A group of pioneering pupils have designed a smart phone app to teach their peers about puberty – and made it into the finals of a national competition.

The five Coleridge Primary School pupils, aged 10 and 11, say talking to their parents about puberty is embarrassing - but if they look online, the information could be wrong.

They have sketched out plans for a “friendly and informative” app, aimed at children who are eight years and over, to inform them about changes which are happening to their body.

The app – called “changes” – has made it into the finals of the Apps for Good awards, which invites students to come up with fresh ideas.

If Leila Wilson, Bea Wright, Joss Morgan, Fizzy Correia and Mia Stacey win, they will be able to professionally develop and launch their app.

Fizzy Correia, 11, said: “There’s lots of scared and embarrassed children and they don’t really want to ask details about puberty.

“We were searching for apps similar to ours and there was nothing.

“Children are just scared and with this app we would feel comfortable.”

Joss Morgan, 10, said she knows children are embarrassed about puberty because she has an older sister, now 15, who struggled to talk about it with her parents.

And Mia Stacey, 10, added: “I know lots of people who go online for information and they don’t know what’s true and what’s false.”

Bea Wright, 11, says the app will help children who might otherwise be worried by puberty – although she thinks she would be happy talk about it with her mum.

As part of the app, users can create an “avatar” – or virtual figure to represent them.

This avatar will grow at the same time as they do when they reach puberty.

Their class teacher, Tim Ibbotson said: “It’s a brilliant idea for an app.

“Puberty is an awkward conversation so I’m really proud of them. I think all children find it a bit difficult.”

The school provides Sex and Relationships Education, but Mr Ibbotson believes the app will be a good starting point to go alongside the lessons.

- To see a video of the children talking about their app, visit: https://www.appsforgood.org/public/awards/2016/changes. You can vote for the app to win from June 13 to 20.