PUPILS at the Chiseldon Primary School just love their new hi-tech classroom.

They have just moved into the new extension where they have been watching DVDs, surfing the net, and admiring the view of the playground trees.

The new extension is complete with 18 laptops, DVD player, audio and video facilities, digital media equipment, projector and toilet facilities.

John Dickens, headteacher of Chiseldon Primary School, is delighted with the extension, which he dubs the classroom of the future.

He said: "It can be used as a computer suite or as an ordinary classroom and that is the beauty of it.

"We can use it as a drama room if we want to as we have all the audio facilities to play music on CD."

The new technology enables the children to enjoy learning in a variety of mediums, using software packages such as Microsoft Word and the Internet.

The teacher can demonstrate a lesson on computer and the children can then watch it on a laptop screen.

The bright and airy self-contained extension to the school was started in May of this year and finished in early Nov-ember.

The idea for the classroom of the future was conceived a year and a half ago in order to make more efficient use of school funds. The extension was built on what used to be an unused piece of grass.

The equipped room cost just over £100,000 with funding from the Seed Challenge Fund.

Fifty per cent of funding came from the Government, 37.5 per cent came from sources such as the school's trust fund and PTA, and 12.5 per cent came from the school.

Vicki Watson, 24, teaches a class from Year Two in the classroom, aged between six and seven years old.

She feels the children clearly enjoy learning in their new multi-media environment.

She said: "They are remark-ably computer literate.

"They really love it in here and get so much out of the classes."

Pupils Menna White, seven, and Alex Bampton, seven, from Chiseldon, both love the new extension.

Menna said: "The best thing I like about it is that it has got a big projector.

"We can watch things on it. But sometimes we do some work on it and watch a video like the BFG."

Alex said: "When I write something I can keep it and save it.

"I can then look at what I have done when I was little and remember what I wrote.

"I also like the room because it has got a nice view and you can look at the trees."

Mr Dickens said: "We have put a lot of effort into this and it is no more than the children deserve.

"Feedback from parents has been very positive as well.

"It is all about getting more mileage per pound we got the best facilities we could afford and we are getting the best use out of them.

"The kids can use the laptops during the day and the staff can take them home in the evenings to do their work.

"So that is an even better use of school money and I think this shows that we are getting it right."