Play Place The Ark
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A pre-school in Dartford for children from birth to 8+, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 January 2025. Open since 2016, with 36 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 Kent
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Kent 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
DA2 6HQWhat 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, 8 January 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at pre-school and are greeted by the enthusiastic and nurturing staff. They are sensitive to children's emotional well-being and take time to find out about their interests. This means that most children are happy and confident when they arrive. Each session starts with a song and story as there is a strong focus on children developing a love of books. They explore concepts such as feelings, and follow these up during adult-led activities. For example, as children paint, staff talk about how colours make them feel, so that children can embed prior learning.
Staff plan a fun and varied curriculum. For example, children go on the bus into the town centre to buy snacks and resources for activities. Trips take place on different days so that all children, including those who attend part time, have these experiences. This ensures that all children can learn about the diverse community in which they live. Children engage well in their play, and staff are positive role models for children. They work in collaboration to build a dinosaur swamp, adding sand and water. Children talk about why the cardboard has turned soft, and staff introduce vocabulary such as 'soggy'. These playful interactions help children to make good progress in their social and language development.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- build further on relationships with parents to strengthen the key-person system n support staff to give consistently clear messages so that children know and understand the expectations for their behaviour.
- 8 January 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 26 April 2019Good
- 31 October 2018Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Play Place The Ark
- 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.