The Exwick Ark Nursery & Pre-school

Fruit and vegetables grown in raised beds, daily snack preparation and outdoor exploration give the Exwick Ark a practical character. Children have things to do with their hands as well as words to learn: growing food and preparing it connect learning with ordinary tasks that make sense to young children.

At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. Communication was a clear strength, although staff sometimes needed to leave children more thinking time before supplying an answer themselves. That balance matters: there is substance behind the grade, alongside a specific point for families to explore.

The nursery accepts children aged 6 to 60 months at The Old School on Exwick Road in Exeter. Its appeal lies in the combination of language development, practical activities and outdoor learning, rather than a branded curriculum name.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, bringing together language, physical development, relationships and areas such as mathematics and creative expression. Practitioners observe children's interests and use those observations to plan their next activities. The useful distinction is between this shared framework and what the nursery adds to the day.

Early language receives sustained attention. Stories, rhymes and conversations are part of that work, while families are encouraged to share what children have been doing at home. This gives practitioners material that already means something to the child, rather than treating vocabulary as an isolated exercise.

In October 2024, babies joined familiar songs with movement and puppets, toddlers practised combining words and actions to request help, and preschool children talked about story characters in longer sentences. These examples show the different steps involved in learning to communicate. A baby's response to a song and an older child's account of a story serve different purposes.

Rooms and Ages

Children in the Giraffe and Elephant rooms make their snacks each day, using chopping boards and safety knives to practise controlled hand movements. This is a concrete task with a useful result: children take part in preparing something they will eat. Regular cooking activities extend that practical strand beyond snack preparation.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School, an approach centred on exploration and play outdoors, adds a weekly session for children from 2 years of age. Gardening has a tangible place too: raised beds are used to grow fruit and vegetables, and the cook uses children's produce in meals. Growing and cooking are connected activities here.

In October 2024, children spent extended periods outside and used a nearby forest school. Older children handled real woodworking tools, while other activities included energetic movement and calming meditation. Outdoor time therefore involved more than simply a change of surroundings: there were opportunities to practise coordination and talk about looking after the body.

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found warm relationships between children and staff and effective work with parents and other professionals to address developmental gaps. This gives families a useful picture of support in practice: communication with home and cooperation beyond the nursery both formed part of children's care.

In October 2024, children settled into activities they chose, and adults adjusted conversations to children's needs. Small-group games gave toddlers opportunities to name animals and make their sounds; preschool children took turns identifying objects hidden from view. These were social experiences as well as language activities, with children listening to each other and taking a turn.

The improvement point was equally concrete. During some exchanges in October 2024, adults moved too quickly and supplied answers before children had enough time to respond. For a child still assembling a sentence, a pause can be as valuable as the question. Families should keep this aspect of interaction in view alongside the nursery's emphasis on vocabulary.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.45am to 5.45pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, with closures for bank holidays and a week at Christmas and Easter. Those breaks matter when arranging childcare around work commitments.

Getting There

The address is The Old School, Exwick Road, Exeter, EX4 2AT. Enquiries can be made on 01392 425551, and tours can be booked.

Funding and Paid Extras

In October 2024, the nursery offered government-funded childcare and received additional funding for disadvantaged children. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Families comparing costs should consider their intended attendance alongside the funding arrangements rather than treating the existence of funding as a complete account of what they will pay.

• Time to answer. The October 2024 improvement point concerned adults moving too quickly during conversations. On a tour, ask how practitioners now give children space to think and finish their responses.
• Outdoor learning from age 2. Weekly Forest School sits alongside gardening in raised beds. Ask how these experiences fit into the days your child would attend.
• Attendance and total costs. The opening window runs from 7.45am to 5.45pm, with holiday closures. Ask for a written attendance proposal showing how funded hours, paid hours, meals and consumables would work for your child.

The Exwick Ark suits families who value practical learning, attention to language and regular outdoor experiences. Growing produce and preparing snacks give its curriculum a recognisable shape, while the October 2024 Good judgement provides a dated assessment of quality.

The strongest decision point is the interaction between adult and child. Activities matter, but so does the time a child gets to express an idea. This nursery's language emphasis makes that improvement point especially relevant when choosing it.