PUPILS from Westwood with Iford Primary School in Bradford on Avon have been flooding the airways with their brand new school radio station.

The team of 17 pupils from Years 3-6 are now taking to the studio every Friday at 2.30pm to broadcast their very own home-grown show, with interviews, current news updates and song requests.

Ian Rockey, head of the school in Boswell Road, said: “We started the station on October and were planning for it to go live online by December but the children were so eager and took to it so well that it has already gone online.

“The children do all of their own research, come up with a running order and broadcast the show, we have some of the team printing out emails during the broadcast to read out and others choosing the jingles. One broadcast will be up to half an hour long.”

The idea to start the radio station was first conceived after Mr Rockey went to a conference with guest speaker Russell Prue of Anderton Tiger, an award-winning broadcaster and author.

“I had such an interest so we got him to come and talk at the school. I applied for a Big Lottery Grant so I bought the equipment and Russell came to the school and set up all of the equipment. He even loaded some of the jingles for the children to use during the show,” added Mr Rockey.

The show has already started to pick up an audience from across the globe, drawing in 57 listeners in its last show alone.

“We have had people tune in online from Ireland, Germany and New Zealand. Since putting it online we have already seen our audience get bigger. We broadcasted live from our residential trip in Simonsbath, Exmoor, I brought all of the equipment with us so we could still run our slot. I just oversee everything, the children do every part of it,” Mr Rockey said.

The success of the radio show has already made an impression on bigger broadcasters in the county, with the team being invited to BBC Radio Wiltshire.

“We are going to be visiting the studio for BBC Radio Wiltshire for a tour, the children are also maybe going to feature on a live broadcast by Marie Lennon,” Mr Rockey added.

The radio show can be found online every day of the week by visiting radio.westwoodwithiford.org. The live broadcasts can be heard on Fridays from 2.30pm.