What Ofsted found
Good Inspected 24 June 2025
| Judgement | Grade |
|---|---|
| Overall effectiveness | Good |
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
The second of the four grades: a good standard of care and learning. Ofsted now gives report cards instead, so this grade stays until the next inspection.
What a place could cost
The Ark Centre sets its own prices. These are the averages for day nurseries in East of England, for 50 hours a week in term time once the 30 funded hours are taken off.
| Child's age | You pay a week | About a month |
|---|---|---|
| From 9 months to 2 | £155 | £489 |
| 2 years old | £141 | £446 |
| 3 to 4 years old | £135 | £428 |
A month here is 38 term-time weeks spread over 12 months. Work out your own hours or check your free hours.
The Ark Centre against Essex
| The Ark Centre | Essex average | |
|---|---|---|
| Places | 26 | 57 |
| Ofsted outcome | Good | 86% rated Good or better |
Other nurseries close by
Questions parents ask about The Ark Centre
- What Ofsted grade does The Ark Centre have?
- The Ark Centre was rated Good at its inspection on 24 June 2025, under the grading Ofsted used before report cards.
- How many children can The Ark Centre take?
- Ofsted registers The Ark Centre for 26 places at any one time. The average day nursery in Essex has 57.
- How much does The Ark Centre cost?
- The Ark Centre sets its own fees, so ask it for a price list. As a guide, the average nursery in East of England charges £192 a week for 25 hours for a child under 2, before any free hours.
- Does The Ark Centre offer 30 hours free childcare?
- Any nursery on the Ofsted Early Years Register can offer the funded hours, but each one chooses how many funded places it has and what it charges for meals and extras. Ask The Ark Centre how it offers them.
- When was The Ark Centre last inspected?
- Ofsted last inspected The Ark Centre on 24 June 2025. The full report is on the Ofsted website.
- Which nurseries are near The Ark Centre?
- Nearby in CO12: Harwich Connexions Windmill Nursery Limited, Harwich Connexions Noah's Nursery Ltd.
Nursery list and inspection outcomes from Ofsted's register of childcare providers, as at 30 June 2026.
Fees shown are regional averages from the Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026, not any one nursery’s price. Confirm with the nursery before enrolling.
Eligibility rules are the government’s (childcarechoices.gov.uk). Whether a nursery offers the funded hours, and what it charges for meals and consumables, is the nursery’s decision; ask for its funded-hours terms in writing.