7 good reasons for taking part
....to Active Kids Get Cooking – an
initiative which recognises, supports
and promotes excellent healthy eating
work and cooking in early years
settings, primary, middle and special
schools throughout the UK (including
the Channel Islands and Service
Children’s Schools).
At its heart, Active Kids Get Cooking awards children
with different certificates as a reward for their work with
food. There are 6 certificates to collect, and these are
progressive from the ages of 3 to 11. Every year there
is also a special challenge for the children. Your school
can also enter a national competition. The awards
are all about developing children’s understanding of
different food groups and meal occasions that make
up a balanced, healthy diet. In addition, they provide
a unique opportunity to build children’s healthy eating
knowledge and cooking skills.
This guide explains how:
• Your school can get involved
• You can set up interesting and fun activities for
your children
• You can reward your children with different
certificates
Active Kids Get Cooking is supported by Sainsbury’s,
the Design and Technology Association and the British
Nutrition Foundation. The scheme is welcomed by the
Department for Children, Schools and Families and the
Scottish Executive’s healthyliving campaign.
The aims of Active Kids Get Cooking are to:
• Encourage and reward good cooking within the
classroom
• Support the teaching of healthy eating, based on
the eatwell plate
• Recognise the excellent work being undertaken by
children
• Help you teach food related aspects of your
curriculum in a meaningful way
2
Active Kids Get Cooking is in line with, and directly
supports, the curriculum and many other initiatives in
which your school may be involved. It also provides you
with up-to-date resources to support your teaching, as
well as a way to reward good work by your children.
Benefits include:
1. Evidence for healthy schools initiatives throughout
the UK, by demonstrating your commitment to food
education, healthy eating and cooking
2. Promotion of up-to-date and consistent messages
through the use of the eatwell plate, the healthy eating
model for the UK
3. Practical advice and resources to support curriculum
requirements for hands-on work with food, including
tasting and cooking, as well as learning about healthy
eating
4. Support progress through the Food Standards
Agency (FSA) Core Food Competences for children
throughout the UK
5. Opportunities for children to develop an interest in
food, cooking and healthy eating
6. Engagement of children in making more informed
choices about their diet
7. Recognition of good food work by national
organisations
Contents
Let’s get going
4-5
Early Years Drinks Challenge
6-7
Fruit & Vegetable Challenge
8-9
Healthy Lunch Challenge
10 - 11
Biscuit Challenge
12 - 13
Bread Challenge
14 - 15
Healthy Cooking Challenge 16 - 17
Case studies
Active Kids Get Cooking is for all pupils
Get cooking in your
classroom
18 - 20
21
22 - 23
Get cooking at home
24
Annual Special Challenge
25
Here to help
Marking form
26
27
3
What do I have to do?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ensure you have registered with Active Kids Get Cooking at www.activekidsgetcooking.org.uk
Run a food activity with your children, based on the challenges on pages 6 - 17
Use the free resources from the Active Kids Get Cooking website to support your food activities
Mark your childrens’ work
Let us know online what task your children have achieved and order your free certificates
Your certificates will be posted to you, free of charge within 21 days
Present the certificates at school, perhaps in assembly to celebrate their success
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Supporting your teaching
Active Kids Get Cooking supports what you already have to teach, rather than creating additional
paperwork or overloading you with yet another initiative. It has been developed to be flexible to
meet the curricular demands of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Region
Curriculum area
England
Foundation stage: (Personal, Social and Emotional Development,
Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Physical Development)
KS1&2: Design and technology
KS1&2: Science
KS1&2: Personal, social and health education
Wales
Foundation phase: (Knowledge and understanding of the world,
Personal and Social Development, Well-Being and Cultural Diversity)
KS2: Design and technology (7, 8 and 9)
KS2: Science (range 2)
KS2: Personal and social education (health and emotional well-being)
Scotland
Early, first and second: Technologies
Early, first and second: Science
Early, first and second: Social studies
Early, first and second: Health and well-being
Northern
Ireland
Foundation: Personal development and mutual understanding
KS1&2: Personal development and mutual understanding:
personal understanding and health
Aspects of Active Kids Get
Cooking could also be used
in other curricular areas, such
as literacy (reading and writing
recipes), numeracy (weighing and
measuring), geography (where
and how food is produced and
processed) and religious education
(looking, tasting and cooking
different breads).
In addition, Active Kids Get
Cooking supports the Food
Standards Agency (FSA) Core Food
Competences. This is a framework
of core skills and knowledge
for children and young people
throughout the UK. It sets out the
essential building blocks for:
• Diet and health
• Consumer awareness
• Cooking (food preparation
and handling)
• Food safety
5
Activity ideas to meet the challenge
• Make a seasonal juice drink. You could blend
different juices and / or squeeze your own
• Make a fruity breakfast smoothie
• Make some attractive, exotic party drinks
Main food skills
•
•
•
•
Pour
Peel by hand
Break ingredients into pieces, e.g. bananas
Pull / pluck, e.g. stalks from strawberries
Discovering drinks (3 - 4 year olds)
Create a refreshing fruity drink for you and
your friends.
*
Getting starte
d
Collect picture
s of differen
t drinks and
how they ca
talk about
n be served,
e.g. different
umbrellas.
glasses, stra
ws,
Set up a tast
ing session o
f different fr
fruit based dr
uit juices and
inks, e.g. smo
othies.
Demonstrate
how to make
a fruit drink,
oranges with
e.g. juice
a juicer, pop
fruit into a bl
smoothie.
ender for a
Get the child
ren to help y
ou make fru
placing small
it ice cubes by
pieces of fru
it
in ice cube tr
water and fr
ays, adding
eezing. These
can be added
exciting deco
to
ration.
drinks as an
Marketing criteria
3 - 4 years
Finding out
Know that we need to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to stay
healthy. Smoothies and juices are a great way of getting some of
the fruit and vegetables we need each day.
Planning
Talk about ingredients they like and make choices about ingredients
they want to use.
Cooking
Help to assemble the drink by completing the tasks they are given,
e.g. peel a banana, pluck the stalk from a strawberry.
Being safe
Follow the getting ready to cook instructions they are given,
with some assistance, e.g. put an apron on, wash hands.
6
Recipe to try:
Super smoothie
Tips:
• You may wish to use fresh fruits that are in
season, or add frozen or canned fruit
• Try experimenting with different flavours
of yogurt, such as banana and vanilla or
orange and mango
Ingredients
500ml cold milk
2 x 125ml pots fruit yogurt
8 large strawberries
2 bananas
Equipment
Measuring jug, blender, 4 small plastic
beakers or cups.
Method
1. Measure the milk and pour it into the blender.
2. Pour in the yogurts.
3. Peel the bananas, break into 2 or 3 pieces
and add to the blender.
4. Pull the green stalks off the strawberries. Drop
the strawberries into the blender with the other
ingredients.
5. Only adults should use the blender.
Put the lid on the blender, hold the lid with a clean
dish cloth and switch on for 5 - 10 second pulses.
Repeat this until the mixture is smooth.
6. Pour the smoothie into 4 plastic beakers or cups
and enjoy.
Region
Curriculum links
England
Early Learning goals:
• Physical Development
• Communication, Language and Literacy
• Personal, social and emotional development
Wales
Foundation phase: Knowledge and understand of the
world, Personal and Social Development, Well-Being
and Cultural Diversity
Scotland
Early:
Technologies, Science, Social studies and Health and
Well-being
Northern
Ireland
Foundation:
Personal development and mutual understanding
Serves 4
7
Activity ideas to meet the challenge
• Plan and make a colourful fruit salad for your best
friend at school
• Make a range of healthy vegetable and / or fruit
dips and dippers for your class to enjoy at play or
lunchtime
• Make a tasty and colourful salad that uses lots of
different vegetables and / or fruit for a celebration
Resources on the website to help you teach
the challenge
• 5 A DAY worksheets and diary
• Recipe and tasting planning sheets
• Recipes: fruit salad and fruit kebabs
Encouraging more fruit &
vegetables (5 - 6 year olds)
Plan and make a tasty dish to encourage
children to eat more fruit and vegetables.
*
Main food skills
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prepare ingredients, e.g. wash fruit and vegetables
Peel by hand, e.g. satsuma
Pull / pluck, e.g. grapes from stalk
Cut with kitchen scissors, e.g. spring onions, herbs
Cut soft foods with a table knife, e.g. banana
Grate, e.g. cheese, carrots
Mix / combine ingredients
Getting starte
d
Bring in a ran
ge o
and allow child f fruit and vegetables
ren to handle
, describe an
name them.
d
Set up a tas
ting session
so the childr
can try a ra
en
nge of fruit
and vegetable
s.
Demonstrate
how to prepa
re different
fruit and veg
etables.
Marketing criteria
5 - 6 years
Finding out
Recognise a range of foods: that we all need to eat a variety and
balance of foods to stay healthy, including 5 A DAY message, and
that people choose to eat different types of food.
Planning
A verbal explanation is given for what they intend to do, along
with basic recipe.
Cooking
The basic recipe is followed, achieved and desired outcome,
with help, using basic techniques to prepare food, e.g. grate,
peel, spread.
Being safe
Some awareness of safety and hygiene is demonstrated with
help and advice, e.g. washes hands and wears an apron.
8
Recipe to try:
Fruit salad
Tips:
• Try using different types of fruit such as
peeled and sliced kiwi fruit, chunks of fresh
mango or canned pineapple pieces
• Use other types of fruit juice instead of
orange juice
• Turn the fruit salad into fruit kebabs by
threading pieces of fruit on to cocktail sticks
• Pick and use local / seasonal fruit,
where possible
Ingredients
2 bananas
2 satsumas
5 strawberries
8 seedless red grapes
8 seedless white grapes
2 x 15ml spoons orange juice
Equipment
Chopping board, sharp knife, large bowl,
measuring spoons and mixing spoon.
Method
1. Peel the satsumas and separate into
segments.
Region
England
Design and technology
Personal, social and health education
Science
Wales
Foundation phase: Knowledge and understanding of
the world, Personal and Social Development, WellBeing and Cultural Diversity
Scotland
First:
Technologies, Science, Social studies and Health and
Well-being
Northern
Ireland
KS1: Personal development and understanding:
personal understanding and health
2. Cut away the stalks from the strawberries,
then cut each strawberry into quarters.
3. Pull the grapes off the stalks.
4. Peel the bananas and slice carefully into
small pieces.
5. Place the fruit in a bowl and mix together.
6. Add the orange juice.
Serves 4
Curriculum links
9
Activity ideas to meet the challenge
• Plan and make a sandwich you could take on a
school picnic
• Make a super salad for a winter or summer
lunchbox that you would share with your friends
• Make a savoury dish that could be included in a
lunchbox, e.g. baked spring roll or samosa
Resources on the website to help you teach
the challenge
• Lunchbox checklist and planner
• Lunchbox outline template
• Recipes: veggie snacks, BLT sandwich and
vegetable samosas
Exploring healthier lunchboxes
Main food skills
Plan and make a healthier lunch box, which
contains a sandwich or salad and promotes
variety and balance.
•
•
•
•
•
(7 - 9 year olds)
*
Cut with a vegetable knife, e.g. slice cucumber
Spread with a table knife, e.g. butter
Peel using a peeler, e.g. carrot
Grate
Assemble
Getting starte
d
Discuss the d
ifferent type
s of
salads childre
n eat when th sandwiches and
ey have a pa
lunch.
cked
Set up a tas
ting session
so children c
different ingr
an try
edients that
could be use
make a sand
d to
wich or salad
.
Get the child
ren to resea
rch different
or sandwiche
salads
s using the in
ternet, lookin
magazines o
g in
r carrying ou
t surveys.
Marketing criteria
7 - 9 years
Finding out
Knows a range of familiar and unfamiliar foods; that we all need a
variety and balance of food and drinks, as depicted in the eatwell
plate, and the reasons why people choose different types of food.
Planning
A recipe is produced, which shows the ingredients, equipment
and method of making, with some acknowledgement for their
reasons of choice.
Cooking
Work is carried out to plan independently following their recipe;
demonstrates a range of skills, e.g. slice, chop, mix.
Being safe
Shows an independent awareness of safety and hygiene
before, during and after cooking.
10
Recipe to try:
Hummus and carrot wrap
Tips:
• Remember to wash and dry the carrot
before preparing it
• You may wish to choose a variety of
fillings – be creative. For example, 4 slices
of cucumber, 1 slice of cooked meat
such as ham, turkey or chicken, 2 x 15ml
spoons sandwich spreads / relishes and
2 x 15ml spoons hummus
Ingredients
2 x 15ml spoons of hummus
1/2 carrot
1 large tortilla
Equipment
Sharp knife, chopping board, peeler, grater,
measuring spoons, spreading knife and plate.
Method
1. Top and tail the carrot, then peel and grate.
2. Place the tortilla on a flat surface.
3. Evenly spread the hummus over the top of
the tortilla.
4. Sprinkle the grated carrot on top of the
hummus.
5. Fold the bottom of the tortilla up, over
the filling.
6. Fold over one side.
7. Fold over the other side.
8. Serve.
Region
Curriculum links
England
Design and technology
Personal, social and health education
Science
Wales
KS2: Design and Technology / Science / Personal and
social education
(health and emotional well-being)
Scotland
Second:
Technologies, Science, Social studies and Health and
Well-being
Northern
Ireland
KS2: Personal development and understanding:
personal understanding and health
Serves 1
11
Activity ideas to meet the challenge
• M
ake a batch of biscuits to celebrate Easter or
Chinese New Year
• Plan and make a healthier biscuit, look at using
different types of flour, oats, fruit and vegetables
• Develop a batch of savoury biscuits that support
healthy eating and have different flavours from
around the world
Resources on the website to help you teach
the challenge
Making savoury and sweet
biscuits (8 - 11 year olds)
Design and make savoury or sweet biscuits as
a gift for a festival or celebration.
*
Getting starte
d
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Biscuit types – a recording worksheet
Basic biscuit recipe
Gingerbread people recipe
Cheese straws recipe
Fruity flapjack recipe
Christmas / festive biscuits teacher plan
Ginger biscuit recipe and activities
Main food skills
•
•
•
•
•
•
Weigh and measure
Rub-in
Form a dough
Roll-out
Shape / cut-out
Use the oven
Ask the child
ren about th
e types of
biscuits they
have eaten b
efore.
Set up a tas
ting session
to try differe
savoury and
nt
sweet biscuit
s.
Ask the child
ren to find o
ut and recor
the types of
d
biscuits their
family and
friends enjoy
.
Marketing criteria
8 - 11 years
Finding out
Has an appreciation of a range of ingredients; can interpret the
balance and variety message from the eatwell plate, in addition to
the 8 tips for eating well, and that people around the world choose
foods to make meals and snacks for different reasons.
Planning
Explains their decisions; a detailed recipe showing the ingredients,
equipment and methods of making is provided.
Cooking
The recipe is followed with some attention to accuracy and
final presentation, using appropriate skills and techniques, e.g.
knead, dice, bake.
Being safe
Demonstrates good practice in health and safety.
12
Recipe to try:
Cheese and onion straws
Tips:
• You may like to brush the cheese sticks
with water and sprinkle with sesame
seeds or poppy seeds before baking,
but take care as a few people are allergic
to seeds
• Use the rolling pin like a ruler, to help you
to cut even strips
• Add mixed herbs, chilli or a different type
of cheese
Ingredients
100g wholemeal flour
1/2 x 5ml spoon of mustard powder
50g butter or margarine
50g Cheddar cheese
1 spring onion
2 x 15ml spoons cold water
Equipment
Baking tray, weighing scales, sieve,
mixing bowl, grater, kitchen scissors,
measuring spoons, flour dredger, rolling pin,
palette knife, pastry brush, oven gloves
and cooling rack.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC or gas mark 6.
2. Lightly grease a baking tray.
3. Sift the flour and mustard powder into a
Region
Curriculum links
England
Design and technology
Personal, social and health education
Science
Wales
KS2: Design and Technology / Science / Personal and
social education
(health and emotional well-being)
Scotland
Second:
Technologies, Science, Social studies and Health and
Well-being
mixing bowl.
4. Using your fingertips, rub the butter or
margarine into the flour until it resembles fine
Northern
breadcrumbs.
Ireland
5. Grate the cheese.
6. Stir the cheese into the flour mixture.
7. Snip the spring onion in to small pieces into the
mixture and stir.
8. Using your hands, mix to form a smooth dough,
adding a little cold water to help bind the mixture
together.
9. Roll out, on a lightly floured surface, to form a
rectangle about 0.5cm thick.
10. Trim away the edges and cut into thin strips, about
0.5cm x 7cm, using a palette knife.
11. Place the straws on the baking tray and bake for
12 -15 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the
baking tray onto a cooling rack.
KS2: Personal development and understanding:
personal understanding and health
Makes 10
13
Activity ideas to meet the challenge
• Make a batch of specially shaped and flavoured
bread rolls for a themed party
• Make a bread which is inspired by the culture,
ingredients and flavours of another country, e.g.
pizza, naan, soda bread
• It is harvest festival, make a range of breads to
share with everyone at the celebration
Resources on the website to help you teach
the challenge
• Bread types worksheet
• Recipes: basic bread, naan bread, Easter bread,
scones and Chelsea buns
• Recipe planner worksheet
Discovering bread and bread
products (8 -11 year olds)
Design and make bread for a special
occasion or to celebrate food from other
countries.
*
Main food skills
•
•
•
•
•
•
Weigh and measure
Mix
Form a dough
Knead
Shape
Use an oven
Getting starte
d
Get the child
ren to find o
ut about
bread aroun
d the world,
e.g. what bre
originates fro
ad
m which cou
ntry, names
of different b
reads, how t
hey are mad
what they a
e,
re eaten with
.
Set up a bre
ad tasting se
ssion.
Look at brea
d recipes and
discuss the
ingredients a
nd method u
sed.
Demonstrate
how to make
a basic bread
.
Marketing criteria
8 - 11 years
Finding out
Has an appreciation of a range of ingredients; can interpret the
balance and variety message from the eatwell plate, in addition to
the 8 tips for eating well, and that people around the world choose
foods to make meals and snacks for different reasons.
Planning
Explains their decisions; a detailed recipe showing the ingredients,
equipment and methods of making is provided.
Cooking
The recipe is followed with some attention to accuracy and
final presentation, using appropriate skills and techniques, e.g.
knead, dice, bake.
Being safe
Demonstrates good practice in health and safety.
14
Recipe to try:
Soda bread
Ingredients
170g plain flour
170g self raising wholemeal flour
250ml milk
1 x 15ml spoon of lemon juice
1 x 5ml spoon bicarbonate of soda
Tips:
• Eat while the bread is still warm, perhaps
with soup
• Try adding dried fruit or seeds at step 3 of
the method
• Split the dough into 4 or 8 to make rolls
Region
England
Design and technology
Personal, social and health education
Science
Wales
KS2: Design and Technology / Science / Personal
and social education
(health and emotional well-being)
Scotland
Second:
Technologies, Science, Social studies and Health
and Well-being
Northern
Ireland
KS2: Personal development and understanding:
personal understanding and health
Equipment
Measuring spoon, measuring jug, weighing scales,
sieve, large bowl, fork, flour dredger, baking tray,
knife, oven gloves, cooling rack.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C or gas mark 6.
2. Stir the lemon juice into the milk to make it curdle.
3. Sift both flours and the bicarbonate of soda into
the large bowl. Tip in the bran from the sieve.
4. Add the milk and mix everything together quickly
with fork to form a soft dough.
5. Place the dough onto a floured surface and
knead lightly for a few moments to form a round,
flattened ball.
6. Place the dough onto a floured baking tray and
score a cross on top of the dough.
7. Carefully, place the bread into the hot oven,
wearing oven gloves.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Wearing oven gloves, remove the bread from the
oven and place onto a cooling rack.
Curriculum links
Makes 1 loaf or 8 rolls
15
Activity ideas to meet the challenge
• Make foods for a school picnic or sports day that
promote healthy eating for themselves and their
parents / carers
• Make a quick healthy dish that could be eaten with
a friend at home during the weekend, e.g. jacket
potato fillings, toasted sandwiches
• Make foods for a school barbeque to celebrate
the summer term, e.g. vegetable kebabs, meat or
veggie burgers, breads, salads, fruit based drinks
Resources on the website to help you teach
the challenge
Cooking healthily (5 -11 year olds)
Design and make a healthy main meal dish
that uses foods from at least 3 of the eatwell
plate food groups.
*
Getting starte
d
Get the child
ren to sort fo
ods from a s
bag into the
hopping
eatwell plate
food groups,
onto a large
id
eally
eatwell poste
r.
Look at pictu
res of differe
nt dishes, ide
ingredients in
ntify
the dish and
say which fo
group they b
od
elong to. For
example: in a
salad, the m
potato
ain ingredient
is potatoes w
belong to the
h
ich
bread, rice, p
otatoes, pasta
other starch
and
y foods grou
p.
Demonstrate
how to make
a dish with fo
from at leas
ods
t 3 of the ea
tw
e
ll food group
a pasta or p
s, e.g.
otato salad.
Choose the marking criteria table for the
appropriate age group from the challenges
set out in this guide.
16
• Eatwell plate planner, cards and ingredient
worksheet
• Fruit and vegetable salad planner
• Teachers’ guide on getting started with salads
• Recipes: coleslaw, layered salad, winter salad,
couscous salad and Niçoise salad
• Chinese New Year activity, including teachers’
guide, pupil worksheets and recipes
• Olympic food, including teachers’ guide, pupil
worksheets and recipes
Recipe to try:
Couscous salad
Tips:
• Vary the vegetables in the couscous dish,
e.g. use celery, sweetcorn, peas, olives or
mushrooms
• Try adding some chickpeas, chopped
cooked chicken, ham, tuna or chunks of
feta cheese
• Use raisins instead of the dried apricots
Ingredients
350ml water, boiling
1 x 5ml spoon of stock powder
200g couscous
2 spring onions
1/2 yellow pepper
1/4 cucumber
2 medium tomatoes
6 dried apricots
2 x 15ml spoons parsley
A matchbox size piece of cheese
2 x 15ml spoons low fat dressing
Region
Curriculum links
England
Foundation stage: (Personal, Social and Emotional
Development, knowledge and understanding of the
world, Physical Development)
KS1&2: Design and technology
KS1&2: Science
KS1&2: Personal, social and health education
Wales
Foundation phase: (Knowledge and understanding of
the world, Personal and Social Development, Well-Being
and Cultural Diversity)
KS2: Design and technology (7, 8 and 9)
KS2: Science (range 2)
KS2: Personal and social education (health and
emotional well-being)
Scotland
Early, first and second: Technologies
Early, first and second: Science
Early, first and second: Social studies
Early, first and second: Health and well-being
Northen
Ireland
Foundation: Personal development and mutual
understanding
KS1&2: Personal development and mutual
understanding: personal understanding and health
Equipment
Kettle, measuring jug, measuring spoons, fork,
weighing scales, large bowl, chopping
board, sharp knife, can opener, grater, scissors
and mixing spoon.
Method
1. Make up the stock by dissolving the stock
powder in the boiling water.
2. Pour the stock over the couscous in a large bowl.
3. Fluff with a fork and leave to stand for 5
minutes.
4. Chop the tomatoes and cucumber into small
chunks.
5. Slice the pepper into small strips.
6. Slice the dried apricots and parsley into small
pieces.
7. Grate the cheese.
8. Add all the vegetables and cheese to the
couscous and snip the spring onions into the bowl
using the scissors.
9. Stir everything together.
10. Add the dressing.
Serves 4 - 6
17
y
tud
S
e
s
a
C
Primary children working with
food at Balcarras School, Cheltenham
.
Each week Balcarras (Secondary) Sch
ool offers children a 2
hour practical session to support
its feeder primary school
teachers in the delivery of practic
al food work. Everyone from
the reception class to Year 6 gets
a chance to take part in
activities involving the preparation
and tasting of different foods.
Since many primary schools follow
the QCA Units of Work
through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage
2, the emphasis is based
around the ‘Fruit and Vegetables’,
‘Sandwich Snacks’, ‘Bread’ and
‘Biscuits’ units. Other units such as
dips and dippers and super
salads are used as well. The practic
al work carried out by the
children always reinforces healthy
eating messages and uses the
eatwell plate model to develop an
understanding of food groups.
In addition, there has been crosscurricular work with projects
based on Africa and Greece, the Tu
dors (a little challenging!),
and World War II rationing. The
children may have done some
preparation work with their teache
rs in their primary school
and then go to the secondary sch
ool to use the food technology
facilities available.
The main aim of the work is to get
the children interested in
all aspects of food: preparing food
and eating their homemade
products as well as the development
of key practical skills such as
using knives safely, chopping, using
different equipment, weighing
and measuring, safe use of a cooker
and following a recipe. Many
aspects of the work provide a pra
ctical link with literacy and
numeracy, making understanding
of difficult concepts much easier.
18
y
d
u
t
S
e
Cas
Food Technology
St John's Catholic Primary
School
The opportunities to work wit
h food are varied at St John
's Catholic
Primary School in Lancashir
e. Involvement with Active
Kids Get Cooking
is seen as an opportunity to
make food-related work excit
ing and
relevant. The curriculum re
gularly includes tasting new
foods and the
preparation of different ingre
dients to build children's food
knowledge
and practical skills.
Because food is highly value
d at the school, a focus on
healthy eating
is included in literacy, numer
acy, science, design and tech
nology,
PSHE in both Key Stage 1 and
2 and the foundation stage
curriculum.
Active Kids Get Cooking gives
children the opportunity to
fulfil
the requirement that food
technology is included in the
primary
curriculum. It also provides
a greater purpose and oppo
rtunities for
assessment, as well as shar
ing work at home and at sc
hool.
There was nothing ordinary
when children from Key Stag
e 1 spent a
morning preparing Japanese
food. Sushi, with different ve
getable and
rice fillings and noodles, was
made to share with the wh
ole school. The
idea was inspired by the head
teacher's visit to schools in
Japan. Each
year the school aims to ha
ve a different multicultural
event - this
year it is Eid. Everyone enjoy
ed it and the overall evaluat
ion was a big
thumbs up!
The Year of Food and Farming
got off to a great start early
last
summer. The children and th
eir teachers were involved in
growing a
whole variety of vegetables
in the school vegetable plot.
The vegetables
were then taken into school
where they were made into
different
dishes for the children to ta
ste. School dinners were su
pplemented by
the home grown, home mad
e salads that children were
able to choose
to eat with their school dinne
r.
19
dy
Stu
e
s
a
C
Cool potatoes
ary School
Whitechapel PrimLancashire.
near Preston in
describes how they
n,
re
ild
ch
1
ar
Ye
d
uld
r 20 Reception an
tato salad that co
po
g
tin
ci
ex
Sue Fannon, with he
an
e
ak
be
sk to design and m
at the snack had to
th
d
de
ci
went about the ta
de
ey
Th
sed
after sports day.
a spoon, and discus
ith
w
t
po
a
be eaten for lunch
om
fr
nced
ch could be eaten
about eating a bala
ng
ni
ar
le
something cold, whi
en
be
d
ha
n
hygienically. They
od from each mai
fo
1
t
as
le
the need to work
at
ith
w
g
t designing a salad
rstanding by sortin
de
un
r
ei
th
diet, so talked abou
te
ra
st
ere able to demon
ent ingredients to
er
ff
di
ed
food group. They w
ct
le
se
p
.
t foods. Each grou
d a yogurt dressing
an
gs
eg
d
le
pictures of differen
oi
-b
rd
ha
ach.
ed new potatoes,
se, sorrel and spin
ee
ch
s,
oe
combine with cook
at
m
to
,
big
uded grapes, apples
rted them onto a
so
ey
th
s,
The possibilities incl
nt
ie
ed
gr
d
d chosen their in
k whether they ha
ec
ch
to
Once each group ha
sy
ea
en
ell plate. It was th
picture of the eatw
group.
m from each food
ite
1
d salads.
t
as
le
at
ed
ud
incl
tasted the 3 finishe
d
an
ed
ar
ep
pr
s
e clas
vourite:
All 20 children in th
is salad as their fa
th
e
os
ch
n
re
ild
ch
Over half the
e
Sporty salad recipes (coated with French dressing whilst warm)
tato
500g boiled new po
cut into wedges
2 hard boiled eggs,
k grapes, halved
8 green and 8 blac
, sliced
Baby spinach leaves
ayonnaise
3 x 15ml spoons m
tural yogurt
3 x 15ml spoons na
as
ey had been chosen
th
t
ou
d
fin
to
d
the
n were overjoye
d a great time at
ha
ey
Th
Sue and the childre
e!
ng
le
al
ade
of the Special Ch
see their recipe m
to
g
tin
ci
one of the winners
ex
ly
al
re
in London. It was
e buffet meal. The
th
of
rt
awards ceremony
pa
as
ed
ck
kitchen and serv
plenty to report ba
d
ha
d
an
up in a commercial
t
an
rt
po
e to feel very im
ild in the class was
ch
ch
ea
,
children were mad
ly
al
Fin
y.
the following da
Night.
to their classmates
r end of year Gala
ou
at
te
ca
ifi
rt
ce
d
awar
presented with an
20
The award scheme can be used with
pupils of all abilities and those with
special education needs.
As the work is set and marked by the
teacher, you can:
Karen Revill
Beaumont
Technology Hill Special School ,
and Vocatio
College
nal
Our school
is a special
school, with
pupils aged
from 2-19 y
ears, and I
been using
have
the Food A
wards sche
for 7 years
m
e
. We award
the primar
certificates
y
, Bronze an
d sometime
Silver Awar
s
ds.
We like the
scheme be
cause it foc
on practica
uses
l skills, ther
e is no pres
and the adm
s
ure
in is manag
eable - this
GREAT!!! Cer
is
tificates are
high quality
prized by s
and
tudents.The
y can be re
throughout
w
arded
the academ
ic year the
enhancing m
r
efore
otivation, e
specially fo
with challen
r
those
ging behavio
ur. We ada
challenges
p
t
sometimes
the
by omitting
planning crit
t
h
e
eria if stud
ents can ga
award on o
in
the
ther criter
ia.
• Choose an award aimed at a younger
or older age group that matches the
ability of a child
• Use your discretion in supporting
the child to achieve an award and
leave out marking criteria that are
not appropriate because of learning
difficulties
e project
Our SEN pupils enjoy th
s interesting
briefs, find the activitie
e getting the
and motivating - and lov
be rewarded
certificates. Pupils can
ic year with
throughout the academ
bly, at celebration
presentations in assem
d in newsletters to
assemblies and toaste
motivation and
parents. This enhances
pupils make progress
helps a wide range of
is suitable for SLD,
because the scheme
ents.
ASD, MLD and BESD stud
to teach is ‘Fruit
My favourite challenge
very tactile and
and Vegetables' as it's
easy to plan the
sensory. It has been
e of work as they
awards into my schem
k to nationally
are very flexible and lin
work, such as QCA.
recognised schemes of
will enhance what
Go for it and enjoy! It
and is not at all
you are already doing
of admin and the
burdensome in terms
the students and
certificates are great,
em.
parents really value th
,
ss
a
l
C
s
Janet
21
To ensure all food lessons in school are safe and
enjoyable, it is essential to plan properly before hand.
This information aims to help teachers organise their
cooking session.
Starting point
• Send a parent / carer permission letter home to
check for allergies, religious or cultural reason why
children may not be able to taste or handle a
particular food.
• If you will be assisted by other adults in this lesson,
ensure they are fully briefed on how you want the
session run, e.g. messages you want to get across
to the children, food safety, how the equipment
should be used, how to demonstrate best practice.
Cooking area
• Ensure the space to be used for food work is clear
and uncluttered.
• Clean any surfaces to be used for food preparation
and then wipe them down with anti-bacterial spray.
You could cover tables with plastic tablecloths.
These will also need to be wiped with anti-bacterial
spray.
22
• Make sure there is a sink with hot and cold water
where you and the children can wash your hands
before handling food.
Ingredients
• Plan the ingredients you will need for the session.
What do you need? Who will buy them? Where
do they need to be stored once they have been
bought? Check all ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates
to make sure the food will be safe to use in the
lesson.
• Wash fruit and vegetables before the session, unless
this is a teaching point and you want the children
to do this.
• If you are pre-cooking any food before a session,
plan to do this on the same day the food will be
prepared and eaten. Ensure pre-cooked food is
stored correctly. For example, pasta for pasta salad
can be cooked, cooled with cold water and then
stored in a covered container in the fridge until
later the same day.
• If you have any children with intolerances or
allergies to particular foods, remember to check all
food packaging to ensure any foods to be used do
not contain these ingredients.
• Some foods may need to be partly prepared or
measured out before the session, depending on
the age and ability of the children. Plan how and
when this will be done.
• Ensure all the ingredients needed for demonstrating
are prepared and place them on a tray.
Teacher
• Ensure that you are confident and competent
to demonstrate the skills and recipe. It is a good
idea to have a go at home before the session.
Remember, you will be the role model and need to
demonstrate good practice.
• Make sure children are able to see what you are
doing when you demonstrate different skills.
Equipment
• Make sure all the equipment to be used is clean
and in good working order.
• Children’s hands are smaller than adults – so check
that equipment is an appropriate size.
• Ensure all the equipment needed for demonstrating
is ready and place it on a tray.
• Use clear containers when demonstrating so
children can see what is happening.
• Plan how the equipment will be cleaned and dried
after the lesson. It will need to be washed in a
clean sink with hot soapy water, so it may not be
possible to do this in the classroom.
• Before you begin any demonstrations, talk through
what you are doing to prepare yourself to cook.
This should include the following:
• Remove any jewellery – this is to prevent it
falling into the food or bacteria trapped under
jewellery, such as rings and watches, coming
into contact with food.
• Tie back long hair – this is to prevent hair falling
into the food or needing to be touched and
transferring bacteria onto hands.
• Roll up long sleeves – this is to stop clothing
dangling into food.
• Put on an apron – this is to prevent any
contaminants transferring from clothes into food
and also keeps clothes clean.
• Wash and dry hands carefully – hands must
be washed thoroughly with warm water and
soap. Drying your hands properly is equally as
important as warm, damp hands are an ideal
breeding ground for bacteria.
P
TOP TenIare able to
ildr
en
ing wh
ure ch
Make s t you are do ent skills.
a
r
see wh nstrate diffe
o
m
you de
23
Photocopy this sheet
& give to parents
Learning about food is important for your child’s future health and happiness. At school, children
learn a range of different topics, including healthy eating, cooking and hygiene. You could keep
this interest in food at home through some fun and interesting activities with your child.
How about:
While you shop…
• Get your child to look at different or unusual foods – can they name them?
• Discuss where in the UK, Europe or the world the food comes from.
• Visit different types of shops and markets to look at food, for example a market stall, bakery,
butcher, greengrocer or supermarket.
• Set your child the challenge of finding food in a shop. For example, can they find a red
apple, or where would the cheese be kept?
• Compare similar foods together – which one would they choose? Why?
Looking at food labels…
• Point out the main information on a food label – what does your child already know? You may
be surprised!
• Explain that food labels have a date mark – this shows you when the food should be eaten by.
• Get your child to help put the food away after shopping. Often food labels have storage
instructions. What do they say?
Tasting new foods…
• Start with different types of fruit, bread and yogurt. Once you’ve started, they’ll be eager to be
more adventurous. Why not award stars?
• Encourage your child to eat a variety of foods – it’s good for their health!
Cooking together...
• Get your child to help prepare simple parts of breakfast (making toast), lunch (putting a filling
in a sandwich), dinner (serving beans on a jacket potato) or a snack (preparing carrot sticks
with a dip).
• Depending on the age of your child, you will need to consider the types of recipes you’d
like to cook and what stages they can help with. For example, if your child is 5 years old, you
might allow them to help shape and decorate scone dough before baking. However, older
children could be allowed to do more stages.
Reading and talking to each other…
• Read story books which mention food or eating, for example the Hungry Caterpillar, The Giant
Jam Sandwich, The Gingerbread Man, Charlie and Lola or the Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch.
These could act as inspiration to cook!
• Ask relatives and friends to talk about their favourite foods now and when they were young,
e.g. war time rationing, foods from different cultures and religions.
You can find out more information from:
www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
www.eatwell.gov.uk
www.sainsburys.co.uk
24
www.foodlink.org.uk
www.flourandgrain.com
www.potato.org.uk
The Active Kids Get Cooking Special Challenge is an annual cooking competition for
primary, middle, special and secondary school pupils across the UK. It is also open to
British schools abroad.
Each year the challenge requires pupils to create a healthy, innovative dish. The challenge
always takes on a new focus.
The new challenge is released in September and can be found on the Active Kids Get Cooking
website www.activekidsgetcooking.org.uk and will be emailed to you. The competition
closes near the end of the following May, which allows plenty of time for teachers to plan when
and how they can carry out the challenge with their pupils. The entry is quite simple and it does
not create a lot of extra work. Each teacher chooses the entries to be submitted from their
school, but every entry receives a special certificate claimed in the usual way. Why not make
it exciting and have a local judging panel that includes your head teacher, the school cook or
local chef?
There are prizes of £100 for the regional winners in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and
Wales. The winners are invited to collect their cheque at a special celebration event in London.
At this event they find out if they have become overall UK winner.
We try to make it a day to remember for you and your pupils, so make sure you enter next year!
Overall UK winners receive a prize of £500!
25
Active Kids Get Cooking is also supported by a dedicated website. On this site you can:
• Download support resources to make your teaching easier, such as recipes and worksheets –
all of which support the different food activities
• Order certificates for your pupils
• Review case studies of food work in other schools
• Find out up-to-date information on healthy eating
• Ask questions and send us queries by email
To access all this and more, go to: www.activekidsgetcooking.org.uk
Every half term we will send you an email newsletter with links to all the new resources on the
website and the latest news. We send you reminders about the entry date for the special
challenge each year.
Sources of further information
Active Kids Get Cooking
www.activekidsgetcooking.org.uk
British Nutrition Foundation
www.nutrition.org.uk/teachercentre
British Potato Council
www.potatoesforschools.org.uk
Chefs Adopt a School
www.academyofculinaryarts.org.uk/chefs-adopt-a-school.html
Design and Technology Association
www.data.org.uk
Farming and Countryside Education
www.face-online.org.uk
Food - a fact of life
www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
Flour and Grain Education Programme
www.flourandgrain.com
Foodlink
www.foodlink.org.uk
Food Standards Agency
www.food.gov.uk
Foodforum
www.foodforum.org.uk
Growing Schools
www.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools
Join the Activaters
www.jointheactivaters.org.uk
Meat and Education
www.meatandeducation.com
School Milk
www.schoolmilk.co.uk
Seafish
www.thesuperhumans.com
26
Class............ Date.............
Teacher’s Name.........................
Activity completed
Discovering drinks
Encouraging more fruit and vegetables
Exploring healthier lunchboxes
Making savoury and sweet biscuits
Discovering bread and bread products
Cooking healthily
Special challenge
Name
Finding out
Criteria
Planning
Cooking
Complete?
Being safe
E.g. Nimi Nirdosh
E.g. Jamie Kyte
Yes
Yes
Total number of certificates to be ordered.........
To claim your free school certificates, go to www.activekidsgetcooking.org.uk
27