Noah's Ark Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Caterham for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2024. Open since 2016, with 26 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 Surrey
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Surrey 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
CR3 5NFWhat 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, 19 December 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff warmly greet children on arrival and children enjoy their time in this nurturing and welcoming pre-school. Staff know children very well and form close and loving bonds with them. This helps the children to feel safe and emotionally secure. Staff pay particular attention to learning about the children's individual learning needs.
They provide a broad and balanced curriculum based on children's current interests and existing knowledge. Staff ensure that activities and experiences are fully inclusive. Consequently, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.
Staff are strong role models. They are gentle, kind and patient. This positively impacts the way children behave and treat each other and staff. Children form good friendships with other children and their behaviour is good. Any minor disagreements are dealt with fairly and sensitively by the staff who have clear boundaries and routines in place. This helps children, particularly those children who occasionally struggle to regulate their emotions, to develop a firm understanding of what is expected of them and what is happening next. Children demonstrate a positive 'can do' attitude to their learning. Staff encourage children to keep on trying in order that the children can take pride in their own achievements.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- give children enough time to process their thoughts and express their ideas, when responding to questions n support staff to better recognise, and make more effective use of, spontaneous opportunities to extend and challenge children's learning.
- 19 December 2024Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 22 March 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Noah's Ark Pre-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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.