The History of ARK

 

ARK Out of School Care was formed in 2009 when Rutherglen Baptist Community Church identified the need for this service within the community. Katie Paterson – formerly Children and Families Development Officer – was given the task of setting up a sustainable service providing quality, affordable childcare to children in Rutherglen and its surrounding environs.

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We have continued to grow throughout the years and this is due to personal recommendations from existing parents/carers to new parents/carers looking for out of school care provision. We have never had to advertise our service and usually have a waiting list.

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In direct response to service users needs, we developed our late collection service. This allows children to fully participate in their learning community by attending clubs within their schools. These clubs generally finish at $pm and ARK staff will return to the school at this time to collect the children.

 

Our central location means we can access local parks and play areas easily.We are currently developing two outdoor areas, a terrace area to the rear of the property and a 'secret garden".

 

Nearby train stations and bus stops are also easily accessed which is convenient for parents/carers to both collect and drop off their child.

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We come under the umbrella of Rutherglen Baptist Community Church. The Out of School Care has full and sole use of the Church Halls during our operating hours.

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Out with the operating hours of ARK, we welcome various members of the community into our setting. These groups include pensioners, mothers with children and literacy groups encouraging them to feel part of the community.

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We are registered with the Care Inspectorate Scotland and our current grades are excellent!! We received two sixes and two fives (excellent and very good) in our most recent inspection and are always looking for ways to improve our service.

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We offer a safe and nurturing environment where your child can grow and flourish, using praise to encourage and develop their skills. We work not only with the children, but encourage input from parents/carers so we can provide best outcomes for the individual child.

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We also offer support to children with additional support needs and work under the ‘GIRFEC’ (Getting it Right for Every Child) model in all our dealings with the children, using the social model first – the child – rather than the medical – condition. We will do our best to adapt and meet all individual children’s needs within our setting.

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