The Ark Pre-School Nursery Liphook
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Liphook for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 08:15 to 15:45, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2025. Open since 2017, with 28 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Early Years Entitlement funding for all 2 – 4 year olds; 15 hours per week over 38 weeks for 3 and 4 year olds; 30 hours for eligible working parents.
Worth knowing. Unlike many settings, we do not ask parents to top-up the government funding. We do however, ask parents to make a small (£20) voluntary contribution every term to the setting.
What childcare usually costs in Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire 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
GU30 7DJWhat 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.
- 15 May 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 24 January 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 6 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the setting happy and excited to see their friends. Staff have worked hard to plan activities that build on children's interests and engage them in learning. For example, children enjoy using toy insects with the play dough to explore texture and strengthen the muscles in their wrists.
Staff take time to build strong attachments with the children who attend. Home visits and settling-in sessions help staff to build effective relationships with children and parents. This helps them to provide high-quality care that is consistent and meets their needs.
The curriculum is inclusive for every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know every child really well and use this knowledge to support them in their learning. For example, staff teach children how to wash their hands thoroughly by singing a handwashing song and modelling how to use the soap and water. This supports children's understanding of how to wash away germs and keep themselves safe.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to know when to adapt their teaching so that children remain focused and engaged in meaningful learning.
- enhance staff's knowledge of how to extend children's vocabulary during conversation even further.
- 6 June 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 5 November 2019Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Ark Pre-School Nursery Liphook
- What it costs
- 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.
- What does it cost, all in? 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.