ACE Day Nursery

A garden linked directly to the playroom, a capacity of 17 and a practical role for parents give ACE Day Nursery a clear identity. This Priory Road setting caters for children aged 1 to 3, with play concentrated on the ground floor and family participation built into its co-operative model. It is a small setting with a tangible expectation of parental involvement.

At its September 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated ACE Day Nursery Outstanding, finding strong relationships, carefully supported settling and effective safeguarding. That judgement belongs to that date. The strongest practical attractions today are the connected indoor and outdoor spaces, vegetarian food prepared on site and a booking model based on full days.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes the day through play across its areas of learning and development. Here, that means opportunities to explore materials, communicate, practise physical skills and make choices, rather than a timetable built around formal lessons. Free-flow play takes place in the morning and afternoon, with supervised garden access during both periods.

Inside, children can move between construction, books and small-world play, alongside water, creative and sensory activities. Role play and mathematics are also part of the playroom. These are different ways into learning: a child interested in building can follow that interest, while another can choose books or experiment with materials. Choice is built into the daily arrangement.

In September 2021, staff extended conversations by introducing vocabulary associated with children's play and repeating unfamiliar words. Sign language provided another means of communication. The examples were grounded in ordinary experiences, including talking about soil and moisture, rather than detached language exercises.

Outdoor and Community Life

An open-plan playroom connects to the garden, and children use only the building's ground floor. Outside, the vegetable patch and herb planter sit alongside a sandpit, digging space and climbing materials. The layout gives young children opportunities for both active movement and closer exploration of plants and materials.

The garden also contains an art easel, sensory fence activities and open-ended resources. Outdoor play therefore has more to it than climbing: children can make marks, investigate textures and decide how to use materials. The indoor and outdoor offer follows the same play-led pattern.

In September 2021, outings to local meadows included making dens, taking bark rubbings and picking blackberries. Staff used these experiences to introduce awareness of safety outdoors. Children also collected water from a water butt for watering plants and making puddles. These dated examples show how practical exploration featured in the nursery's day at that time.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person responsible for their development and welfare, with meetings during the year to exchange information with families. That gives parents a defined relationship through which to discuss their child's experience, rather than relying solely on conversations with whichever adult is present.

In September 2021, settling included sending families photographs of the prepared room so children could become familiar with it beforehand. The pace was adjusted to the child. Communication at that time included photographs, weekly updates and online meetings, while staff offered ideas for continuing learning at home.

At its September 2021 inspection, Ofsted found that the key-person arrangements supported children's emotional needs and helped families settle, while staff interactions developed children's learning. Those findings are useful context for the current key-person structure, rather than a promise about every child's experience.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In September 2021, a sand timer helped children understand waiting and sharing. Everyday tasks also gave them opportunities to practise independence: children helped prepare fruit salad, hang out washing and clear their plates. The emphasis was on manageable responsibilities within familiar routines.

A nursery cook prepares homemade vegetarian meals on the premises, and ACE publishes a nut-free policy. The Summer Term 2026 menus used a three-week rotation, with substitutions possible when ingredients could not be bought or food needed using before closures.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. Attendance requires at least two full days each week; families can arrange combinations of days, including full-time attendance. The minimum is a meaningful commitment for anyone seeking only occasional care.

The nursery closes for approximately four weeks annually, in addition to bank holidays. This is an across-the-year arrangement with planned breaks, rather than continuous care throughout every week. Families balancing work and childcare should factor those closures into their annual plans.

Getting There

The address is 6A Priory Road, Cambridge, CB5 8HT, on a residential street near the river and the Grafton shopping centre. Children use the ground floor, although the building itself has two levels.

Telephone contact is through 01223 366355, and a contact form and Day Nursery application form provide routes for enquiries and applications.

Funding and Paid Extras

ACE Day Nursery offers early years funding and private childcare. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and fees are reviewed annually during the summer term for the following academic year.

The ACE Bursary Fund can assist with fees in specific cases. An application form can be requested, so this is a separate support route rather than a general reduction in charges.

Parent participation also has a practical cost in time. Day Nursery families contribute one hour each month to the co-operative, with a paid contribution available instead for parents unable to give that time. Tasks can include shopping, repairing equipment or helping organise fundraising. This arrangement makes family involvement part of the operating model.

• Two-day commitment. The minimum attendance is two full days each week. Consider whether that pattern, alongside the annual closures, matches your working arrangements.
• Co-operative responsibilities. Parents contribute one hour a month or pay a contribution instead if they cannot give the time. Ask which practical tasks would fit your family.
• Settling today. Room photographs and individually paced settling were features in September 2021. During a visit, ask how the present settling process would work for your child.
• Food and funded charges. ACE publishes a nut-free policy and offers early years funding. Ask how current allergy practice works and how meals and non-food consumables are treated within your proposed booking.

ACE Day Nursery suits families seeking a small setting for children aged 1 to 3, whether booking selected full days or full-time attendance, and parents willing to take a practical part in a co-operative. The playroom's garden connection and opportunities for digging, planting and sensory exploration give the offer substance.

The September 2021 Outstanding judgement supplies a strong historical assessment. The present decision turns on the full-day minimum, planned closures and parental contribution, alongside how well the key-person and settling arrangements fit your child.