The Ace Children’s Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are very happy and confident in this high-quality environment. Children of all ages settle quickly and make rapid progress.

Staff know the children extremely well and place the utmost priority on their care and well-being. They work exceptionally well with parents to ensure children's individual needs are met. Children feel and are kept extremely safe.

They develop highly positive attitudes to learning. Their behaviour is excellent. Staff have high expectations for every child.

They provide an inspiring curriculum which meets individual children's learning needs extremely well. They offer highl...y stimulating activities both indoors and outdoors. Children have outstanding opportunities to make choices in their play.

They rapidly acquire new vocabulary and understanding. Staff intervene very effectively as they play alongside children. For example, staff playfully introduce new words as babies babble when finding hidden toys in the water tray.

Staff deepen older children's curiosity and vocabulary extremely well, such as when children wonder why soap bubbles disappear during water play. Children of all ages are exceptionally interested in early reading. Staff provide a wonderful range of books suited to their individual interests and needs.

Children gain the key skills that prepare them for future success.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff provide a high-quality curriculum which covers all aspects of children's learning in depth. Children settle extremely well.

Staff meet their individual care and learning needs excellently. Children develop highly positive relationships with staff and each other. Children are very happy, keen to explore and love learning.

Their attitudes and behaviour are excellent. Children confidently lead their own play and maintain their interest in activities for a long period. Staff work very closely with parents.

They obtain a full picture of what children can already do when they join the setting. Children benefit strongly from the continuity in their care and learning. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make excellent progress.

Staff use the information gained from their accurate progress checks very effectively. Staff have high expectations of every child. Children gain the key skills that prepare them for future success.

The impressive indoor and outdoor areas stimulate children to explore. Leaders and managers are passionate about improving outcomes for children. They share their enthusiasm with staff and use self-evaluation very effectively to identify, drive and improve the quality of provision.

They implement a highly effective professional development programme for staff through supervision, mentoring and training. Their valuable links with other early years professionals help to strengthen staff practice and knowledge. Leaders' and managers' monitoring extends to different groups of children, as well as individuals, to ensure they make the best possible progress.

Professional training, for example in mathematics, has led to staff's consistently high-quality teaching.Managers' and staff's clear intentions are demonstrated in the way they ensure children progress rapidly in their physical skills. For example, as babies learn to walk, staff provide an environment that encourages children to stand and move unaided.

Older children choose from exciting outdoor equipment such as wheeled vehicles, or larger equipment for developing their coordination, balancing and climbing skills. Children have vast opportunities to develop their large-muscle skills. For example, they begin to work together and use large wooden construction kits to create ball runs.

Staff support children's emerging communication and language skills excellently. For example, children of all ages thoroughly enjoy singing songs and performing actions. Staff use a range of high-quality visual prompts and actions to develop children's understanding and speech.

Children are fascinated by early reading. Staff provide an exceptional range of books suited to their needs and interests and children regularly choose books during indoor and outdoor play. They learn that print carries meaning.

For example, children refer to pictures with simple words as they find the correct places to tidy toys away. Staff enrich children's interest in reading and knowledge of their community through visits to the library and to local shops.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect. They thoroughly understand the procedures to follow to ensure children are safe. Staff consistently implement the manager's robust policies and procedures.

Leaders monitor staff's understanding of safeguarding matters by checking this at team meetings. They carry out rigorous risk assessments to ensure that children's health, safety and well-being are fully promoted. Leaders and managers implement very thorough recruitment and selection procedures.

Children are well supervised indoors and outdoors. The premises are very safe and secure. This has a significant impact on children's care and learning.

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