As part of a package of support to further develop the food and nutrition curriculum delivered in primary schools, teachers from schools across Guernsey and Alderney took part in a training day which was co-hosted by Education and the Health Improvement Commission.
The training offered the opportunity to develop the teachers’ food and nutrition cooking skills and knowledge, with the view to cascade the training to the rest of the teaching staff in their primary schools.
Jess Melniks, the Education Development Officer leading on the work, said:
“Last year we invited the Health Improvement Commission to support the review of the Food and Nutrition section of the Design and Technology curriculum, as part of work seeking to align it more with the Education Strategy. Since then, we have collaborated on implementing the new entitlements, which includes upskilling teachers to be able to plan and deliver the skills and knowledge at school.”
“Having on-island experts in food and nutrition that can support with either their knowledge in the subject area or tapping into additional resources has been invaluable. As a result of this joint working our schools should be better equipped and the pupils’ learning experience will be richer.”
Alex Kosmas, Eat Well Lead at the Health Improvement Commission, commented: “The training day was a great first step to the support that we are looking to offer. Teachers had the opportunity to try out different recipes that they can impart onto their pupils. Examples being a veggie stir fry and soup. The idea is that the recipes are basic, easy to follow and expose children to a variety of flavours and textures, which is an important part to developing healthy relationships with food.
“We want to thank La Mare De Carteret High School teacher Graham Lowther with all the support he offered us on the day.”
“We would love to hear from people in the community if they would like to help with the work in any capacity possible. The aim here is to provide children with the tools to nurture their health, so thoughts and support are welcomed”.
For more information contact Alex Kosmas