Life at Ark Start

Joanna: “Ark Start has been a fantastic choice for our daughter”

04 June 2025

One of our parents at our Clapham Junction nursery recently shared their experience with Ark Start. Here’s their story:

Ark Start has been a fantastic choice for our daughter. We wanted her to join because of their great reputation, and it’s been a wonderful experience. Her previous nursery was small, and we were excited for her to make more friends in a bigger, more vibrant setting with lots of staff.  

The nursery feels like a classroom, which is perfect for getting her ready for school. She starts in September, and I can see she’s going to be well-prepared. She’s been around teachers and made friends, which is all we want for her – to be happy and doing well.  

The early years provision at Ark Start is great. It’s important that she’s not just playing all day but also learning through play. The fluid curriculum here is flexible and fantastic.   

Ark Start is all about giving her the best. She’s an August-born baby, and I would have held her back from starting reception if I didn’t think she was ready. She’ll be one of the youngest, but I know she’s prepared.  

My daughter making friends was a big driver for us in choosing Ark Start. We’ve only lived in this area for about 18 months, and she needed more than just being with her parents. Before we only had 15 hours provision from 9am-12noon, which meant I couldn’t work during the day as by the time I’d dropped her off and got home again, I pretty much had to turn round to go and collect her. But now we have 4 full days. I can work from 9am-3pm while she’s at nursery, which is a huge relief and saves me from working into the night.  

My daughter’s development at Ark Start has been amazing. Her interaction, vocabulary, and how she speaks to us and others have improved so much. She writes well and at bedtime often reflects on her day and tells me what she learned, which is really special.  

The school readiness session with the headteacher at the primary school attached to the nursery was great. It reassured me, because one of the questions I had was “is there anything I need to look out for in case she’s not ready?” and he said, “they would have told you by now”. And that’s such a refreshing feeling knowing that if there ever was an issue the teachers here would tell me.  

Also – as someone not from this country, the support from Ark Start staff with the school application process was invaluable. They helped me create an account and submit the application on time, which I couldn’t have done alone. Despite being a competent person and running my own business, the jargon and process were challenging, and their help made all the difference.