FELTHAM Community College, which is open to adults and the community as well as its 1265 students and 85 teachers, boasts a population of 1,500 sports users a week and 2,500 long term adult education users per year, putting it at the very heart of the community.

Founded in 1968, the school is currently being used as a pilot school for measuring the effectiveness of increasing ICT equipment on raising achievement. By September 2004 all but seven of the classrooms will be equipped with new interactive whiteboards, all staff will have laptops and there will be 200 PCs and laptops for students to use in addition to access to the City Learning Centre on site.

The school is also piloting Vocational Education at the Skills Centre in Boundaries Road where 60 students in Year 10 spend one day per week, while on the other four days they focus on GCSEs.

The Times spoke to headteacher Gillain Smith about the school to find out what drives its many successes.

"We believe every child matters and our curriculum, teaching styles, resources and pastoral programme have all been developed to ensure that the needs of every child are met," she said.

"We do our best to search out a child's talent and develop them through academic achievement, drama, music, art and sport."

Indeed, the school has plenty of sporting successes to be proud of.

On an individual level, pupil Noel Santos has been selected for the England U16 Basketball Squad, while Ben Alade has been selected for England Schools U15 Rugby League Squad.

Josie Talbot and Samantha Wing have both been chosen for the Middlesex Schools U14 girls' football Team, Charlie Elsdon plays for the Middlesex Schools U16 Team and Deanne Jolley in year seven came first in the Hounslow Mini Marathon Event On a team level years seven, 10 and 11 were all winners of West London Schools Tournament in Rugby league, while other years were runners up. Years nine and 10 were both winners in the Hounslow Schools' Basketball Tournament.

Years seven and eight are both unbeaten in Hounslow's Netball League this year - a feat shared by years seven, nine and 10 in Hounslow's Football League.

The Senior Girls'Hockey team are the defending Hounslow League and Tournament Champions for the past four years, while the Junior Boys' team were winners of the Borough tournament for the second year in a row.

Year 10 girls won Hounslow Schools' Team Event, and the year seven girls are unbeaten in Hounslow League this Year.

When not triumphing at sport, pupils have a full educational schedule that includes French and Spanish as foreign languages. The school has a very broad curriculum, and incorporates multi-faith assemblies and multicultural resources as part of this.

Some of their success must be put down to the exceptional facilities on offer at the school - which boasts 20 acres of playing fields, two floodlit Astroturf pitches, two drama studios and a music pavilion.

"We are proud of our students and their successes," Ms Smith continued.

"Our annual musicals are outstanding and our sporting success is becoming legendary.

"Our extra curricular activities are based on widening opportunities and broadening experiences and include residential experiences in France, skiing and field trips in Dorset and Wales."

The head, who has been at the school for four years, says that her philosophy is that every student matters': "Potential must be released and realised enabling every student to achieve," she adds.

"Warm friendly students, and exceptionally hard working staff are what I enjoy most about this school."

Future plans for the school are to continue to develop resources, extend IT, use web-based learning, and to develop independent learning with access to lessons from home.

The school also hopes to continue to develop an innovative curriculum appropriate to the needs of all of its many students.