Fun¹s best ingredient for food education
LOCAL primary school children have enjoyed a taste of cooking at Bishop Barrington School Sports With Mathematics College in Bishop Auckland.Year 6 children from Escomb Primary School and Cockton Hill Junior School, visited Bishop Barrington School to take part in, ³Cook It², sessions, with a group of Year 7 students from Bishop Barrington.
The youngsters, closely supervised by staff, chopped and prepared food to make healthy dishes, including a fruit salad and pasta bake.
The hands-on cooking sessions at Bishop Barrington are part of the wider healthy schools¹ programme and the transition programme to enable primary school pupils to make a smooth transfer from primary to secondary school.
On Friday, April 20, students from Bishop Barrington joined pupils from the two primary schools, for a live cookery demonstration at Escomb Primary School.
The Cook It sessions aim to raise the children¹s awareness of the importance of healthy eating, teach them basic cooking skills, and also to give the primary school children a taste of secondary school life. Dieticians, school nurses and healthy eating chef, have all been involved in the project.
Two series of six Cook It sessions, involving six pupils from each of the three schools, have taken place, with two sessions at Bishop Barrington School, one session at Escomb and one at Cockton Hill Junior School.
A third series of sessions will begin in May. A celebration event, to be attended by all the children, who have taken part, will take place at Bishop Barrington School on June 21.
Keith Taylor, Head Teacher of Escomb Primary School, said: ³The children who have taken part have all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It has been very beneficial and fun at the same time.
³The Cook It programme has raised their awareness of healthy eating. They have enjoyed cooking at Bishop Barrington School and also the experience of being in a secondary school.² Mr Fran Thirling, headteacher of Cockton Hill Junior School, said: ³It has been terrific. The children have really enjoyed getting hands on experience.
For some, it was the first time they have been allowed to use a cooker.² Bishop Barrington food technology teacher, Sarah Robinson, said: ³The children really enjoy themselves and we are all looking forward to the celebration day in June.²
