Noah's Ark Pre-school

A woodland with visiting wildlife and a play approach built around reclaimed materials give Noah's Ark Pre-school a recognisable character. Its Wondrous Woodland brings nature into the day, while loose parts give children materials to rearrange and use in their own creations. This is a setting where the outdoor space and children's ideas both matter.

Based at St. Johns Church Hall on Forton Road in Gosport, the preschool has capacity for 26 children. At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Outstanding and found that its ambitious teaching supported exceptional progress. Children attending at that time were aged two to four; that age range belongs to the inspection snapshot.

The strongest practical thread is the relationship between home and preschool. Settling begins with shared play visits, followed by a home visit to discuss concerns and build trust.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play supports learning alongside everyday routines and relationships. Here, loose parts are part of the preschool's approach. Reclaimed materials have been used to make Christmas decorations and a snowman, giving children a concrete use for materials that might otherwise be discarded.

The UNICEF Accredited Rights Respecting Preschool approach centres on children being heard, treated with respect and protected against discrimination. That gives families a clear statement of the values guiding relationships. Healthy Early Years accreditation adds an emphasis on helping children understand and make choices about their health.

In June 2023, imaginative play also created reasons to write. Children composed messages for fairies associated with an outdoor tree, and staff supplied resources to develop those ideas. Writing had a purpose within the play rather than being an isolated task. Recycling brought from home became material for children's creations, connecting family contributions with activity at preschool.

Mathematics was equally practical in June 2023. Children counted the fruit needed for their group, counted other children and identified shapes around them. Older children managed these tasks readily, while younger children learned with support. These examples show how familiar objects and shared routines can make number work meaningful.

Storytelling offered another route into learning. In June 2023, children recalled parts of a favourite story with props, joining in rather than simply listening. Alongside the writing and counting examples, this gives a useful picture of an inspection-era day: children had reasons to talk, remember, make and solve problems.

Outdoor and Community Life

Wondrous Woodland is the preschool's own nature space, with birds and insects as well as visits from foxes, squirrels, cats and badgers. Children learn about respecting nature there. For families who value contact with the natural world, this is a specific physical resource rather than a general promise of outdoor learning.

The large outdoor area has also been adapted to offer challenge and exploration in different weather conditions. Outdoor play forms a substantial part of provision. The woodland and the wider outdoor space give children opportunities to investigate beyond indoor activities.

Relationships and Communication

Settling starts with stay-and-play visits that introduce the child and family to the setting and begin the relationship with a key person. Information exchanged at this stage helps staff prepare for individual needs. A subsequent home visit offers another opportunity to discuss concerns and build trust.

In June 2023, children had close relationships with their key person and readily shared news about their morning. Parents received development updates through an online learning journal. This paired a familiar adult relationship for the child with a way for parents to follow learning beyond conversations at preschool.

Family support also had a physical home in June 2023: a small courtyard offered access to books, healthy food and second-hand clothing. It connected support for families with the preschool's everyday life, rather than restricting parent partnership to updates about progress.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described SEND support involving early identification by the coordinator, help from outside agencies including health visitors, and activities adapted to children's needs. These are dated findings about both safety and the practical mechanisms used to include children.

In June 2023, small-group mindfulness activities helped children recognise feelings and practise ways to relax. Staff also used dolls in pretend domestic play to support children around intimate care. Both examples show adults responding to personal needs through activities children could understand and join.

Health routines were concrete in June 2023. Children washed their hands and poured drinks independently at snack time and used fruit cards to mark new fruits they had tasted. Concerns about children's oral health had prompted staff to introduce toothbrushing after snack time. The emphasis was on practising self-care as part of the day.

Noah's Ark Pre-school is at St. Johns Church Hall, Forton Road, Gosport, PO12 4TQ. The contact address also identifies the hall behind St John's Church. Families can make enquiries by telephone, email or the contact form.

Sessions and Attendance

In June 2023, opening hours were 8.30am to 2.30pm, with attendance during term time. These are the hours at that dated visit. They provide historical context for the preschool's sessional character, rather than a current booking commitment.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged two, three and four. In June 2023, the preschool also accepted funding for those ages. Funding is therefore part of its offer, while individual arrangements remain a decision to address when planning attendance.

• Attendance and costs. The June 2023 operating pattern was term-time provision between 8.30am and 2.30pm. What current attendance pattern and written quotation, including meals and consumables, would apply to your child?
• Settling at home and preschool. Shared play visits are followed by a home visit. This makes family information part of the preparation, so the settling sequence matters as much as the first attended session.
• Outdoor expectations. Wondrous Woodland and all-weather outdoor play are substantial parts of the setting's character. Families should be comfortable with outdoor exploration being part of preschool life.

Noah's Ark Pre-school suits families who value outdoor exploration, making with reclaimed materials and a settling process that includes time with both child and family. Wondrous Woodland gives that offer a clear physical identity. The Outstanding judgement from June 2023 adds weight, while the detailed examples from that period show what supported it: purposeful play, practical self-care and close adult relationships. Its strongest appeal is the combination of children's own ideas with careful preparation for their individual needs.