Noah's Ark Playgroup

A preschool within the grounds of St Luke’s CE Primary School, Noah's Ark Playgroup combines a school-site setting with care for children aged two to five. It has 26 places in total. That is whole-setting capacity, rather than a measure of how many children share an activity or attend a particular session.

Ofsted rated the playgroup Good at its May 2021 inspection. That dated judgement gives families a quality reference point, while the practical offer centres on term-time attendance. Morning and afternoon sessions can be used separately or together, with Breakfast Club and Mini After School Club extending the choices around them.

The team emphasises playful development and working with families, connecting the preschool experience with the people who know the child best.

Morning and afternoon attendance offer two different ways to organise that experience. A morning includes a snack; the afternoon includes lunch and a snack, with food charges considered separately from funded education. For families choosing both sessions, the arrangement brings the two parts of the preschool day together. For those choosing one, it creates a shorter attendance pattern.

Family relationships are a stated part of the team's approach. Staff aim to build connections with parents and work alongside them in supporting children. That gives parent communication a clear purpose: linking what matters at home with the child's experience in preschool.

Continuing staff learning is also part of the team’s approach. Safeguarding concerns have designated staff contacts, and families have a separate SENCO email route for inclusion-related enquiries. These are practical channels for raising a concern or starting a conversation about support; they should be understood as arrangements for communication rather than a judgement about their effectiveness.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St. Crispin Drive, Duston, Northampton, NN5 4UL, within the grounds of St Luke’s CE Primary School. Attendance is term-time, with closure during school holidays. Families needing a year-round arrangement therefore need to plan separately for those breaks.

Morning Session runs from 8.30am to 11.30am, followed by Afternoon Session from 11.30am to 2.30pm. These are separate booking patterns, and funded hours can be used in either session for 15 hours or across both for 30 hours, subject to eligibility. The practical distinction is useful: families can choose a morning, an afternoon or the combination rather than treating the whole day as the only option.

Breakfast Club includes breakfast and must be booked ahead. Mini After School Club runs from 2.30pm to 3.30pm and includes tea and pudding. A further Mini After School Club slot, from 3.30pm to 4pm, is specifically for school-aged children. That age condition matters when planning a preschool child's collection time.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted for eligible children aged two, three and four. The entitlements described are 15 hours and 30 hours, with eligibility determining which applies; families supply their eligibility code and national insurance information to confirm eligibility for funded sessions. Private morning and afternoon sessions are also offered for children under three who do not qualify for funding.

Snacks and meals carry separate charges, described as voluntary for funded attendance, and parents sign an acknowledgement of the charges before their child starts. Breakfast Club food choices include cereal, pancakes, fruit and yoghurt. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page explains the session and food structure.

A show round can be booked by telephone, and there are separate registration routes for preschool care and Breakfast Club. Sharing grounds with a primary school does not guarantee a Reception place: families still need to use the local authority admissions process.

• Breakfast timing. Breakfast Club has two different advertised windows: 8am to 8.30am and 8am to 9am. Confirm the booked finish time before building it into a morning routine.
• Holiday coverage. The playgroup closes during school holidays. Its morning and afternoon choices suit term-time routines, but those closures need to fit the family's wider childcare arrangements.
• Food and everyday supplies. Food charges sit alongside funded sessions. At a show round, ask what families should supply for personal care and how those arrangements fit the child's booked sessions.
• School-site expectations. St Luke’s CE Primary School provides the setting's physical context, but preschool attendance does not secure admission. Keep the Reception application separate from the preschool booking.

Noah's Ark Playgroup suits families seeking term-time preschool with a choice between morning and afternoon attendance, or both together. Breakfast Club and the preschool Mini After School Club add useful options around those sessions, although the breakfast timing needs clarification.

The school-site setting, family partnership approach and dated Good judgement give it a clear identity. The decision turns on practical fit: term-time coverage, the chosen session pattern and food charges alongside funded hours.