The Ark
Childminder in Trafford
Usually responds within 24 hours
Female Member since Mar 2010 Last Updated Jun 2023 Last Login Mar 2024
My Summary
About Me
We provide childcare from two settings:
Welcome – Dunham School House
We are delighted to be bringing The Ark services to the beautiful Dunham School House. The school was erected in 1759 and is steeped in history. It is situated in the heart of Dunham and provides us with ample secured outdoor space for children to explore. The location and the heritage make it a very special and magical place for children to thrive and learn.
Welcome – The Ark Home Setting
We have worked from our home setting in Timperley for almost 15 years. We will continue to provide childcare from this setting for a limited amount of children who require full time care. This is something we can discuss further if required.
What’s our Approach to childcare and education?
We feel that our new setting in Dunham provides us with a very unique approach to childcare and nurtures everything we believe is important to children’s early years. Having the opportunity to safely explore the great outdoors and countryside is so important for children, this is heavily supported in research but aside from that, we just feel that this space is so organic and natural. Having tractors and horses pass up by whilst playing outdoors, not to mention barges and paddle boarders on the canal, having sheep as neighbours and being surrounded by trees, birds and wildlife is absolutely essential to children’s all-round well-being, not to mention ours!
We want our setting to feel homely and family orientated. This is really important to us. So along with those strong personal connections our environment will try to reflect a homely feel. It will not be clinical or manufactured like many other larger childcare provisions. We often upcycle and repurpose resources and equipment as sustainability and our carbon footprint are important to us. We believe that children really do not need ‘fancy’ things and that there is so much more value and learning using the simplest of everyday items. Have you ever observed your child get more joy from the cardboard box that their toy arrived in than the toy itself? Our setting will have a mix of toys, repurposed objects & items and new equipment. We want to nurture curiosity, intrigue and inventiveness from our children’s play.
We are a child led provision which means we believe that our early years children learn best through play, following their own interests and styles and we are the facilitators who prepare the environment to challenge their play and scaffold their learning further. This again is supported heavily in research and is proven to be so much more beneficial and effective than taking children away from their chosen forms of play to meet adult agendas and practice rote learning.
We gift children the time to develop at their own pace and treat each one as an individual on their own learning journey. This means our environment and our days events will reflect the children who we are caring for at any one time. We will follow a daily routine and incorporate some adult led times such as maybe sharing a group story, mealtimes, singing and dancing times, outdoor play or one to one work when a child is ready, however, this again will change as we meet each set of children where they are at.
It is common knowledges that children thrive from being in a mixed age setting and we are lucky that our open plan space will nurture this approach. Peer scaffolding is an excellent way for all children to learn. We are also able to separate age groups where applicable whilst still allowing them to share the space. This means that if siblings attend together they will be with each other and not separated, which again reflects our family and community approach.
My Experience
Meet the Ark Team
Welcome to The Ark Groups. We are a small team of early years professionals who have worked together providing childcare for almost 20 years. Sally Wright is the team leader and is a qualified Early Years Teacher. Sally is also an Ofsted registered childminder and Nigel Wright and Janice Blair are both registered with Ofsted as childminding assistants and both of are level 3 qualified in early years education.
The team are passionate about enhancing their professional development and along with having all the required qualifications for working with children such as Paediatric First Aid and Designated Safeguarding Lead they also hold between them a catalogue of varied and relevant qualifications covering all aspect of children’s development. These include training around speech and language, specific special educational needs such as autism and dyslexia, inclusion and diversity awareness, nutritional training, self-awareness and self-regulation development, outdoors and forest school training, early mathematics and literacy, child led play-based teaching and health and safety training. Both Sally & Nigel are also ‘Mental Health First Aid Champions’.
Sally with support of the team has also worked in early years consultancy leading and developing an Early Years Network and delivering training and workshops to colleagues in the sector. Sally is a published author and her best-selling books are used to share good practice and support others in their professional development working with young children.
We believe that along with our qualifications and experience, our long-term friendship and family connections (Sally & Nigel are married) create a unique team bond that helps nurture that home from home family vibe in the childcare we provide. Our children feel loved and secure with the consistent daily presence of their key carer’s and when you join The Ark you really will feel like we are extended family.
My Qualifications
We all have Paediatric First Aid, Safeguarding Children, Health & Safety etc and have attended many other courses provided by Trafford Early Years (too many to mention). We are continually expanding our knowledge and training and attend many conferences and workshops.
Over the years I have been awarded in my inspections 3 Outstanding gradings and 1 Good.
Sally: Early Years Teacher - BA (hons)
Nigel: level 3 diploma - Early Years PLAY worker
Janice: NVQ level 3 in Child Care Learning and Development
My Availability
48 weeks of the year
Monday - Friday
8am - 6pm
Childcare delivered in 2 settings! Dunham School House in Dunham village (Mon-Weds) & home setting in Timperley (Thurs -Fri)
We don’t provide wraparound care during term time as this takes us away from our early years children. We can provide wraparound during holidays for siblings and Ark children once they move on to School.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Morning | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Afternoon | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| After School | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Evening | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 17/06/2023 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £5.50 per hour
Thank you for taking the time to read our profile, please feel free to contact us if you would like more information regarding fees etc or would like to arrange a visit!
My Local Schools
This childminder has not yet informed us whether or not they provide any drop off or pick up services at local schools.
My Ofsted Inspections
The inspection grades below have been obtained from the Ofsted website based upon the registration number the childminder has provided to us. You should verify this information yourself prior to using the childminder.
This member has chosen not to display their Ofsted inspection ratings on their profile. We recommend you check their current registration status and read their latest inspection report before using them.
My Documents
- UK Passport (added 18/06/2023)
Reviews
Below are the latest reviews for The Ark . Please note that reviews represent the subjective opinions of other Childcare.co.uk users and not of Childcare.co.uk. Parents must carry out their own checks and references on childcare providers to ensure that they are completely happy before enaging in the use of their services.
The Ark is the most warm, caring, loving and trusting environment, Sally, Nigel and Janice have created an environment where you are welcomed as part of the family, all the children are supported and encouraged to develop as their own individual personalities but also to get along with the other children,
The setting is fantastic with so much outdoor space to explored and be creative in.
Their understanding of each childs needs and the feedback that they give makes you feel like you've been a part of your childs day (sometimes they don't want to leave!)
Our oldest stayed until he was 5 I have no doubt that he moved into primary school confident and happy because of the start that he got with The Ark, we only wish our youngest could have stayed on as long.
I highly recommend them as a setting and sing their praises to everyone
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by
Kim
about
The Ark
on 03/07/2023
Response by
The Ark
on 09/07/2023:
Oh Kim, such a lovely review and thank you for taking the time to leave one even after you have moved to pastures new! Ark family ALWAYS!
We found Sally, Nigel and Janice 4 years ago now and I can honestly say choosing the Ark for our boys has been the best decision we made for their childcare!
We found Sally while I was on maternity leave with my second son after being disappointed by a previous inflexible nursery setting with my eldest.
Sally and the Ark couldn’t have been more different. They are incredibly supportive and caring of every child, taking the time to really get to know them and understand what motivates each child and setting up the setting each day with activities specifically designed to appeal to the children attending each day.
They were great at helping us settle in our eldest (who settled incredibly quickly!) and then welcomed our youngest into the Ark family when he was 10 months old. I loved seeing our boys together in one setting and playing with all different age groups.
When our eldest left for school, the youngest didn’t even bat an eyelid because of the really strong bonds he’d formed with the other children and with Sally, Nigel and Janice. They have both absolutely loved going to the Ark and I can honestly say I’ve never worried about either of the children while they’ve been at Ark knowing they will be incredibly well looked after, supported and loved.
Both boys have thrived being with Sally, Nigel and Janice and I only wish they continued the Ark into primary school!
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by
jen K
about
The Ark
on 19/06/2023
Response by
The Ark
on 19/06/2023:
Oh thank you so much for this lovely review. I’m so glad you found us too 💕 (Dreading September though 😬)
I’m struggling to know where to start with a review for Sally and team Ark. It is such a gift to be able to drop my son off with people he knows and loves every day, and knowing that he will always be incredibly well cared for, supported and given the freedom to play and explore. The environment at Dunham School house is utterly magical and every time we drop off I think the same. Being in a mixed age group but with all the facilities of a nursery is just perfect and it really does feel like a little family. Sally is an amazing early years professional, her insight into the world of the little people in her care is absolutely second to none and I consider it a total privilege that my son has been able to benefit from this and being part of the Ark family.
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by
JessT13
about
The Ark
on 19/06/2023
Response by
The Ark
on 19/06/2023:
Oh, thank you so much! This is such a wonderful review and I’m so happy you feel that way. The privilege however is ours!!! 💕
I went back to work full time after 8 months, so I wanted a childcare provider that I could trust leaving my little baby with. After having looked around numerous nurseries and other childminders, Sally and the team at The Ark were by far the best. If you want your child to have plenty of time outside, with stability of the same people looking after them, i.e. no turnover of staff, with people who know what they are doing and will care for your children as if they are their own, then the ark is for you. Both my boys go there now and I love how all ages are together. It means my boys can play together, and I’ve seen the youngest really progress playing with older children, and it is a joy to see how good my eldest is with the younger ones and feeling grown up and taking responsibility to help them. The school house is such an amazing location, it feels like going back in time when I drop them off in the morning. They run in sometimes even forgetting to say goodbye to me. I honestly wouldn’t send them anywhere else and it is a massive weight off my mind to know that I don’t need to worry about them at nursery at all. They literally could not be looked after better or have a better time. It’s such a personal service, it really is the best of both worlds. Absolutely 100% recommended.
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by
Susie
about
The Ark
on 18/06/2023
Response by
The Ark
on 19/06/2023:
This is such a lovely review. Thank you so much. They do run in at drop off, but also run out again at home time! Perfect.
Both my kids had the very best start to their early years education. Sally and her team provide the most welcoming home from home emotional support but at the same time providing the most wonderful blend of play based learning, child led learning but most of all the wonderful school house and gardens they have! Both my kids have thrived at the ark. Learning essential social skills and imagination based play, the art of peer negotiation too! Nigel is master chef and the kids have such an incredible selection of healthy foods to get stuck into! Something you couldn’t possibly wish more for! I genuinely feel so fortunate to have found Sally and team! The care my two have had is nothing short of feeling like they are with family. Totally trusted and will be a part of our lives for a long time yet! Could not recommend highly enough. X
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by
Pindypop
about
The Ark
on 18/06/2023
Response by
The Ark
on 18/06/2023:
Thank you so much for this lovely review. This is exactly how we want our families to feel when they leave their children with us…that they are with family ❤️
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