Boost pupils’ kitchen credentials with new resources from Leiths, the home of cookery teaching

As anyone reliant on a microwave will tell you, knowing how to cook is a superpower. It’s also one that we all benefit from learning as soon as possible.

Acquiring competent culinary skills is a key part of children’s education that can lead to improved knowledge of a healthy lifestyle and dietary behaviours that last a lifetime.

Good food is always at the heart of school life; at the most basic level, it’s the fuel that keeps the whole system going and helps everyone perform better.

But children don’t just need to eat well, they need to be taught how to cook too, and many teachers have asked for a dedicated, detailed curriculum that focuses on healthy eating and nutrition, practical cooking skills, and food preparation.

But where do you go to find high-quality KS1 and KS2 materials for teaching cookery that meet the requirements of food and nutrition curricula across the UK?

Well, if you are serious about food education and are looking for innovative resources that are accurate, up-to-date, and age-appropriate, then a professional cookery school might just be the solution.

And they don’t come any better than the highly respected Leiths Academy, an industry-leading cookery school with a gold standard reputation for unpretentious and up-to-date cookery teaching.

Leiths is now offering primary schools a comprehensive package of resources and support developed by its experienced team of cookery teachers to give young people fantastic cooking skills for life.

Its collection of entry-level must-know skills will take children from nervous novices to confident cooks in no time at all.

What’s cooking?

Leiths has served up an innovative digital resource package featuring an impressive selection of high-quality resources. These include schemes of work, lesson plans, recipes with scalable shopping lists, and an enviable collection of online cookery videos for pupils and teachers alike.

There are 32 easy lessons available in all, and these are mapped to the national curriculum, core competencies around food, and the framework of knowledge and skills for food teaching. They provide opportunities for children to cook in pairs and create tasty, wholesome food to enjoy together in school or to share at home.

The resources contain everything schools need to deliver successful, practical lessons and feature a diverse range of recipes that are affordable, accessible, and inclusive.

They include healthy dishes like Greek salad pittas, panzanella salad, and lime cheesecake pots, all imparting the importance of planning and portion control as well as communicating the benefits of cooking from scratch.

“The recipes use simple, everyday cooking equipment that can be easily packed away and stored at school in between lessons.”

Most of the ingredients required cost less than £1 per pupil per session, and using fresh ingredients provides children with a real appreciation of different foods and how to combine them.

Some classrooms don’t even have a sink, let alone a kitchen, so the recipes use simple, everyday cooking equipment that can be easily packed away and stored at school in between lessons.

Recognising that most primaries don’t have dedicated food technology areas, Leiths has focused the lessons on largely savoury recipes that are mostly heat-free and can be prepared easily in a regular classroom setting.

Teachers don’t have to worry about being skilled chefs themselves either, as there are brilliant professional step-by-step videos for children to follow as they cook.

These are clean, crisp, and very well presented, featuring short clips by Leiths Head of Teaching and Learning and former Rick Stein chef, Chef AJ, who explains what to do stage by stage with real enthusiasm.

His teaching will inspire children to transform ingredients from their whole states into delicious finished dishes.

What else do you get?

There’s a lot to savour, so here’s a quick summary:

• > The cross-curricular lesson plans come with matching pupil worksheets.
• > Every lesson plan links to a recommended recipe which includes teacher set-up notes, lists the equipment required, and provides scalable shopping lists.
• > Most recipes are ‘no heat’ but some require cooking either on a plug-in induction hob or in an oven; these feature guidance on how to cook safely with heat.
• > The recipes use a wide range of ingredients and flavours and introduce a broad range of cooking skills and techniques.
• > Suggested activities are included, as well as ‘discuss and digest’ questions to promote learning. Key vocabulary is highlighted, too.
• > Last but not least, you’ll find suggestions of opportunities for outdoor learning.

The Leiths resources combine to help pupils acquire the core competencies, skills, and knowledge they require to ably plan and safely prepare dishes for a healthy and varied diet.

They offer a myriad of opportunities for exploring nutrition and health, planning and cooking to feed yourself, where food comes from, food from around the world, food safety, and food science, as well as issues such as sustainability and tackling food insecurity.

The lessons involve a combination of theory and practical activities, focusing on topics such as food waste, seasonality, sustainable farming methods, food miles, and the environmental impact of food production.

They are also designed to be flexible, allowing children to make some decisions for themselves about ingredients. 

The comprehensive resources also align with other subjects across the curriculum and help to provide a holistic understanding of food systems and their implications.

The resources have been designed to develop a repertoire of skills, not just tried-and-tested recipes.

Yes, chef!

If you are looking for new resources to revitalise your food, cooking and nutrition curriculum, let Leiths be your inspiration. These materials teach children how to cook simple yet delicious dishes and are highly practical, relevant, flexible, and inclusive.

The resources are full of energy, zest, and gastronomical gusto, helping pupils acquire new skills that can be transferred to real-life cooking at home, equipping them with the life skills necessary to prepare nutritionally balanced, homemade meals.

But don’t just take our word for it – you can get your FREE seven-day trial now to test four recipes with lesson plans, plus the accompanying pupil resources and videos.