Gloucestershire Virtual School
Gloucestershire Virtual School has been fortunate to be part of the Leiths Academy Kitchen Pilot. Our ‘school’ is one which works with children in care in and children known to social care from Gloucestershire.
We approached Leiths Academy to help us find a way to support our young people to learn how to cook healthy and nutritious meals for themselves and their foster families. We have enjoyed working closely with colleagues from Leiths as we all believe in the value of healthy eating and sustainable, affordable meals for all.
It has been a very popular and successful pilot and the project has received great feedback from carers and children alike The carers have enjoyed supporting the children learning to cook at home following the interactive lessons. Learning to cook and sitting with their family to eat together has been invaluable for our children and young people. We have had siblings working together , individuals working with carers and some young people budgeting and buying the ingredients and cooking independently. We have had young people who have enjoyed this project so much they are now pursuing careers in hospitality.
Jane Featherstone – Headteacher, Gloucestershire Virtual school
Feedback about Leiths Academy Kitchen from Carers and Social workers:
“We’ve just had a successful cookery lesson making sweetcorn fritters – it’s great to watch them taking pride in the finished product and to watch people enjoying the food they have made”
“They have taken the recipes to school to make again with their cookery teacher!”
“B made a meal on consecutive days for a whole week and they were all really nice. They did it completely independently and we only helped with the eating!! They really enjoyed it and it has further developed their love of cooking so much that they have just applied to College to do a professional cookery course starting in September 2023!!”
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