The Little Ark
OutstandingTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Ashford for from 2 years 6 months up to school age, open 08:45 to 14:45, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2023. Open since 2009, with 27 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
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
TN23 5LWWhat 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, 20 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enter the pre-school confidently and excitedly. Staff have exceptional interactions with children as they arrive, which sets a highly positive tone for the day. Children enter the main playroom enthusiastically and behave impeccably throughout the day. They are enthralled by the wide range of highly stimulating experiences on offer, indoors and outdoors, all through the day. For instance, staff provide exceptional support for children to grow carrots and French beans, which they later sell to parents to raise money. Children are therefore actively challenged.
They show a high sense of achievement because staff use the money raised from their sales to get more resources.
Children are exceptionally independent. Leaders regularly review the layout of the pre-school to make it as accessible as possible for all children. For instance, children are able to use a low-level tap to independently get water in fragile china cups. Children demonstrate exceptionally high persistence as they continue to
- 20 March 2023Outstanding
- 14 July 2017Good
- 8 January 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Little Ark
- What it costs
- Nappies
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Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date.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.