Ace Nursery

Hourly childcare and money reinvested in the nursery or estate projects give Ace Nursery on Grange Avenue a practical community character. The emphasis is on fitting care around families, with charges based on hours rather than fixed sessions. That is a useful distinction for parents whose childcare needs do not follow a standard morning or afternoon pattern.

Ace has capacity for 74 children and accepts ages from 3 to 60 months. At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective, with an improvement needed in the continuity of younger children's personal care. The strongest examples from that visit concerned conversation, independence and physical play. The care concern deserves equal attention, especially for a child still in nappies.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS brings together children's communication, physical development, relationships and early learning, so play and everyday care both have an educational purpose. Ace's planning policy connects activities to individual children's needs, with key persons completing planning and learning records. For parents, the useful principle is that an activity should have a purpose for their child, rather than simply fill the timetable.

Physical play, colouring and reading have their own areas. The colouring area supports making things and experimenting with images, while the reading and playing area combines books with social play. Outdoors, children explore insects and animals and learn about growing and caring for plants. These are concrete opportunities to talk, create and investigate.

In September 2023, resources in the baby and toddler rooms were arranged so children could choose what interested them; in the pre-school, labels combined pictures with words, giving equipment-matching an early literacy dimension. Adults also joined babies' games at their level. Different stages had different demands, rather than one activity being applied to everyone.

Conversation extended beyond organised activities in September 2023. During a hot spell, staff introduced vocabulary about drinking enough water, and children used the new language themselves. An early communication programme also involved parents in supporting speaking and listening. This made language development part of ordinary exchanges, with families contributing alongside staff.

Outdoor and Community Life

Climbing, balancing and a trampoline featured in outdoor play in September 2023. Staff also developed children's ball games by bringing in equipment in response to their ideas. The important detail is the adult response: children's interests shaped how play continued, rather than the equipment alone determining the activity.

Ramadan and the Chinese Moon Festival were included in learning about children's home backgrounds in September 2023. These were links to families' own experiences, giving celebrations a purpose beyond decoration. They also provided a way for parents to contribute something personal to the nursery day.

Relationships and Communication

In September 2023, staff gave new children individual attention and selected play that helped them settle. Key persons knew children's interests and adjusted activities accordingly, but nappy changes were not consistently carried out by the child's key person. The consequence was a break in continuity during an intimate care routine. Knowing a child's learning interests and providing familiar personal care are separate responsibilities.

Parents can make appointments with their child's key person to discuss development and access development files. Communication also includes newsletters, telephone calls, emails and notices, while a reception post box accepts comments. This gives families routes for both a planned conversation and a shorter contribution, rather than relying on a single method of contact.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The parent-partnership policy involves families in assessments of developmental concerns and refers to the Early Intervention Team and SENCO. The staff structure includes a senior nursery nurse with SENCO training. These are practical mechanisms for discussing a child's needs and involving additional support; they should form part of an individual conversation about the child.

At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised gaps in learning and worked with parents on communication support, while safeguarding practice included close supervision, equipment checks and safer sleeping routines. In September 2023, children also received help with toothbrushing, and mealtimes involved helping friends and practising conversation. Health and social learning were woven into ordinary routines.

A cook forms part of the staff team. Children received nutritious meals and snacks in September 2023, making food part of the account of care at that time.

Sessions and Attendance

Ace opens from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with closures on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. The hourly charging model gives parents an alternative to purchasing a fixed session, an important practical point for families comparing care around work or other commitments.

The Morning and After School Club provides breakfast care, transport to school and care after school, including for children who do not attend Ace during the day. Holiday care also covers inset days and unexpected school holidays. This broadens the service beyond the early-years nursery day and may matter to households arranging care for children at different stages.

Getting There

The nursery address is Grange Avenue, Derby, DE23 8DH. Telephone contact is available on 01332 774255, and an online enquiry form accepts a message alongside contact details.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible children aged two and three. Eligibility remains a condition of that offer; it is not a promise of a funded place for every child in those age groups.

• Continuity during nappy changes. The September 2023 improvement point concerned personal care being shared beyond a child's key person. On a visit, ask how familiar adults now handle nappy changes and other intimate care routines.
• An hourly arrangement for your family. Ace charges by the hour and also runs school-age clubs. What booking pattern, funded-hours arrangement and meal or consumable charges would apply to your child, set out in a current written quotation?
• Christmas cover. The nursery closes for one week at Christmas as well as bank holidays. Families needing care across that period should build the closure into their plans.

Ace suits families choosing hourly care for young children, as well as households using its Morning and After School Club for breakfast and after-school care. Its community reinvestment model gives that practical offer a clear local purpose.

The September 2023 picture contains useful examples of learning through conversation, child-led choices and outdoor activity. The improvement point is equally specific: younger children needed greater continuity during personal care. For parents of babies and toddlers, that should carry real weight alongside the learning offer.