Good food skills

Published 30/10/2018.  Last updated 11/12/2025
sourceLearning resources schoolHealth and Wellbeing (HWB)

The Good Food Skills professional learning resource (Glow) supports early years, primary and secondary practitioners across Scotland.

The resource will help practitioners to evaluate their own practice and make the necessary improvements in Food Technology education and they can expect to find key training linked to basic food hygiene, health and safety, allergens, using food grown in school gardens and even classroom management support for setting up practical food education experiences for pupils.

Alan Armstrong, Strategic Director of Education Scotland said, ‘We’re delighted to launch this new resource. It will really help practitioners to improve their learners’ understanding of where their food comes from, and their skills in preparing and cooking healthy, nutritious meals.

Good food skills videos

Early level: spreading

This clip demonstrates how learners at early level can use dexterity to spread a soft food such as spreading cheese or butter.

Early level: tearing

This clip demonstrates how learners at early level can use their fingers to tear soft foods such as mozzarella and herbs.

First level: kneading and shaping

This clip demonstrates how learners at first level can manipulate a dough mixture.

First level: bridge and claw

This clip demonstrates how learners at first level can cut and chop foods safely, progressing from soft foods such as bananas or strawberries to harder foods at second level such as peppers.

Second level: coring

This clip demonstrates the safe coring of foods such as apples using a melon baller.

Second level: shaping meat mixtures

This clip demonstrates how learners at second level can work safely with meat mixtures to make food such as healthy meatballs and burgers.

Keeping safe and hygienic: cross contamination​

This clip demonstrates safe and hygienic methods to ensure no cross contamination when using meat mixtures.

Keeping safe and hygienic​: two stage clean

This clip demonstrates safe and hygienic methods to ensure surfaces are kept clean when using food products.

​Improvement questions

  • Does your establishment have a food education policy?

  • How would you create or review the policy in relation to guidance within the 'Good Food Skills' document below?

  • How could you use these video clips to demonstrate progressive practical cookery skills from early to second level and identify gaps in current practice?

  • Will your current equipment provide for the delivery of practical cookery?

  • Where space is limited, how might your accommodation be adapted to make practical cookery more accessible for all learners?

  • How do you moderate and evaluate progression of food technology skills?

  • How could you use the resource along with the Benchmarks to help you?

 

Good food skills

Published 30/10/2018.  Last updated 11/12/2025
sourceLearning resources schoolHealth and Wellbeing (HWB)

The Good Food Skills professional learning resource (Glow) supports early years, primary and secondary practitioners across Scotland.

The resource will help practitioners to evaluate their own practice and make the necessary improvements in Food Technology education and they can expect to find key training linked to basic food hygiene, health and safety, allergens, using food grown in school gardens and even classroom management support for setting up practical food education experiences for pupils.

Alan Armstrong, Strategic Director of Education Scotland said, ‘We’re delighted to launch this new resource. It will really help practitioners to improve their learners’ understanding of where their food comes from, and their skills in preparing and cooking healthy, nutritious meals.

Good food skills videos

Early level: spreading

This clip demonstrates how learners at early level can use dexterity to spread a soft food such as spreading cheese or butter.

Early level: tearing

This clip demonstrates how learners at early level can use their fingers to tear soft foods such as mozzarella and herbs.

First level: kneading and shaping

This clip demonstrates how learners at first level can manipulate a dough mixture.

First level: bridge and claw

This clip demonstrates how learners at first level can cut and chop foods safely, progressing from soft foods such as bananas or strawberries to harder foods at second level such as peppers.

Second level: coring

This clip demonstrates the safe coring of foods such as apples using a melon baller.

Second level: shaping meat mixtures

This clip demonstrates how learners at second level can work safely with meat mixtures to make food such as healthy meatballs and burgers.

Keeping safe and hygienic: cross contamination​

This clip demonstrates safe and hygienic methods to ensure no cross contamination when using meat mixtures.

Keeping safe and hygienic​: two stage clean

This clip demonstrates safe and hygienic methods to ensure surfaces are kept clean when using food products.

​Improvement questions

  • Does your establishment have a food education policy?

  • How would you create or review the policy in relation to guidance within the 'Good Food Skills' document below?

  • How could you use these video clips to demonstrate progressive practical cookery skills from early to second level and identify gaps in current practice?

  • Will your current equipment provide for the delivery of practical cookery?

  • Where space is limited, how might your accommodation be adapted to make practical cookery more accessible for all learners?

  • How do you moderate and evaluate progression of food technology skills?

  • How could you use the resource along with the Benchmarks to help you?