Ofsted report card

ACE Early Years

Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire · OX7 5DZ

Inspected by Ofsted on 20 November 2025 under the report card framework.

Curriculum and teaching Needs Attention
Achievement Needs Attention
Behaviour and routines Needs Attention
Welfare and wellbeing Strong Standard
Inclusion Strong Standard
Leadership and governance Needs Attention

What each grade means

Each area is judged separately. Expected standard is the bar every provider has to clear — meeting it is the pass, not a mediocre result.

Curriculum and teaching

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Achievement

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Behaviour and routines

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Welfare and wellbeing

Strong Standard

Clearly better than the expected standard in this area, though not exceptional.

Inclusion

Strong Standard

Clearly better than the expected standard in this area, though not exceptional.

Leadership and governance

Needs Attention

Below the expected standard in this area. It has to be put right, but it is not judged urgent.

Registration

Ofsted URN
133481
Provider type
Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Full day care
Ages
0 to 3
Registered places
40
Registered since
29 December 1998
Local authority
Oxfordshire

On the Early Years Register and the Compulsory Childcare Register and the Voluntary Childcare Register.

Where it is

Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire · OX7 5DZ. Location from the Ofsted register.

Inspection history

Inspections before November 2025 gave one overall rating rather than grading each area.

  1. 3 February 2025 inspection Requires Improvement
  2. 18 September 2019 inspection Outstanding
  3. 2 April 2015 inspection Outstanding
  4. 29 September 2011 inspection Outstanding
  5. 3 November 2008 inspection Outstanding
  6. 14 June 2006 inspection Good
  7. 3 February 2005 inspection Good
  8. 13 October 2004 inspection Good

Common questions

When was ACE Early Years last inspected by Ofsted? +

ACE Early Years in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire was last inspected on 20 November 2025. That inspection used Ofsted's report card framework, which replaced single-word overall ratings for early years settings in November 2025.

What did Ofsted say about ACE Early Years? +

Ofsted graded 6 areas: curriculum and teaching — Needs Attention; achievement — Needs Attention; behaviour and routines — Needs Attention; welfare and wellbeing — Strong Standard; inclusion — Strong Standard; leadership and governance — Needs Attention. Each area is judged separately, so a setting can be stronger in one than another.

Is "expected standard" a good grade? +

Yes. Expected standard is the bar every provider has to clear, so meeting it is the pass rather than a mediocre result. Strong standard and exceptional sit above it; needs attention and urgent improvement sit below.

What ages does ACE Early Years take? +

ACE Early Years is registered for children aged 0 to 3.

How many children can ACE Early Years take? +

ACE Early Years is registered for up to 40 children at any one time. That is a registration limit, not the number currently attending.

How long has ACE Early Years been registered? +

ACE Early Years has been registered with Ofsted since 29 December 1998. Its unique reference number (URN) is 133481.

Nearby settings

Inspection and registration information is published by Ofsted and reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Little Bees is not affiliated with Ofsted. The grade descriptions are our plain-English summaries of where each grade sits against the standard, not Ofsted's own criteria.

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