Youngsters at Huddersfield schools are tuning in to a new programme.

But rather than watching TV, the primary school pupils are all hard at work writing their own computer programmes.

The scheme, called Code Club, is part of the government’s drive to get more youngsters involved in computer programming.

Code Club is a nationwide network of free volunteer-led after-school clubs for children aged nine to 11, and so far, four have been set up in Huddersfield.

The national organisers create projects for volunteers to teach, such as how to make computer games, animations and websites, and a new set of projects is set every term.

Moorlands Primary School, Mount, runs a class for about a dozen pupils after school every Monday. It is run by parent and Stemnet ambassador Kevin Robinson, along with Year 4 teacher and computing and ICT co-ordinator Nathan Davies.

Nathan said: “The children love coming to the club.

“We use Scratch, a programming environment suited to educational use. The children are given problems to solve which involve making games.

“At first they were given step-by-step instructions but now they are reaching the point where they have to be the problem solvers. They are so dedicated that even when we offer help, they just want to figure it out for themselves.

“We have more ambitious projects in mind for the future, including writing programmes to control robots and trains.”

“We need children to be able to create programmes, not just be able to use them. With our Code Club and our computing curriculum, we are giving our children the best opportunities to succeed in the future.”

To find out more information, visit www.codeclub.org.uk .