About Us
Noah’s Ark Pre-School offers your child a warm, nurturing and caring environment. We are committed to helping your child grow, learn and relate in a safe, structured way. Rooted in Christian values, our approach is inclusive and welcoming to children of every faith and those with none.
Noah’s Ark Pre-School has been established since 1987 and is run by Caterham Community Church.
We seek to provide a safe and secure environment, which helps your child flourish and be confident, relaxed and happy. We provide a loving, secure space, in which each child is cared for both as an individual and as they relate to others. In all our activities we seek to teach and show, by example, how to care for each other and for the world about us.
Activities
Our activities combine supervised free play and adult-led structured play to support children’s development in various areas:
- Play Areas: We offer spaces for construction, role play, small world play, play dough, messy play, and group activities such as story and singing time.
- Visitors and Special Activities: Occasionally, familiar visitors lead special sessions like storytelling, dance and music.
Learning Through Play:
Our activities are designed to stimulate curiosity and understanding of the world. Children have access to both guided and free-choice activities, helping them grow into well-rounded individuals.
Outdoor Play:
Outdoor play is encouraged in all weather conditions. Our outdoor space is divided into two main areas:
- Semi Undercover Area: Equipped with climbing frames, slides, rockers, water troughs, a playhouse and construction toys.
- Larger Play Area: Designed for bikes, scooters, basketball, and football.
Developmental Focus:
During structures group activities, we focus three core skills: good sitting, good looking, and good listening. These help children develop listening skills and prepare them for their next stage of learning.
Healthy Eating:
We provide a food bar during morning and afternoon sessions, offering healthy options, along with milk or water. Children are encouraged to bring a named water bottle for hydration throughout the day.
Parent, June 2025
Parent, June 2025
Parent, June 2025
Welfare & well-being
We operate a Key Person system, in which each member of staff has a special responsibility for a small group of children. Each child is observed by their Key Staff Member who keeps an individual learning journey for each child, helping to monitor their well-being and development.
We want to be available and accessible to parents and carers as we work in partnership with you. Your child’s Key Staff Member is available by appointment. We have a parent/carer coffee morning each term when you are able to discuss your child’s learning journal with a qualified member of staff. We also have a comments/suggestions book for feedback.
Ofsted
December 2024 | ‘Good’ outcome
Ofsted said, ‘Staff know children very well and form close and loving bonds with them. This helps the children to feel safe and emotionally secure. Staff pay particular attention to learning about the children’s individual learning needs. They provide a broad and balanced curriculum based on children’s current interests and existing knowledge.’
“Thank you for all your help and assistance, Liam is speaking so much better and expressing himself more. He has really enjoyed himself here. Even though he started off his pre-school life at the most expensive pre-school in the area – Noah’s Ark is heads above for the care of the children and the progress in learning. Not all that shines is good! Thank you so very much for your care and love you have shown the pair of us. We will truly miss you all xxx”
Early Years Foundation
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage, closely monitoring children’s progress and development. This helps us identify children’s strengths and areas where we can support and encourage different children.
The main principles of this framework are:
- every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
- children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
- children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
- children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.
The framework allows us to help your child learn and develop in seven interlinked areas. These are:
- Communication and language development, which involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of different situations.
- Personal, social and emotional development. This involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities. Children are helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
- Physical development. This involves providing opportunities for children to be both active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement.
- Literacy development, which involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children are given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to spark their interest.
- Mathematics. This involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve skills in counting, understanding and using numbers and numerical patterns, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes and spaces, and measure.
- Understanding the world. This helps children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
- Expressive arts and design, which involve enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
Opening hours
Noahs Ark Pre-School is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays
Early Risers*
Mornings
Lunch Club
Afternoons
Available to all 30hr funded children, also available to all other children at a small extra cost to their funding or fees.
Staff
(All staff are pediatric first aid trained and hold the relevant enhanced DBS checks)
Samara Gray
Manager/SENCO/Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Samara joined Noah’s Ark in September 2024, bringing with her nine years of experience in the education sector. She holds a Qualified Teacher Status (Level 6) and has been part of a Senior Leadership Team for three years in her previous role. Passionate about nurturing children’s development, Samara is excited to contribute to their growth in a faith-based environment
Miss Louise Kitchin
Deputy Manger/Deputy SENCO/ Designated Safeguarding Lead
Kay Flitter
practitioner
Kay has started with us in September 2017. Kay has a level 3 Diploma in Early Years. Kay says that she really enjoys helping children to feel happy and safe.
Amanda Felton
practitioner
Amanda is a Level 3 qualified practitioner who joined Noah’s Ark in 2024. She enjoys working with children and is passionate about making a positive difference in their lives, helping them reach their full potential.
Parent, June 2025
‘I would like to express my gratitude to the entire staff of the nursery Noah’s Ark Preschool . You do a great job and find an approach to each child individually. During the time spent in the nursery, my child learned to speak, share with other children, empathize if someone is upset, support others and much more. All the staff of the nursery are qualified and know their job very well, I never worry when my child is in the nursery, because I know that he is under supervision and I can trust these people with the most valuable. I am very grateful for your work, time and effort, you are the best, I will gladly recommend you to my friends.’
Parent, June 2025
Parent, June 2025
Age groups taken/
admission process
Who can come?
The pre-school is open to children aged from 2 years and 6 months up until they start school. Although it is a church run pre-school, it is not necessary for your family to have any previous connection with us or any other church. Don’t worry if your child is not quite out of nappies, we are happy to help with this. Also welcome, are children with special needs. This would need to be discussed with Samara or Louise beforehand.
The Nursery Free Entitlement
We are registered with OFSTED and are part of the Early Years Development and Childcare Plan. Therefore, starting with the term after your child is 3 years old, he/she will be entitled to 15 free hours per week.
30 Hours Free Funding
Some children will be eligible for up to 30 hours free education per week. You can find out whether you child is eligible at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility. We are able to provide up to 26 hours per week at our preschool. Please speak with Samara for more information on this.
FEET (Free Early Education for Two year olds)
Children between two and three years of age may be eligible for FEET – click here . We accept children aged 2 ½ and above who are eligible for FEET. If your child is not eligible for this funding the charge per session is available on our current application form. Please speak with Samara for more information on this.
Eligible working parents of 2 year olds can access 15 hours free funding per week – enquire on gov.uk website
We meet for 38 weeks of the year coinciding with the school terms.