A SCHOOL could soon be churning out future entrepreneurs as it prepares a bid for specialist business status.

Deerness Valley School, in Ushaw Moor, Durham, is compiling an application to the Government to become a Business and Enterprise College.

If successful, the school could concentrate on literacy, information technology and numeracy to meet national skills shortages and nurture an entrepreneurial spirit in its students.

It would also benefit from computer technology, which would be accessible to the local community.

Teacher Lynette Shuttleworth, who is helping the school to prepare its bid, said: "We will ensure that the skills of our students will make them employable and, hopefully, we will be creating the entrepreneurs and leaders of the future."

But first, Deerness Valley has to find £50,000 before an October deadline. Already, several small-scale fundraising ventures have been staged in school, including a World Cup non-uniform day.

Several other fundraising events are planned, including a tombola to be held tomorrow night during a presentation evening.

Ms Shuttleworth said: "The small sums of money all add up, but we do have a mammoth task at the moment."

The school is looking for parents, former students and local people to join The Friends of Deerness Valley, to help with the bid and other issues facing the school.

It already has a packed year ahead with the launch of a national centre of excellence for gymnastics in August. The school has worked closely with Deerness Gym Club, which is based at the comprehensive.

In September, a flexible timetable will be introduced for gymnast training at the elite centre to help them combine school work with the many hours of training involved in competing at high level.

It has also identified talented gymnasts from its feeder primary schools, who will be placed together in the same tutor group this year, in the hope that class disruption during competitions will be minimised.