Join us for our Open Evening at Leiths on Thursday 12th March 2026, 6:30–8:30pm, and discover how the Culinary Diploma can launch your career in food.
Join us for our Open Evening at Leiths on Thursday 12th March 2026, 6:30–8:30pm, and discover how the Culinary Diploma can launch your career in food.
For 50 years, Leiths has been synonymous with culinary excellence. Founded by Dame Prue Leith in 1975 and supported by Lady Caroline Waldegrave as Principal, Leiths has trained generations of chefs, food writers and industry leaders.
Today, we take that legacy into primary schools across the UK.
This week marks the national launch of the Leiths Primary Programme, a bold commitment to ensure that every child in a non-fee paying pre-school and primary school can learn to cook nutritious food from scratch before they leave primary education.
As Dame Prue said at the launch:
‘I would encourage all primary schools to make use of this new free programme, to ensure every child learns about food, nutrition and cooking from their very first years in education. If we can give them some really basic practical cooking skills to enable them to cook for themselves, we set them up for life.’
New research, published following a year-long pilot in 45 socioeconomically diverse schools involving 4,605 pupils, revealed a stark reality:
More than 75% of primary pupils had not been receiving regular cookery lessons before the Leiths resources became available.
This is despite clear Government guidance linking diets based on natural ingredients, cooked from scratch, to improved long-term health outcomes.
For decades, cooking has gradually slipped from the timetable. Curriculum pressures, limited facilities and a shortage of confident food teachers have created significant barriers. Many teachers cited time constraints as a key challenge and reported lacking confidence in delivering practical cookery.
The question was never whether children should learn to cook. It was how to make it achievable.
In September 2024, Leiths Education provided 45 schools with free access to its KS1 and KS2 cookery programmes for a full academic year. The result was the largest study of its kind into practical food education in UK primary schools. Read the report findings here.
The findings were clear:
Children tried ingredients they had never encountered before. Parents reported that previously fussy eaters were requesting peas, tomatoes and even butternut squash at home.
As one teacher reflected:
‘There’s never been a resource like this ever available.’
The Leiths KS1 and KS2 curriculum has been designed specifically for the realities of primary schools.
Most schools do not have dedicated food technology rooms. Our solution is a flexible, classroom-based model supported by:
Sessions are designed to run in 50 minutes, using simple equipment in a classroom or pop-up kitchen.
The programme covers six core themes: Diet, Provenance, Food Choice, Food Preparation and Handling, Food Safety and Labelling.
Example recipes include pea, basil and tomato bruschetta, Greek salad pitta pots, vegetable laksa and lime cheesecake pots.
Crucially, it is not an ad hoc resource. It is the first two stages of Leiths’ complete culinary pathway, progressing from age four through to KS5, Higher Education and specialist teacher training.
The Pilot demonstrated that practical cookery delivers impact across four key areas aligned with Government priorities.
Children improved their understanding of healthy eating and demonstrated real behaviour change at home.
Teachers successfully delivered maths, science, PSHE, DT and languages through practical cookery, making abstract concepts tangible.
Children developed independence, teamwork, food safety awareness and confidence.
Video-led lessons removed barriers for teachers lacking confidence, with many reporting greater confidence in delivering cookery lessons.
As Maria Dunbar, CEO of Leiths Education, explains:
‘We now know from our first-hand experience in primary schools that if children have the opportunity to engage in regular high-quality practical cooking lessons, the benefits are real and far reaching.’
Following the success of the Pilot, Leiths Education has taken a bold step.
From February 2026, the complete KS1 and KS2 cookery programmes are being rolled out free of charge to all non-fee paying pre-school and primary schools in the UK.
As Maria Dunbar stated:
‘By breaking down the barriers to food education, you break down the barriers to opportunity. Background should not be a defining characteristic of access to opportunity.’
High-quality food education should not be a privilege. It should be a foundation.
The Leiths Primary Programme ensures that every child, whatever their background, has the opportunity to learn essential practical skills, understand nutrition and build confidence in the kitchen from their earliest years.
And now, we are making sure they can.