Sarah's Ark

Nine babies at most, home routines carried into nursery care, and slippers indoors: Sarah's Ark has a recognisable domestic character. At Hollands Farmhouse on Wigan Road in Leyland, it cares for children from birth to five and has capacity for 41 children altogether. The baby provision's stated maximum is especially useful for parents weighing the scale of their child's first childcare setting.

At its 25 May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Sarah's Ark Good overall and found safeguarding effective. That judgement sits alongside practical arrangements parents can assess directly: a key person system, individual learning records and separate provision for babies, toddlers and preschool children. Relationships and everyday routines carry much of the offer.

Morning, afternoon, full-day, short-day and term-time attendance give families several ways to use the nursery. The important distinction is between that general flexibility and the specific minimum booking patterns attached to funded options.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Care covers birth to two, with a maximum of nine babies, familiar staff, sensory and messy activities, books and garden play that is planned at least twice daily when weather permits. Home routines guide their day. For a baby whose feeding and sleep pattern matters more than a fixed timetable, that is a concrete part of the care arrangement.

Toddler Care serves children aged two to three across two rooms, combining construction, role play and materials to handle with outdoor access, individual routines and support for handwashing and potty training. Resources change with children's interests and developmental needs.

Pre-School Care covers ages three to five across two rooms, with early writing, junk modelling, construction materials, a comfortable space for books and outdoor play within a more structured day intended to develop independence. Children can experiment with magnets and natural materials, build with duplo and mobilo, or use dressing-up resources in pretend play. These give different routes into making, investigating and expressing ideas.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the common early-years framework here: play and practical experiences support children's development. Birth – 5 matters also supports planning and tracking progress, with key people using observations and children's interests to plan activities.

Play areas remain accessible through the day and are adapted after observations or as interests change. Feelings boards give children a way to express emotions; preschool circle times allow them to discuss ideas with staff and one another. Learning therefore includes speaking, listening and making choices, alongside handling materials or making marks.

Musical Mischief and Little Kickers are additional activities provided free for all children.

In May 2023, children investigated insects beneath logs and shared magnifying glasses; number activities included counting, writing numerals and comparing size. Investigation involved cooperation as well as discovery.

In May 2023, improvements were needed in staff development linked to children's learning, the precision of activity planning and younger children's speech and language interactions. Those are material qualifications to the Good judgement. For families with babies or toddlers, the language point deserves particular attention because it concerns the everyday exchanges through which children encounter new vocabulary.

Relationships and Communication

A key person observes development and maintains each child's learning journey, which parents can see in the classroom on request. These records give progress discussions concrete examples.

Settling starts with two sessions of one hour each, with further sessions possible if needed. Babies have daily records covering meals, drinks and sleep, and toddlers also have records of their day. These details help parents understand how home routines and nursery care fit together, rather than relying solely on a broad account of activities.

Room changes include induction time tailored to each child and information passed to the next key person. Staff prepare children for school or another setting through activities about moving on, and liaise with receiving settings about information and additional support arrangements.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SENCO and key person work with parents on frequently reviewed targeted learning plans. Advice can come from the inclusion teacher and IDSS team, with speech and language referrals made with parental permission. Families are involved in planning support.

Adjustments include visual timetables, rearranged furniture and resources, and information in different languages or larger print. Parents may bring an interpreter to staff conversations.

In May 2023, parents' information informed care plans for significant medical or health needs. Communication included daily feedback and parents' evenings.

Collection is restricted to parents or people they designate, and nursery doors have coded locks. Medication requires a signed administration form. Potty training is not an entry requirement; staff work with parents when the child is ready, so a child need not master that routine before starting nursery.

Sessions and Attendance

Sarah's Ark's address is Hollands Farmhouse, Wigan Road, Leyland, PR25 5UD. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Morning sessions run from 7.30am to 12.30pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm; full days, half days, short days, flexible days and term-time sessions are also offered.

For general attendance, the recommendation is at least two sessions weekly to help children become familiar with staff and surroundings. This is advice rather than a blanket minimum booking rule. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and approximately a week at Christmas, which families need to accommodate in their childcare plans.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or on 01772 422499. Ending a place requires four weeks' written notice. Children need slippers for the indoor no-shoe policy and a spare change of clothes, with additional clothing useful during potty training.

Getting There

A designated parking area serves the nursery, and the golf club car park can also be used when needed. The building has two storeys: babies are downstairs, older children upstairs, with ramps and wheelchair-accessible doors on the ground floor.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded options include 30 hours for children aged nine months to three years and 30 hours for three- to five-year-olds. Term-time funding runs over 38 weeks with a minimum of three days weekly; stretched funding has a minimum of two days weekly. These attendance conditions belong to the funded options, so families comparing them with morning or afternoon sessions need to consider the whole weekly pattern.

Food and non-funded hours are charged separately, while extra consumables remain free on funded places and Musical Mischief and Little Kickers remain free for all children. Parents supply nappies, wipes and summer sun cream, as well as formula and baby food where needed. Current prices and a breakdown of charges come in the nursery's written quotation; the funded childcare guide explains the charging structure.

A professional cook prepares meals and snacks at nursery, with a three-week menu cycle covering breakfast, snacks, lunch and light tea. The nursery's policy excludes packed lunches and snacks from home and provides dietary replacements following discussion of allergies or other requirements, while parents bring formula and baby food.

• Learning for younger children. The May 2023 improvement points included richer language exchanges, more purposeful activities and targeted staff development. During a visit, ask how these have changed everyday practice in the baby and toddler provision.
• Funded attendance patterns. Term-time funding requires at least three days weekly, while stretched funding requires at least two. Compare those conditions with your preferred session pattern and the written breakdown of food and additional-hours charges.
• The two-storey layout. Babies are downstairs and older children upstairs, with ground-floor wheelchair access. A visit should include discussing how your child's mobility or support needs fit the room arrangements.
• Food and supplies. Nursery food is charged separately, home packed lunches are excluded, and parents bring specified baby food and care supplies. Allergy-affected families should confirm current dietary arrangements and how suitable replacements are managed.

Sarah's Ark suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full days, flexible attendance or term-time care. Its strongest practical attractions are the baby provision's nine-child maximum, attention to home routines and a defined key person and additional-needs support process.

The Good judgement from May 2023 provides a dated quality assessment, with clear improvement points around learning intentions and younger children's language. Parents should weigh those alongside the funded booking conditions, food charges and two-storey layout. This is a nursery whose appeal rests on the detail of everyday care and the flexibility of its attendance options.