The Exwick Ark
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Exeter for children from birth to 8+, open 07:45 to 17:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2024. Open since 2013, with 52 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 Devon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Devon 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
EX4 2ATWhat 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, 31 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy attending this welcoming nursery. They are greeted warmly by friendly and approachable staff. Children happily wave goodbye to their parents and carers and hang up their belongings. Staff take their hand and lead them to their designated room, where children settle quickly into an activity of their choosing.
The provider and staff have made significant improvements since the last inspection. They tailor their curriculum specifically to meet children's individual needs, with a particular focus on communication and language. Babies relish in listening to familiar nursery rhymes. Younger babies rock their body in time with the tune and sustain staff's eye contact as they sing. Older babies show excitement in participating, using puppets to act out parts of the song. They all sustain attention for long periods and begin to learn new single words. Staff help toddlers to join words together. For example, staff encourage sign language and provide context to children's play, such as supporting children to ask for help through words and actions when they need it. Pre-school-aged children extend their sentences well, such as during story times. They listen attentively and confidently describe the characters in the book.
All children have a positive attitude to learning and build warm relationships with staff and peers. They enjoy being part of the 'nursery family'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide children with sufficient time to think about the answers to staff questions to aid their thinking skills and promote their confidence.
- 31 October 2024Good
- 21 February 2024Needs improvement
- 13 March 2023Needs improvement
- 19 June 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 4 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Exwick 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.