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The Ark Day Care Nursery in Dagenham

Ofsted: Good
(Feb 2024)
·48 Grosvenor Road, DAGENHAM, RM8 1NL · Barking and Dagenham
Number of places
59 places
Age range
3–4 yrs
Last inspected
Feb 2024
Local authority
Barking and Dagenham

About this day nursery

The Ark Day Care Nursery provides a warm and welcoming environment for children aged 3-4 years, operating Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, during term-time since 2012. Parents consistently praise the dedicated staff and the significant progress their children make.

The nursery prides itself on its strong partnerships with parents and an effective key-person system, ensuring children feel emotionally safe and secure. Children are encouraged to be independent, confidently serving themselves at mealtimes and choosing their own play activities.

The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) works closely with parents and other professionals, ensuring tailored support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, with small group work and one-to-one assistance proving highly beneficial. Outdoor learning is a key feature, with children enjoying a variety of physical activities like climbing, riding bicycles, and engaging in games that promote good health.

The nursery also focuses on teaching children the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including dental care and healthy eating habits.

What it's like

Staff warmly greet children and parents, helping children to feel welcome and settle quickly. Children are self-assured and independent, confidently serving themselves at mealtimes and choosing play activities. They demonstrate feeling emotionally safe and secure.

Warm welcomeStrong partnershipsIndependent childrenEffective SENCoOutdoor playHealthy lifestyle

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Established

2012

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for The Ark Day Care Nursery

Last inspected 15 February 2024 · Marvet Gayle

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 warmly greet children and parents, helping children to feel welcome and settle quickly. Children are self-assured and independent, confidently serving themselves at mealtimes and choosing play activities. They demonstrate feeling emotionally safe and secure.

Inspector highlights

  • Since the last inspection, the provider has taken appropriate steps to ensure improvement has been made.
  • The manager is passionate about her role and ensures the SENCo attends training to develop their knowledge and skills.
  • Partnerships with parents are strong, and the key-person system is effective.
  • Staff use their observations and assessments of children well, identifying what children can do, know, and need to learn next.
  • Staff teach children the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including dental care and healthy eating.

Areas to develop

  • 1support staff to consistently implement systems to help children who are not yet fluent in English, or have communication difficulties, to fully understand what is going to happen next, to promote a smooth change in activities
  • 2help staff to consistently differentiate their teaching during group activities, such as story time, with children of varied needs and abilities to support their learning further.
Inspection #10286151 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents speak highly of the staff team and the level of support provided to them and their children.

They comment positively on the progress their children make.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works effectively in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support. The manager ensures that children are in small groups with their key person throughout their session and provides one-to-one support for children who need it the most, which highly benefits their learning.

Outdoor space

Children engage in physical exercise outdoors. They explore a good range of interesting activities, such as climbing, riding bicycles and engaging in games that encourage them to move about and promote their good health.

EAL / language support

However, staff do not consistently use systems that are already in place to enhance the understanding of children who are learning English as an additional language. Children are, at times, unsure what is expected of them and what is goinged to happen next. As a result, changes between activities are not always as smooth as possible.

Inspection history
Improved from Requires improvement → Good in 2024

Date: January 2013

  • February 2024Good
  • March 2023Requires improvement
  • September 2017Good
  • January 2013Good

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