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How to use this exemplar to improve practice

The following three videos are designed to open up discussion about developing practical cookery in your own establishment. The videos cover Food for Thought and Pupil Equity Funding and feature the learners of Bantaskin Primary School along with their teacher and food technologist during a practical cookery lesson.

What was done?

Bantaskin Primary School was able to kit out a room as a cooking classroom and resourced it with enough equipment for 12 pupils. They also employed a food technologist part-time to teach practical food preparation and cooking skills to all pupils and some parents including:

• safety skills including use of knives;
• cooking skills including boiling, frying;
• harvesting, cooking and serving food;
• following recipes including counting and measuring; and
• creating links and working with a local community allotment.

The school organised activities that allowed children across all stages to enhance their skills for cooking and baking. The school also made links with the local community to help them develop an outdoor growing area. The pupils used their own produce to cook in the kitchen.

Why?

This long-term project aimed to transform the food and health curriculum within the school.

What was the impact?

This was a very successful project which resulted in every learner in the school using the cooking classroom to develop their skills. In making sure the learners were gaining hands-on experience of sowing, growing, harvesting, cooking and eating food, this project inspired them to appreciate and create fresh healthy food.

As a result of the project, Bantaskin Primary School was highlighted by the local authority as being an example of good practice.