Cooking for life

Intent

Our Cooking for life is designed to give pupils the essential skills and confidence to prepare food for themselves and others. We see cooking as both a practical life skill and a creative subject that develops independence, resilience, and pride.

Our intent is to:

Equip pupils with the core skills needed to cook healthy, balanced meals.
Promote nutrition and food awareness to support lifelong health and wellbeing.
Encourage creativity and enjoyment in the kitchen.
Teach pupils how cooking can be part of family life, culture, and community.
Prepare pupils for independent living and employability in food-related industries.

Implementation

Pupils learn in our fully equipped training kitchen, with each having their own workstation and oven. This allows for hands-on, practical experience and ensures all pupils can actively take part.

Our Cooking for Life includes:

Basic cooking techniques – chopping, mixing, baking, frying, boiling.
Meal planning on a budget – learning how to shop wisely and reduce waste.
Food hygiene and safety – developing safe habits in the kitchen.
Nutrition and healthy eating – making informed choices for health and wellbeing.
Cooking for life events – preparing food for family, friends, and community occasions.

Learning is delivered with a restorative and supportive approach, where mistakes are part of the learning journey. Pupils are encouraged to experiment, take pride in their work, and celebrate progress.

Impact

Through Cooking for Life, pupils will:

Gain practical life skills that support independent living.
Understand the link between diet, health, and wellbeing.
Experience the pride and joy of creating and sharing food.
Develop skills that can open pathways into further education, catering, hospitality, or food-related work.
Leave with greater confidence and independence to care for themselves and contribute positively at home and in the community.

Cooking at TPL is not just about making food, it’s about building skills for life.

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