ST Katharine’s Primary School in Savernake Forest is among the first in the country to pilot a new initiative to address the digital divide between children and their parents.

A recent study by Vodafone, conducted by The Parent Zone, which helps families to safely access the digital world, revealed that a third of parents wished they had more IT experience so they could be more involved in their children’s digital activities.

The Vodafone Foundation is working with The Parent Zone on My Tech Family – an initiative designed to help primary schools and parents in the new computing curriculum.

My Tech Family provides resources for primary schools that are designed to extend beyond the classroom, allowing parents and children to explore their shared digital world at home.

Kevin Sandall, ICT teacher at the school, said: “The aim was to open up a dialogue about how they use technology, particually the internet.

“First we talked about it in the classroom and then they went home and discussed it with an adult.

“A lot of them play Clash of Clans, which is an app-based game, so they showed their parents that and others showed their favourite videos on YouTube. Then they had to find out what their parents used the internet for.

“It opened up that dialogue and it means that parents know what their children are doing when they’re on the computer.

“There is a lot of bad press about the internet, especially when it comes to children, but they’re using it for some amazing things.”