The Ark Day Nursery

Hall Bank, Pontesbury, Shrewsbury SY5 0RF
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9.7 42 Reviews
  • The Ark Day Nursery, Shrewsbury
The Ark is an OFSTED rated “good” (January 2020) children’s day nursery situated in Pontesbury, approximately 8 miles south-west of Shrewsbury. This is a homely nursery that ensures your child’s well-being is paramount; where everyone knows each other and where each child can thrive in a loving environment.

Always committed to providing outstanding quality childcare through a happy, friendly and stimulating environment, with highly qualified, experienced and motivated staff.        

All of The Ark team are experienced and committed individuals handpicked for their caring and compassionate nature. Every child is allocated a dedicated key worker who will closely monitor your child’s development and become someone they know, trust and have lots of fun with.                        

They firmly believe in working together with parents at The Ark to ensure childcare is exclusively tailored to individual children’s needs. They are committed to daily updates on each child’s development and welcome parents feedback at all times.        

Each of the rooms at The Ark is developed in line with learning needs at every age. Providing a wide range of toys, activities and areas to explore to ensure the children remain engaged, motivated and most of all have lots of fun through learning and play.

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Care Provided by The Ark Day Nursery

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Susie Knight (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 25
  • Total Places for Children
  • 78
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for The Ark Day Nursery

  • Please contact us for a copy of our current fees or for any information on funding.

  • We cater for all Government Funding Schemes: 24U, 9 months 2 & 3 Year funding, as well as Government Tax Free. We also cater for the Funding for Wales Programme.


    All sessions are inclusive of meals, drinks, snacks, nappy cream, nappy wipes, sun cream and extracurricular activities.
  • Parking

  • They have their own private car park.


The Ark Day Nursery Reviews (42)

Total of 42, showing 21-40
9.7

The Ark Day Nursery has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.678) out of 10, based on 12 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time The Ark Day Nursery has 42 reviews.

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Review from Sally P (Mother of Child) published on 4 November 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter loves The Ark and its lovely care staff. She always goes in and comes home smiling. They do lots of activities with her which sometimes, I can’t always achieve at home such as messy play. My daughter has a lovely relationship with her key worker and is always smiling at her. The Ark feed
her a good range of meals, including fruit and vegetables which are age appropriate for her.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you so much for your review. It is so lovely to see your daughter's smiling face. She has settled in so well. We pride ourselves in the activities we provide and the healthy food provided throughout the day.


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Review from Steven C (Father of Child) published on 25 June 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both my son and daughter recently started at The Ark in Pontesbury. All the staff have been really friendly and helped them settle in quickly. They both come home very happy each day and there seems to be a really good balance between learning activities and fun play.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for your review. They have both settled in so well. Lovely to hear they are so happy here.


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Review from Fei G (Mother of Child) published on 24 May 2021
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Staff help my baby, aged 2, to settle in nursery very well. Within 3 weeks (2 days per week) she has improved her counting and language expression. She now enjoys her own life in nursery. Due to covid, we can't see how she is doing inside the nursery, but trust they do the best for everything.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you very much for your review. We are so glad your daughter has settled in so well. It is lovely to see the changes in such a short time.


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Review from Charlotte C (Mother of Child) published on 30 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff are kind and caring. I felt totally at ease, dropping my son off for the first time. Upon visiting the nursery, it was clean, tidy and well laid out with lots of stimulating, educational areas and displays for the children. My son comes home each day with a happy attitude, he reports what
he has learnt and enjoyed in the day. He brings home artwork, baking and crafts regularly. The staff report back daily, for example, he is quite fussy with food so they keep me in the loop with what he has eaten that day. The lunches are good, balanced and healthy. Upon pick up, I am given a paper report with an outline of my sons day, what he has had for snacks and lunch, what he has been learning, what books he has been reading and what letters, numbers and shapes the class are focusing on that week so that we can practice at home. The nursery is flexible and reliable, and the children are happy and settled. My son really enjoys his nursery days and loves the staff and the other children.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words. We pride ourselves on having a very clean, tidy and stimulating environment that is very inviting for the children. We are glad you like the end of the day reports with the section on the back to practice the letter of the week on at home.


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Review from K H (Mother of Child) published on 30 March 2021
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This is a fabulous nursery. Our daughter loves it and is always excited to go! The staff are all lovely and so friendly. We are very happy that we chose The Ark Day Nursery!

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words. It is so lovely to see your daughter coming in so happy. We are glad you chose The Ark too.


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Review from Ingrid K (Mother of Child) published on 29 March 2021
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The Pontesbury Ark team have been wonderful in looking after our boy, who can be challenging and demanding at times. The team has been proactive in making recommendations and requesting assessments on our behalf, helping us greatly with the process. Both management and staff are dedicated, efficient,
kind and patient. The children seem very happy and well looked after. We are very grateful for your continuous support and guidance and thank you for your efforts!

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you so much for your kind words. We do have an extremely dedicated team here. We pride ourselves on the support and guidance we offer to our children and parents and the help and support we get from other leading professionals.


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Review from Abi E (Mother of Child) published on 23 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We would never have sent our daughter anywhere else. The care provided by the team is outstanding, and we have the greatest respect for the work and care they provide. Our daughter started in September 2020, and even though she had no social interaction prior to this due to lockdown, she settled in
with such ease. The staff make everything so seamless, and we feel fully involved and informed throughout the time she attends. The love, support and passion they have for the children are amazing. Thank you for all you do.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words. So glad you decided to bring your daughter here. She has done so well and settled in amazingly, considering as you say, she had no social interaction due to lockdown. We all pride ourselves on the passion we have for all our children here in our care.


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Review from A F (Father of Child) published on 23 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

The staff and the care provided to both of our children attending The Ark Day Nursery is excellent. However, due to Covid-19, we have been unable to see the resources available to our children, so cannot mark them as excellent at this time. In relation to the score for management, this is not reflective
of the site manager, but in regards to the senior management, since they acquired the nursery in 2019. There has been very little interaction or engagement with parents, apart from communications received when prices are being continually increased. This is a small, rural nursery that was previously responsive to the needs of parents and the community. Since its acquisition, the implementation of corporate style business models has negatively impacted the service received from a management perspective. Again, I reiterate the level of care, the attitude of the staff and the day to day management from the on-site team is excellent.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words. It is lovely to see both your children come into the nursery so happy. It will be so nice when all our parents can start coming back to the nursery and see all the fabulous work the children are creating. I do realise also it is very difficult for parents like yourselves who are not on Facebook to see the weekly activities and all the lovely resources that have been introduced to The Ark. I look forward to you coming soon to have a look around the nursery as discussed earlier today. Please also see the video on this site, which shows the rooms. This will be updated in a couple of days.


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Review from Vicky E (Mother of Child) published on 17 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son joined this nursery earlier in 2021. Having relocated to Pontesbury recently, I felt it best for him to go to a local nursery, potentially making school friends for the future. It was a very reluctant move as he was very happy and settled at his previous nursery, however, we made the decision
and have totally no regrets. From day one, he has been excited to be there. Parents are given a document detailing a summary after each session, including what has happened during the day, areas of learning and what food has been consumed. Learning activities vary each week, and active focus seems to be put on core learning too, such as shapes, letters and numbers, fantastic! All this is linked in through the day amongst play, which is obviously an equally important aspect for young children. The security is super, and the Covid-19 safety restrictions that have been implemented are very effective. I would not hesitate in recommending this nursery to parents. Thank you to all of the team!

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you so much for your kind words. So nice to see he has settled so well. We thrive in keeping the parent's updated with their child's daily activities and overall development stages that they meet. Security is something that we pride ourselves on and feel that our risk assessments due to Covid have been very successful. These are regularly reviewed to ensure top-level service at all times.


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Review from Heather B (Mother of Child) published on 17 March 2021
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The Ark Day Nursery is a well organised and friendly setting. My son - now 4 has been attending for 3 years now - and is always very happy to go each day - without a backwards glance! The staff are professional but also very friendly, they display wonderful kindness and understanding to the little ones
in their care. I have been very pleased with the service they provide and know my son is getting the best care, education and support he needs.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you so much for your kind words. It is so lovely that he comes in with such confidence. You are so right about him coming in without a backward glance. He always has a nice chat with the staff on the way into his room.


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Review from Ashley B (Father of Child) published on 17 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been attending the nursery since February 2020, he goes very happily with his key person in the morning, who is excellent at keeping us informed about our sons day via his daily diary, with photos and proud clouds. The secure Facebook page for parents is a wonderful way to see photos of your
child with their friends, taking part in the exciting activities set up by the staff. We will be increasing the days our son attends soon as we are so happy with his development and the care he receives. Thank you The Ark Day Nursery.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you very much for your kind words. It is so lovely to see that he has settled in so well. Glad you like the Facebook page. It is so important that we can involve parents as much as possible, and you can see all the lovely things your child does in the time spent here. Look forward to him coming for even more days.


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Review from M W (Father of Child) published on 17 March 2021
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Staff have always been informative and noted any issues promptly. The staff are extremely friendly and polite. The girls always are happy to go into the nursery in the mornings. Reassuring to read the daily diaries completed. The call bell system at the gate could be upgraded as not very effective.
Unfortunately, the fees are going up, which is fine, but difficult with two babies at nursery. An outside green space would be appreciated.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for taking the time to send your review in. Thank you for your kind words. It is so nice to see both your girls coming in smiling. I will be sure to pass the other comments on to the company.


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Review from T B (Father of Child) published on 5 March 2021
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter loves The Ark Day Nursery, she is learning well and is very happy, and the staff are fantastic. I would recommend it to other parents.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words.So lovely to hear your daughter loves coming. We strive to ensure that the children are learning something every minute they are here at our nursery. It is so nice to hear that you would recommend us.


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Review from Jade M (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I was really worried about sending my son to the nursery at 13-months-old, however, my worries were put at ease by the excellent staff, who gave us both a very warm welcome. My son enjoys going to nursery and has progressed really well since he began in September 2020. All the staff are very friendly.
I highly recommend The Ark Day Nursery. Out of my three children that attended nursery, my son seems the happiest. I now wish I had sent my other two children to The Ark Day Nursery.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words. It is such a difficult time for parents. We are glad that you chose The Ark Day Nursery. We strive to make the transition into the nursery as smooth as we can for both the parents and the child.


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Review from Hannah P (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little boy has been coming to The Ark nursery for several months. I am very very pleased with the genuine kindness and care he receives on a daily basis from all the lovely staff in the baby room.
He always comes home happy and content, and I know he is in both very safe, and capable hands when
he is in the setting. I love being able to see what he has been doing during the day through the secure Facebook page, and I can see his day is filled with exciting activities.
The nursery has gently nurtured his confidence, and he is a very happy and friendly little boy due to this.
The manager is also very, very good, and I always feel in control and informed of anything I need to know relating to my son.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this nursery to family and friends.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words. It is lovely seeing new children starting at our nursery and settling in so well. Thank you for your recommendation, especially recommending one of your family members to join us. So glad people have access to our Facebook page and can see the activities their children are doing throughout the day.


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Review from Marie P (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My 2-year-old daughter transferred to the Ark in September after we moved to the area, and she absolutely loves it! Even during the pandemic, her induction was great and very reassuring for me as her mother. She settled in really well. It was exceptionally clean, and the children and staff wash their
hands and toys are cleaned regularly. My daughter didn’t attend for a few weeks, and she kept asking when she could go back because she loves it so much. She runs into the nursery happy and smiling, and it’s what you wish for as a parent. She hasn’t cried once, even on her first day. I think that speaks volumes for the incredibly patient and caring staff. I have no worries about sending my son there later in the year when I return to work. Thank you, The Ark!

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for those kind words. It is so nice to see how happy the children are coming to nursery and coming out smiling, reassuring you as parents that they have had a lovely day here. It is nice to think that her little brother will be coming here too later in the year.


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Review from Amanda B (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

All staff extremely friendly, and both my children really enjoy going. They have settled in so fast. The nursery is fantastic, and I am really impressed with how they have put things into place with COVID-19 and worked throughout the pandemic.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for those kind words. I am so glad both your children have settled in so well. It is lovely when we get new families starting with us. We are really pleased with how smoothly things are running during this time with Covid. Our risk assessment is reviewed regularly to ensure these safety measures continue.


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Review from R B (Mother of Child) published on 8 October 2020
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent nursery, the staff are all very friendly and keep us informed about all the activities our son has been doing during the day, which are always wide-ranging. He always thoroughly enjoys his days at nursery. The selection of food he has is always varied and very good. We are very happy with
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Review from Laura U (Mother of Child) published on 28 August 2020
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Amazing nursery! Our eldest has attended for three past 3 years and loved every day. Te staff are brilliant and we have always felt confident and comfortable leaving out eldest, even if upset. Our youngest has just started and despite the current restrictions due to COVID-19 in place we have had a great
induction process and again feel extremely happy leaving our youngest. I would defiantly recommend The Ark to anyone - the staff are amazing the facilities are fantastic, they have great meals and our children thoroughly enjoy their time there.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you so much for your kind words. It is always sad to say goodbye to the school leavers.


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Review from Sarah S (Mother of Child) published on 27 August 2020
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Really lovely setting, genuine friendly staff. Clean environment with happy children.

Reply from Sandra Lutman, Manager at The Ark Day Nursery

Thank you for your lovely comment. We do pride ourselves on being a friendly, happy and a clean environment.


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Current Review Score: 9.7 (9.678)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.7 (9.678) out of 10 for The Ark Day Nursery is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 12 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.8 out of 5 from 12 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.909 for The Ark Day Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (132 Excellents x 5) + (9 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 143 Ratings = 4.909

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 4.769 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for The Ark Day Nursery is based on 12 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 78 number of registered child places is 15.6. 12 Positive Reviews ÷ 15.6 = 0.769

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (6)

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Meet the Team (1)

Susie

Susie Knight

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2023

A Master's Graduate in Education Leadership and Management, and passionate nursery manager Susie Knight. I believe every child is unique and strive to develop a nurturing and caring environment for all children. I thoroughly enjoy coaching and mentoring my team to deliver the best care. The Ark Nursery provides a safe place for children to grow and learn, enabling them to succeed and giving them the foundation for future success.


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