The Ark Pre School

Woodland mornings at Wellington College and a Christian community base give The Ark Pre School a clear character. Its home is the Hub hall at Crowthorne Baptist Church in Crowthorne, with an enclosed outdoor area alongside it. The combination matters: children can explore beyond the preschool while keeping a familiar base for play, stories and relationships.

At its May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated The Ark Outstanding overall. Children aged two to five share play-based activities in a mixed-age setting.

There are 26 places in total, with a separate maximum of 24 children per session. The session cap gives families a useful guide to the morning's scale.

Term-time mornings can be followed by Lunch Club on selected weekdays. The wider character is equally important: Christian celebrations, parent involvement and outdoor exploration are part of the offer, rather than incidental additions.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS, the framework for early learning and care, shapes play-based learning across language, physical development, relationships, early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. It is the foundation expected of early-years settings. At The Ark, child-chosen play sits alongside activities guided by adults, so children have opportunities both to follow an interest and to try something introduced by a practitioner.

Writing and reading spaces, role-play, creative activities, technology, a maths zone and sand and water play give children different ways to participate, from quiet books to imaginative games.

The daily routine includes cooking, craft, puzzles and free play, followed by shared stories, movement, snack and smaller-group activities. Older children practise name writing and letter sounds. The Wiggle Song combines dancing with actions to follow, giving a concrete example of how listening and movement can work together in an ordinary morning.

Planning also connects the preschool with home. Topic plans go out each half term, giving parents a picture of the learning ahead. For summer 2026, story-sack borrowing was planned: a favourite book accompanied by objects to help children explore its story. Families were encouraged to revisit the book throughout the borrowing week, making reading something to handle and discuss as well as listen to.

In May 2022, children used screwdrivers to investigate electronic devices and discuss their components. Story discussions connected unfamiliar vocabulary with sounds and letters, showing how practical exploration and conversation extended learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Fun in the Forest takes children to Wellington College twice a week to explore natural materials and seasonal change, often following their own interests. Mondays and Thursdays are the usual forest mornings. The routine normally pauses during December and January, allowing space for Christmas activities and for new children to settle after the holiday.

Minibeast searches, listening activities, measuring with sticks and string, and natural artwork turn woodland materials into opportunities to investigate and create.

The outdoor area at the preschool is small, so the larger setting at Wellington has a practical purpose. Its woods, sports pitches and lake provide different surroundings for exploration. Chaucer Woods serves as an alternative when Wellington cannot be used; it is a fallback within the outdoor programme, rather than a separate promise of regular trips there.

Visits to St Brendan’s Care home, the library and the Fire Station connect children with other generations, books and community services. Annual outings include Sandhurst Park and South Hill Park.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's keyworker plans around their interests and learning. Parents share interests, difficulties and strengths from home, helping staff tailor activities from the start.

To support settling through repetition, The Ark recommends at least two sessions weekly. Exceptionally, children can start with one, aiming to increase within a half-term or, at most, a term.

Tapestry, the secure online learning journal, shares photographs and observations; parents can add comments and home experiences. Twice-yearly keyworker meetings provide time to discuss development and next steps, with conversations possible between meetings.

The communication model is explicit. Staff often give direct feedback while children settle, then rely more heavily on Tapestry for routine updates. Some descriptions are brief because photographs carry the detail, and staff prioritise time with children. For families who value a daily spoken account, this is an important part of the preschool's working style.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Children can join before they are toilet trained, and staff work with families when a child is ready to begin. Parents supply nappies, wipes and a nappy sack when needed, and apply sun cream before outdoor sessions. This makes the practical responsibilities clear while keeping toilet training separate from admission.

For additional needs, the preschool's support arrangements include consultation with parents and relevant professionals, including Health Visitors and Social Services. During the 2025/26 year, staff spent time developing their knowledge and strategies for supporting special educational needs. That describes a mechanism for building support, rather than a blanket promise about what any individual child will receive.

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and found that staff understood warning signs and how to raise concerns. Current premises arrangements include locks on both hall doors and toilets within the children's space, with the Hub reserved for The Ark during its sessions. Those are practical arrangements, distinct from the dated safeguarding judgement.

Parents send a healthy snack and, for Lunch Club, a packed lunch; milk or water is provided in the morning. The snack guidance favours prepared fruit, with crackers or breadsticks as possible additions, and excludes crisps and biscuits.

Moving on is supported through the child's learning journal. Parents can download it when their child leaves, and an electronic copy goes to the next setting. This transfers information about learning and interests, so the next practitioners have more than a fresh starting point.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Crowthorne Baptist Church, 144 High Street, Crowthorne, RG45 7AT. Morning sessions run from 9.15am to 12.15pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Lunch Club follows from 12.15pm to 1.15pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, subject to demand; the days offered are reviewed each term.

Shared church use prevents longer opening hours. Families therefore need to fit morning sessions and the lunchtime extension around their other childcare arrangements.

Applications are made using the Place Application form, returned by post or email. A waiting list operates, with older children taking priority and a sibling preference intended to ease family arrangements. Places are confirmed no earlier than the half-term before the intended start, and an application does not guarantee either a place or the requested sessions.

A half-term's notice is required, with payment in lieu if notice is not given. This deserves attention when planning changes to attendance, especially where the preschool forms one part of a family's childcare week.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education is offered during term time. The arrangements include up to 15 hours each week from the term following a child's third birthday, working-parent funding and funding for eligible two-year-olds. The Ark participates in the Bracknell Early Years Partnership, but its morning timetable does not provide a 30-hour week; the additional entitlement can be shared with another provider.

Private sessions and additional hours are charged, and invoices are issued each half-term. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation. Parents provide snacks and packed lunches, as well as nappies and wipes when needed; those responsibilities also apply when a child uses funded hours.

• Mornings and lunchtime extension. The weekday morning timetable and demand-dependent Lunch Club offer different lengths of attendance. At a visit, discuss how the proposed combination fits your working week and the recommended settling pattern.
• Forest mornings. Mondays and Thursdays usually involve Wellington College, with walking and outdoor activities rather than a morning entirely at the Hub. Discuss the route, clothing and collection arrangements for your child, especially if stamina is a concern.
• Christian life. Harvest, Christmas and the Leavers’ Assembly are the preschool's three annual celebrations, usually held in the Baptist Church. Families are invited, and church teaching can form part of them; consider how this fits your family's preferences.
• Communication and individual support. Tapestry carries much of the routine feedback, alongside keyworker meetings. Use a visit to discuss settling conversations and, where relevant, the support plan for additional needs or current food-allergy arrangements.

The Ark suits families seeking term-time morning sessions, including those who want a morning followed by Lunch Club on the days it runs. Its character comes from the combination of the Hub, Wellington College woodland sessions, Christian community life and a keyworker relationship supported by Tapestry.

The May 2022 Outstanding judgement is a strong historical endorsement. The current decision rests on the fit: short preschool days, meaningful time outdoors and active family involvement. For parents who want that particular combination, The Ark has a clear and recognisable offer.