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Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School

Ofsted: Good
(Jan 2024)
·
5.0(2 Google reviews) ·Les Enfants Ltd, Lower Woodbank House, DARWEN, BB3 1JE · Blackburn with Darwen
Number of places
80 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2024
Local authority
Blackburn with Darwen

About this day nursery

The Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School, located in a charming Victorian building in Darwen, offers a stimulating and nurturing environment for children from birth to five years old. The day nursery is committed to providing outstanding childcare, fostering confidence and independence through a rich curriculum that includes a distinctive Forest School programme.

Their approach is child-centred, encouraging exploration, curiosity, and active learning tailored to each child's unique interests. The day nursery operates with core values of honesty, positivity, creativity, care, high standards, and enthusiasm, aiming to create a happy, healthy, and thriving space for children to grow.

They also focus on strong parent partnerships and empowering staff through professional development. Les Enfants is part of a wider group of nurseries, all dedicated to creating safe, loving environments.

Our ethos

The Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School is committed to providing outstanding childcare through a child-centred approach that encourages exploration, curiosity, and active learning. They have a distinctive Forest School programme and core values that include honesty, positivity, creativity, care, high standards, and enthusiasm.

What it's like

Staff create a very warm and friendly atmosphere for children. This, alongside secure settle-in arrangements, helps children and their parents form close bonds with key staff. All children, including those who are very new to the setting, are settled and happy. Leaders have constructed a balanced and sequenced curriculum, taking into account children's current learning and skills, to prepare them for future learning and school.

Forest School programmeOfsted-rated GoodChild-centred approachFlexible wraparound care

Pricing & funding

This nursery charges for full day, morning, and afternoon sessions. Standard funded hours do not include consumables, meals, or extra activities, which are subject to a separate hourly charge. Deposits are required to secure a place and are later deducted from the first invoice.

Funding accepted

15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare
  • Breakfast£1.65 / day
  • Lunch£3.80 / day
  • Tea£3.80 / day
  • Consumables£0.60 / hour
  • Full Day£65.00 / day

Good to know

  • A non-refundable deposit is required to secure a place, payable within 3 working days of acceptance.
  • Deposits are deducted from the first month's invoice and may be waived in certain circumstances.
  • A holding deposit may also be charged and applied towards the first month's fees.
  • Government funded hours do not include meals, snacks, nappies, wipes, or extra activities.
  • A consumable fee per funded hour is charged to cover excluded items, with meals billed separately.
  • Late payment and late collection fees are applied.

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday - Friday: 07:30 – 17:45

Age range

0-5 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School

Last inspected 18 January 2024

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Staff create a very warm and friendly atmosphere for children. This, alongside secure settle-in arrangements, helps children and their parents form close bonds with key staff. All children, including those who are very new to the setting, are settled and happy. Leaders have constructed a balanced and sequenced curriculum, taking into account children's current learning and skills, to prepare them for future learning and school.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff create a very warm and friendly atmosphere, helping children and parents form close bonds and ensuring children are settled and happy.
  • Leaders have a balanced and sequenced curriculum that prepares children for future learning and school, including wider experiences like visits from a local dentist.
  • Staff are excellent role models, showering children with praise and encouragement, resulting in kind, thoughtful and independent children.
  • Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop large and small physical skills, including exploring damp sand, music and movement sessions, and playing in the snow.
  • Mathematical concepts are woven through children's play, supporting their understanding of numbers and mathematical language.
  • Staff competently support children's developing communication and language through modelling words, pointing to pictures, and using open questions.
  • Children behave well and understand expectations, sharing, waiting their turn, and showing respect for others.
  • The dedicated cook provides healthy and nutritious meals and snacks, and staff encourage children to serve themselves, fostering independence.

Areas to develop

  • 1support staff to strengthen their educational practice so that all aspects of the curriculum are delivered to consistently high levels
  • 2provide closer monitoring of staff's practice, particularly following training, to ensure that all staff have understood key messages that further improve their practice.
Inspection #10324827 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents are very complimentary about the level of service they receive and highly rate the quality of care and education provided for their children.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

Outdoor space

Staff provide lots of opportunities for children to develop their physical skills, for example, toddlers attempt to take off their waterproofs after playing outdoors and pre-school children relish the opportunity to play in the snow. During a forest school session outdoors, children discuss safety rules and behaviour expectations with staff.

Google Reviews of Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School

5.0
(2 Google reviews)
Matthew Johnson
13 years ago

Excellent staff, excellent nursery. Josh loved it

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: May 2010

  • January 2024Good
  • December 2018Good
  • April 2015Good
  • May 2010Good

Frequently asked about Ark Les Enfants Nursery and Forest School

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