THE aim to give pupils at Woolmer Hill School the chance Òto be at the cutting edge and working with high performance companiesÓ has been outlined by the schoolÕs headteacher.

Addressing a meeting of the townÕs businessmen at a Haslemere Chamber of Trade lunch, Sue Bullen appealed for them to help her in raising the £50,000 needed in connection with a bid for techonology status for the school.

Mrs Bullen, who took up her appointment last September, said she was ÒdelightedÓ to be head of the school.

She told businessmen that following a recent Ofsted report, which praised the school for its many strengths and great potential, it would be both Òmaximising it strengths and realsing its potentialÓ.

ÒChildren of the future need to be ICT literate,Ó said Mrs Bullen, who added that the school Òwould not be resting on its laurelsÓ.

And she hoped the school and the town could work together in ensuring that pupils Òwere better qualified for the new millennium than ever beforeÓ.

Outlining her plans for Woolmer Hill School, which included a range of hi-tech state-of-the art facilities, Mrs Bullen said that from September there would be an ICT qualification for everyone.

She visualised facilities to help everyone, from the youngest children in the town, to elderly people who could also receive training.

If the bid is successful, the £50,000 raised by the school would be increased by the government to £150,000.

Woolmer Hill School would also benefit from government funding of £123 per pupil for the next four years.

ÒThat is a total of half a million pounds,Ó she told the audience.

With a positive bid being submitted next month and extended technology features expected to be in place by this September, Mrs Bullen said: ÒWe have got to develop ICT, introduce electronics, design websites, and offer after-school provision.

ÒWe serve the majority of families in Haslemere and we need your support to make learning an even better experience for childrenÕs long-term prosperity.Ó

And she added that if 25 companies gave £1,000 each , ÒweÕd be halfway thereÓ.

ÒAs the only state school in the area, we need expertise, support from families, friends and the community,Ó she said.