Zelda School

Zelda School Holifield Farm, Bonallack Lane, Gweek, Helston, Cornwall, TR12 6UL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 November 2015 15 October 2009

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The quality of teaching across the setting is excellent. Staff thoroughly assess children's progress and provide a varied and stimulating range of learning experiences for children. Children make rapid progress in their learning and development.  Management has a positive approach and effectively supports staff's development. They enable staff to implement new teaching techniques and to share these with colleagues to improve the quality of teaching.  Staff provide children with a stimulating environment, which engages and motivates them to learn inside and outside. Children have excellent opportunities to initiate their own play, develop ideas and to be independent, for example.  Management and staff have effective partnerships with parents, which promotes continuity in children's learning. Parents are very positive about the setting. Staff keep parents well informed about the progress of their child and provide ideas to support

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This provision is good

and continue their learning at home.  The management and staff constantly and effectively evaluate their practice and provision. They identify and make targeted improvements, taking into account the views of parents and children.  Staff provide children with excellent support, fully meeting their individual needs and developing high levels of self-esteem.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasion, staff are not deployed to best effect to make full use of every opportunity in daily routines to engage all children.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 enhance the already good staff deployment so that staff are available to engage every child during daily routines.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff taking part in activities inside and outside.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.  The inspector spoke to staff, a trustee and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector viewed a range of documentation, including children's and staff records, children's learning journeys, accident records and the setting's action plans.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Overall, leadership and management are strong. Management has a good understanding of the legal requirements but does not always ensure procedures are fully followed through. This has resulted in them failing to notify Ofsted of all changes to the trustees. It is a requirement to do so. However, all these individuals had completed Disclosure and Barring Service checks to confirm their suitability. There is no significant impact as they do not work directly with the children. Safeguarding is effective; staff regularly discuss safeguarding issues at team meetings. The manager and staff observe and monitor children's progress extremely well to identify gaps in their learning and to make effective plans, working closely with parents, to ensure any gaps are closed quickly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The manager and staff provide a welcoming and inspiring environment, indoors and outdoors. Children are fully engaged, excited to learn and explore, and thoroughly enjoy their time at the school. They show determination as staff support their learning and encourage them to think. For example, children enjoy digging, planting and learning about how roots sustain plants. Staff skilfully ask children good quality questions as they play to challenge their thinking and understanding. For example, staff help children understand how batteries make torches work. Staff encourage children to develop good literacy skills. Children learn to recognise and use magnetic letters to write their name, and younger children use resources to 'write' shopping lists as they play in the shop. Staff's enthusiasm encourages children to keep trying and to explore other methods. Children develop mathematical concepts during play, for example, counting and early calculation. They

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

develop an exceptional understanding of the world and explore a wide range of festivals.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children enter the school eagerly. Staff know the children exceptionally well and plan activities which they know will be of interest; therefore, children become instantly engaged. Children develop excellent social skills and become very independent, choosing whether they want to play outside or in. They help each other and share resources. For example, when digging in the vegetable patch they confidently passed the spade and fork to each other. Children demonstrate exceptional positive behaviour, good manners and kindness towards each other because staff are excellent role models. Staff teach children the importance of keeping safe and healthy through a variety of outdoor learning experiences. For example, children grow and eat produce from the garden and climb trees.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make excellent progress in relation to their starting points. They are confident, independent and gain a wide range of skills to support their next stage in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY389586 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 830220 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider Zelda School Date of previous inspection 15 October 2009 Telephone number 07855 820 345

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Setting details

Zelda School is run by a registered company. It registered in 2009 and operates from two yurts in a field on Holifield Farm, near the small village of Gweek, in Cornwall. Accessibility to the premises is limited by the rural nature of the setting. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 3pm, during term times only. The setting occasionally includes children of compulsory school age who have home education arrangements. Six teaching staff are employed; of these, two have Qualified Teacher Status, three hold Early Years Professional Status and one has a qualification at level 3.

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Setting details

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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