NOA's Ark Nursery
Good★ 4.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Banbury for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2022. Open since 2014, with 53 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 Oxfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Oxfordshire 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
OX16 0UDWhat 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 April 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thrive and enjoy their time at the nursery. They play happily and get fully involved in the exciting range of activities available to them. Children form strong bonds with the caring and nurturing staff. They settle well and respond to the high expectations staff have for them. Toddlers explore what they can do with large barrels. They use their imagination to pretend they are boats and rockets. They act out going on journeys as they join in singing familiar songs with staff. Older children become immersed in their imaginary play as they pretend to go fishing.
They imagine their long sticks are rods and build platforms so they can pretend to fish over the garden fence. Babies delight in exploring the sounds of different instruments. Children benefit from a range of opportunities to be creative and expressive.
Children behave well. They learn to take turns, listen and follow instructions. For example, when children plant sunflower seeds in the garden, they patiently wait for a turn to pour the water. They understand they need to make space for each of their friends to join in. They concentrate hard on carefully placing their seeds in soil. Children are considerate and thoughtful. They show high levels of engagement in all that they do and are well prepared for the next stages of their learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff support and help them to understand how to respond to children's questions and develop their thinking and understanding further.
- 19 April 2022Good
- 9 December 2016Good
- 8 January 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for NOA's Ark Nursery
- 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.