch their thinking. Staff challenge older children as they ask children what they know about snow melting. Staff introduce the concept of letter sounds to older children in fun and interesting ways, capturing children's interest and encouraging their engagement.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide higher levels of adult interaction to older children during their free play to better support their learning at these times n find ways to help children in the toddler room to listen to and enjoy sharing books and stories with less distraction.
- 11 January 2023Good
- 28 January 2022Needs improvement
- 8 July 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Noahs Ark Pre School
- 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
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 £6.10 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.