Education Portal

Free webinar – Tuesday 9 June 2026, 7.00–8.00pm. Practical cookery curriculum for KS3–KS5: discover Leiths Education’s qualifications, courses and updated pricing for secondary schools and sixth forms.

 
Sign Up

Leiths Primary Cookery Programmes

Free KS1 & KS2 video-led cookery lessons, delivered by Leiths chef tutors remotely, that work in any classroom. Across 32 step-by-step cookalong lessons, your pupils build real cookery confidence. Plus, Leiths provide a complete package of teaching resources so no prior experience is needed. Find out how to access our free lessons and curriculums below.

Leiths Primary Logo
Icon Chef Hat

Free KS1 & 2 course

Teach your pupils to cook with Leiths with our KS1 & KS2 cookalong videos. ​
Icon Dish

Entry level​

We provide all the resources so if you're a teacher or a pupil, you don't need any prior experience.

The Leiths Education Primary School Cookery Pilot: Evidence

Find out why nearly 30,000 pupils have registered to use our lessons. 

Full course overview

Find out more about our video-led cookery lessons and curriculums here. 

Contact Us

Want to get in touch and find out more about our complete KS1–KS2 curriculum?

Why the Leiths Primary Cookery Programmes?

Classroom-ready, chef-led learning

Cookalong videos and comprehensive, classroom-ready resources enable teachers to deliver consistent, high-quality cookery education aligned to the KS1 & 2 National Curriculum. The Leiths approach ensures high-quality food education is accessible, engaging and achievable for every child.

Free for primary schools across the UK

Successfully piloted in primary schools, the curriculum supports meaningful progression in cookery skills and food knowledge. Proven to foster children’s understanding of healthy eating and their willingness to try new ingredients. Plus, all schools get six free taster lessons and non-fee-paying schools can access all 32 lessons free. 

Building skills for life

Pupils can explore the key life skill of cooking through seasonality, food provenance and cross-curricular learning, building practical skills, confidence and understanding that support independence and the ability to work in a team. 

Born from real classroom experience and rigorously piloted in primary schools, the Leiths Primary Curriculum delivers high-quality, hands-on cookery in a way that is practical, inclusive and achievable for every school. By combining chef-led cookalong lessons with comprehensive, classroom-ready resources, Leiths has removed the traditional barriers of cost, confidence and training. This groundbreaking approach empowers non-specialist teachers to deliver meaningful food education, equipping children with essential life skills and a lasting love of cooking from the very start of their learning journey. As a qualified food teacher with decades of experience, I can say with confidence this is a new approach that's proven to work in classrooms of every shape and size.
Maria DunbarCEO of Leiths Education
DSCF7667 Maria Staff Photo Square

Curriculum overview

The Leiths Primary Cookery Curriculum is a comprehensive KS1 & 2 programme designed to deliver inspiring, hands-on food education in line with the National Curriculum. Developed through decades of teaching expertise and refined through successful school pilots, it brings Leiths Education quality and experience into the primary classroom.

Each lesson combines chef-led cookalong videos with detailed lesson plans, recipes and classroom resources. Pupils develop practical cookery skills alongside knowledge of food provenance, safety, seasonality and food choice, with meaningful cross-curricular links that enrich wider learning.

Carefully structured to support progression across key stages, the curriculum enables all primary school teachers to deliver high-quality lessons with confidence. It nurtures independence, positive relationships with food and essential life skills, for now and the future.

Leiths Primary Cookery Programmes

Six of our most popular lessons are now freely available to all children across the United Kingdom. These give a taste of what the full 32-lesson programme offers – which is accessible free of charge to all non-fee-paying pre-school and primary settings, and for £395 plus VAT per year for independent schools – through a simple onboarding process.

primary-school-header

Free Key Stage 1 & 2 six-lesson taster

Six-lesson free taster

Cookalong with six of our most popular recipes from the Leiths Primary Curriculum, including three KS1 and three KS2 lessons. Each includes a chef-led cookalong video and classroom-ready teaching resources, giving teachers a clear insight into our approach to high-quality food education.

The taster course includes:

  • Six classroom-ready lessons (three KS1 and three KS2)
  • Chef-led cookalong videos for every recipe
  • Lesson plans, teaching notes and slide decks
  • Printable recipes and pupil worksheets
  • Scalable shopping lists for easy preparation
  • Cross-curricular links and key vocabulary support

Everything needed to deliver high-quality cookery education, all in one place.

Free video cookery lessons
leiths-small-51

Key Stage 1 & 2 full course – free to all non-fee-paying children

32 cookery lesson programme – free to all non-fee-paying children

Give your school completely free access to the full Leiths Primary Curriculum through the Leiths Education Portal, delivering structured, hands-on cookery education across the primary years.

The full course includes:

  • A 32-session scheme of work across KS1 and KS2

  • Chef-led cookalong videos for every recipe

  • Detailed lesson plans, teaching notes and PowerPoints

  • Printable recipes, pupil worksheets and scalable shopping lists

  • Clear progression in cookery skills, food knowledge and safety

  • Cross-curricular links exploring seasonality, provenance and food choice

Everything needed to deliver high-quality cookery education, all in one place. Completely free to all non-fee-paying schools and pupils in the UK. 

Access the full curriculum
I’ve been teaching for over 20 years and I’m really passionate that children don’t eat properly and we need to educate them and their families. There’s never been a resource like this ever available. Previous resources have been ad hoc and not offered a progression of skills at all.
Lorna WatsonDeputy Headteacher, St Paul’s Church of England School
The step-by-step tutorials with Chef AJ were great. The Leiths team have been so friendly and supporting. As a teacher I found the resources very informative and helpful. It was also lovely to see the children enjoy and try new foods.
Wyborne Primary School
Very reassuring and clear, the videos are a godsend!
Forres Sandle Manor
We have enjoyed running a cookery club for our year 5s and they have really enjoyed participating. The variety of ingredients provided an opportunity to expand their palates, while also boosting their skills and confidence in preparing wholesome, nutritious meals – all in a fun and engaging way. I don’t think I would have had the confidence to offer the afterschool club without this resource.
Flax Bourton Primary School
Since our whole school food week, where we used the Leiths resources, parents have said that the children are now trying foods that they haven’t before and asking to help with cooking at home.
Naomi GodfreyTeacher, Harwood Hill JMI School
When I showed my colleagues the resources, they were very up for it. The idea the videos can model the skills was a big hook for them.
Lauren MaggsTeacher, Shephalbury Park Primary School
The Leiths recipes are so easy to source ingredients for and the spreadsheet for ordering is invaluable. Teachers find the lessons manageable within a classroom environment and therefore the quality of the lessons are higher.
Round Diamond Primary School
Leiths have created a rich and wonderful resource for schools with their new suite of lessons and other resources aimed at Key Stages 1 and 2. These resources will be an excellent component of any school’s whole school approach to healthy eating.
Chris SculthorpeHealth Improvement Specialist, East Sussex School Health Service
This is what we want from our curriculum: opportunities to give children new skills, understanding and real-world knowledge in an engaging way. he inclusiveness for our children with Special Educational Needs and the easy-to-follow instructions gave them opportunities to shine.
Pippa BourneFood Technology Lead, LifeFull Schools Group

Why choose Leiths

50 Years

Excellence in food education

Delivering trusted culinary education since 1975, with decades of expertise in teaching, curriculum design and recipe development.

32 Lessons

A complete primary curriculum

A structured scheme of work across the primary years, building cookery skills, food knowledge and confidence through clear progression.

24,000 registered

Successfully piloted nationwide

Trialled across 45 primary schools, and now adopted by over 200 primary schools, the lessons are proven to work. 

92%

Would recommend the Programme

Teachers reported strong engagement, improved skills and confidence, with the vast majority recommending the curriculum to other schools.

Frequently asked questions

The Leiths Primary Cookery Programmes are hands-on food education resources for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils. They combine chef-led cook-along videos with structured lesson plans and classroom materials to help schools deliver practical cookery lessons aligned with the National Curriculum.

The programmes are designed for primary school teachers and pupils aged 5–11. They support both specialist and non-specialist teachers who want to deliver practical, skills-based cookery education in school.

The programmes support National Curriculum food and nutrition requirements while also linking to subjects such as science, maths and PSHE. Lessons build knowledge of ingredients, healthy eating, food safety and practical kitchen skills.

The full curriculum includes chef-led cook-along videos, step-by-step lesson plans, recipes, worksheets, skills progression, and shopping and equipment lists for each lesson.

Yes. The resources are created so non-specialist teachers can confidently teach cookery, with clear guidance, structured lessons and video support that demonstrate each method and recipe.

Yes. There is a free KS1 and KS2 taster set of lessons available, allowing schools to trial the teaching approach and resources before using the full curriculum.

The full school-wide Leiths Primary Cookery Curriculum is available free of charge to non-fee-paying schools and state-funded settings.

Independent schools can access the full Leiths Primary Cookery Curriculum through an annual subscription fee of £395 plus VAT.

Pupils learn core cookery techniques, safe food handling, ingredient preparation, measuring and weighing, and how to follow recipes, while building confidence and independence in the kitchen.

Schools can register for access, choose the taster lessons or full curriculum, and begin delivering structured cookery lessons using the ready-to-teach resources and videos.

The Leiths Education Primary School Cookery Pilot: Evidence

Find out why nearly 25,000 pupils have registered to use our lessons. 

Full course overview

Find out more about our video-led cookery lessons and curriculums here. 

Contact Us

Want to get in touch and find out more about our complete KS1–KS2 curriculum?

Sign up for The Leiths Partner Schools Newsletter

Stay updated on Leiths Education, student and alumni news, plus the latest from our Culinary Diploma and Partner Schools.

Don’t miss out – subscribe to our monthly newsletter today!

Please tick if you would like to hear from Leiths Education.

Free Registration

Please register to access Free KS1 & KS2 lessons..