Ofsted: Needs attention in 4 areasYou're hereACE Early Years
OX7 5DZ · Nursery
ACE Early Years
- Ofsted: Needs attention in 4 areas · Nov 2025
- Chipping Norton OX7
In short: a nursery in Chipping Norton, open since 1998, with room for 40 children. Ofsted last visited in November 2025. Nurseries publish far less than schools, so this page sticks to the facts we hold and what to ask on a visit.
Good to know
- Inclusion: Strong standard at Ofsted's inspection in November 2025.
- Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard at Ofsted's inspection in November 2025.
- Registered with Ofsted, which last inspected it in November 2025.
Worth checking
- Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention at Ofsted's inspection in November 2025.
- Achievement: Needs attention at Ofsted's inspection in November 2025.
- Behaviour, attitudes and routines: Needs attention at Ofsted's inspection in November 2025.
- Last Ofsted visitNov 2025less than a year ago
- Places40children at a time
- Opened199828 years ago
Ofsted
What Ofsted found in Nov 2025
Ofsted no longer gives one overall grade. It rates each area on a five-point scale, from urgent improvement to exceptional, and checks whether safeguarding is met. The scale is new, so it can't be read straight across from old grades such as Good or Outstanding.
Every Ofsted visit
Choose a year to see the visit.
Rated Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, in 2025.
What Ofsted found in April 2015
Read the 2015 report on OfstedWhat Ofsted found in September 2019
- SafeguardingEffective
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- LeadershipOutstanding
What Ofsted found in February 2025
- SafeguardingEffective
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentRequires improvement
- LeadershipRequires improvement
What Ofsted found in November 2025
- SafeguardingMet
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Behaviour, attitudes and routinesNeeds attention
- Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
Earlier visits
- 29 Sept 2011OutstandingReport
The report card scale, in plain English
- Exceptional
- The very best practice, given rarely.
- Strong standard
- Better than Ofsted expects.
- Expected standard
- What Ofsted expects of every setting.
- Needs attention
- Some things must get better.
- Urgent improvement
- Serious problems to fix straight away.
Funded childcare
How many free hours could your child get?
These are the national rules. Ask ACE Early Years which funded hours it offers, and what costs extra, like meals and trips.
15 hours for every 3 and 4 year old
Every child in England gets 15 funded hours a week in term time from the term after they turn 3.
Up to 30 hours for working parents
If you work, you may get 30 funded hours a week for children from 9 months old. Apply through Childcare Choices.
15 hours for some 2 year olds
Families on some benefits can get 15 hours a week from the term after their child turns 2.
Tax-Free Childcare
For every £8 you pay in, the government adds £2, up to £2,000 a year per child.
Check what you can get at Childcare Choices.
Day to day
Life at ACE Early Years
Open day
What to ask when you visit
Based on what the data says about ACE Early Years. Take this list with you.
- 1“What are your opening hours, and do you close in the holidays?”We don't hold opening hours for nurseries.
- 2“How many funded hours can you offer, and what costs extra?”Funded hours are free, but meals and extras can cost money.
- 3“Who will look after my child, and how long have they worked here?”Staff who stay make a big difference to young children.
- 4“How do you support children who need extra help?”Every nursery has to support children with special educational needs.
Nearby
See all Oxfordshire nurseriesOther nurseries nearby
Popular nurseries fill up, so it's wise to list more than one. Here's how ACE Early Years compares with its neighbours.
Ofsted: Needs attention in 4 areasYou're here
Ofsted: Good
Ofsted: Good
Ofsted: Report cardKeep an eye on ACE Early Years
We'll email you when there's a new Ofsted report, new results or new admissions figures. Nothing else.
The basics
School details
- Type
- Nursery
- Opened
- December 1998
- Council
- Oxfordshire
- Address
- Burford Road, Chipping Norton, OX7 5DZ
- Ofsted reference (URN)
- 133481 · See it on the government register
Questions
Questions parents ask
Is ACE Early Years a good nursery?
Ofsted's November 2025 report card gives no overall grade. Strong standard: Inclusion, Children's welfare and wellbeing. Needs attention: Curriculum and teaching, Achievement, Behaviour, attitudes and routines, Leadership and governance. Safeguarding met the required standard. Visit, and read the latest inspection report.
What is ACE Early Years's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted's November 2025 report card gives no overall grade. Strong standard: Inclusion, Children's welfare and wellbeing. Needs attention: Curriculum and teaching, Achievement, Behaviour, attitudes and routines, Leadership and governance. Safeguarding met the required standard. Report cards grade each area from Urgent improvement, Needs attention and Expected standard up to Strong standard and Exceptional. The full report on Ofsted's website explains what it does well and what it needs to improve.
How many free hours can my child get?
Every 3 and 4 year old in England can get 15 funded hours a week in term time. Working parents can get up to 30 hours a week from 9 months old. Check what this nursery offers.
Sources: Department for Education school performance tables, school census and workforce, academy accounts, admissions statistics, Ofsted and ISI. Photos are stand-ins. School details and inspections checked against official records on 5 November 2026.