GETTING the best out of everyone – that’s the mantra behind an expanding Poole prep school in Lower Parkstone.

Bournemouth Collegiate School, so named because there is a senior school at Southbourne, both owned by the United Church Schools Trust, is the only three to 18 co-educational, day and boarding independent school in the two towns.

The St Osmund’s Road prep school teaches 195 pupils aged three to 11 and has room for plenty more.

“In the last two years we have created this very new and vibrant school,” said head teacher Kay Smith, who has been leading the school since September 2010.

“The school has grown dramatically and continues to do so. It has successfully established a good reputation in the local community,” she said.

Small classes range from 12 to 20 pupils allowing individual needs to be catered for in a broad and creative curriculum with the children taught by specialist teaching staff.

“Academic excellence is important, of course it is,” said Miss Smith. “In a school like this we are looking to educate the whole child. We need to keep the curriculum broad and we have the flexibility and freedom to do that.”

There are two ICT suites, art room, design and technology workshop and science labs, continual assessments and term targets for each child.

With strong pastoral care, there is a buddy system where the oldest help out with the youngest.

“An important thing for the school is a terrific focus on the individual child,” said Miss Smith.

“Every child is unique. For us what’s important is that children can stand up and say, ‘It’s good to be me’.”

Out of the classroom there is a huge range of things to do. Sports clubs, as well as horse riding, golf and water sports. The school has its own indoor swimming pool.

For creative youngsters there are arts clubs, dance and drama. For the quieter pupils, pursuits like chess and ICT clubs, music is strong with many learning to play instruments, sing in the choir, play in the band and orchestra.

Sport is also strong with netball, hockey, lacrosse, football, rugby, cricket, tennis, badminton and trampolining on offer and every child swims weekly.

As a Forest school, there is ample opportunity to learn outside in the schools woodland setting with exciting pursuits such as bug hunting, den building and camp fires.

“It is an inclusive school where no child is left behind and every child is challenged to be the very best that they can be,” said Miss Smith.