EVERY decision made at Bearwood Primary and Nursery School is about what is best for the pupils, says the head teacher.

Laura Bennett leads a moderately-sized school of children aged three to 11, teaching children from a young age to find what they are good at consider a future they may like to have and work towards it.

She also wants the children to become 'life-long learners' meaning that they take an interest in the world around them and find education fun as well as rewarding.

She said: "It's about trying to inspire the children, so that, although we do the basic skills, it's about the whole child and we want to inspire them to be what they want to be. We want to give them lots of opportunities such as an enrichment afternoon for our Key Stage Two pupils every Wednesday which is all about developing their life skills.

"We have worked with Poole Museum and we have been looking at the Forest School approach as well. We have been asking the children 'What do they want to be and how can we help them to do that?"

Trudie Coles, learning and access manager for Poole Museum, has been visiting the school and finding new ways to get them engaged with maths, as part of their day-to-day learning.

She said: "This year there has been a push on maths and maths mastery across the curriculum. Children like Drew who say that maths is his favourite subject is just evidence to how much hard work the teachers have put in.

"It's looking at how maths comes up in all different aspects of life and how they relates to the kids' lives.

"There is always so much going on at the school and from my perspective, it's quite interesting to see how much evolution there is. Nothing ever stands still. There are no laurels to be rested on. The pace is fast and the project work that happens is really integrated."

Head teacher, Laura Bennett, says that she is proud of the work that has been carried out in partnership with Poole Museum and all of the staff within the school.

She added: "We aspire to inspire the children. We still get the results needed, but I think we get them because we give the children a reason to get those results.

"We are a team. They may be led by me, to a degree, but at the end of the day, we work together and everybody is about the children and that's what makes the difference. We recognise that by working together, the children will have the best possible outcomes."

What do you love about Bearwood Primary and Nursery School?

1. Jacy Brewer, a parent of one son in Year Four, said: "My eldest son, who is 17 now, came here, so it was an easy choice. We aren't in the catchment area, but I wanted my son to go here. It's like it is out in the countryside and the whole vibe of the school is great."

2. Aana Shukla, a parent of one son in Year Two, said: "To get my son into this school, I had to move house. We visited around 25 schools and this was the only one I wanted him to go to. I love that the school values respect. My son is thriving at the school."

3. Drew Brooks, 10, who is in Year Six, said: "My favourite subject is maths. I've always liked going into the smaller groups in class and being part of the higher ability groups.

4. Gabrielle Levy, 10, who is in Year Five, said: "I like that we get a lot of opportunities at school. The staff are really nice."

5. Mary Locke, Year Four class teacher, said: "As a new teacher, I noticed how welcoming it is and what a community there is at the school. The children are so lovely, as are the parents, and I have been welcomed whole-heartedly."

6. Natasha Guarguaglini, English leader and class teacher, said: "We're really driving English at the moment and I like the fact that I am being given the encouragement to do that. We want to ensure that the children become confident, life-long readers."

Factfile

Name: Bearwood Primary and Nursery School

Address: Barons Road, Bearwood, Bournemouth, BH11 9UN

Telephone: 01202 590703

Email: School@bearwood.poole.sch.uk

Ages: 3 to 11

Number of pupils: 221 mixed

Last Ofsted inspection: October 2012

Rating: Good

What it said: "Leaders and managers are ambitious for the school resulting in improvements in pupils’ progress and in the quality of teaching.

"Pupils’ good attitudes to learning and their strong relationships with staff enhance the progress they make across the curriculum.

"Pupils take pride in their work because of the way they are encouraged by the school. Good achievement in lessons is celebrated in the school’s ‘Learning to Learn’ initiative which helps pupils to know how well they are doing."