YOUNGSTERS will be keeping their finger on the pulse with a new media initiative.

Tatworth Primary School now has a new feature on its website in the form of podcasts, which are uploaded by pupils.

Podcasts are audio or video files accessed on the Internet. They are becoming increasingly popular in education, being used for anything from lesson notes to student presentations.

Using this modern technology, year-six pupils have been informing visitors to the website of the school's latest events and news.

The first podcast was put on the website on Friday. The topics of discussion included football matches, a parents' evening and music concerts, with samples of singing.

Pupils from the three houses at the school, which represent local family names Brewer, Langdon and Stonham, will take turns fortnightly to deliver their report.

Headteacher David Knight welcomed the new technology and said it had already received a positive response.

He said: "We have had the website for four years and we are always looking at ways of developing it. There is nothing worse than not having a website up-to-date.

"It's a way of keeping the children up-to-date with current affairs in a different way.

"It's been very well received. It is young people's technology. We have had several e-mails from people commenting on the latest edition."

The scheme aims to improve their speaking voices and possibly develop future career choices.

TO listen to the latest podcast and any future broadcasts, visit the website www.tatworth.somerset.sch.uk