Founded in 2002, the educational organization "Absolute Return for Kids (Ark)" comprises a network of 39 schools in economically disadvantaged areas in London, Birmingham, Portsmouth and Hastings for around 30,000 pupils. The Ark Start nursery program is dedicated to providing every child with access to quality early childhood education, while families have access to flexible and affordable childcare.
The new Ark Start Globe nursery serves a deprived area of London with little pre-school provision and has now enrolled 53 children, of which 73 % are from families in the most deprived quintile of child poverty, 61 % are in the lowest quintile of household income, and 91 % of families are in the poorest half of households based on the government's Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) ranking.
The interior of the nursery has been furnished with high-quality wooden furniture and materials to create a stimulating learning environment. This includes a corner for imaginative play, a learning area to promote reading skills, vocabulary and math, a sensory area with sand and water and a drawing area to encourage fine motor skills and creativity. In this way, the children can be specifically supported in the development of key skills in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage, a framework that sets standards for early childhood development in the UK.
The nursery's new outdoor area also includes several areas, including play kitchens, role-play stores and playhouses as well as a climbing frame, new balance and pedal bikes, a shed for storage, construction toys and other play materials. "When the families returned from vacation, they were thrilled with the transformation. The playground brings joy and real developmental benefits. We couldn't be more grateful to the Regine Sixt Children's Aid Foundation." (Molly Devlin, head of the preschool department at Ark)
In May, Sixt UK colleagues Andrew Smith, Marta Kunica-Thomas, Zara King and Mary Wong were able to see for themselves the environment created and its very positive impact on the children, who can learn, communicate and discover through play. "This partnership is about more than just funding - it's about creating lasting memories and opportunities for the children who need them most. It was an incredibly rewarding moment to see the joy on the children's faces as they explored and climbed the equipment and used all their imaginations to play." (Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President Sixt UK)
