Session 1-5

During these initial sessions, pupils will:

• become familiar with (and more confident in) the cooking area;
• learn (recap) the safe use of a knife;
• use basic kitchen equipment;
• use the oven safely (grill, hob, oven);
• prepare a range of fresh ingredients, e.g. peeling, grating;
• weigh and measure ingredients.

This is an introductory session about pupils getting to grips with cooking and the working area. Some pupils may have had experience handling food before; others may not. This session allows all pupils to become familiar with, and therefore more confident in using, the cooking area. It also provides you with the opportunity to assess their practical capability, e.g. handling of food and use of equipment. You could use the practical observation sheet to help.

During this session, pupils will make either a fruit fusion or dippy divers. These recipes have been selected as they do not require the application of heat. They provide a context for teaching of specific knife skills and preparation techniques, as well as the use of basic equipment.

This session is about pupils using the grill safely, as well as handling and preparing a range of ingredients. This session allows all pupils to build their confidence in the cooking area, learning where equipment is stored and how to work safely. It also provides you with another opportunity to assess their practical capability, e.g. safe use of equipment. You could use the practical observation sheet to help.

During this session, pupils will make either a croque-monsieur or pizza toast, something which they would enjoy making at home. These have been selected as they can be cooked under a grill and use a range of ingredients. 

This session introduces pupils to the safe use of the oven, as well as consolidating the use of other pieces of equipment. By now pupils will begin to feel more confident in the cooking area, understand where different equipment is stored and follow the routine of different activities. It also provides you with the opportunity to assess their practical capability, in readiness for the observation in Session 5. You could use the practical observation sheet to help.

During this session, pupils will make either fruity flapjacks or tropical granola bars. These have been chosen as they use the oven and/or the hob. These recipes also require pupils to weigh and measure their own ingredients.

This session allows pupils to build confidence in using the hob. Although the hob may have been used in Session 3, this session concentrates on its safe use. In addition, it consolidates knife skills through the preparation of a variety of different vegetables. As with other sessions, it also provides opportunities to assess pupils’ practical capability. You could use the practical observation sheet to help.

During this session, pupils will make either a vegetable soup, minestrone soup or a spicy tomato soup. These have been chosen as they use a number of knife skills, in particular in the preparation of an onion, and the safe use of the hob. 

This is the final session in this block, i.e. sessions 1 – 5. By this stage pupils should be familiar with the cooking area, equipment use and storage and general rules. During this session, pupils consolidate their safe use of the oven, as well as making an all-in-one mixture and dividing it equally.

You may wish to observe pupils practical work using the observation sheet. The result of this observation, along with their previous practical work, goes towards their ‘licence to cook’.

During this session, pupils will make courgette and cheese muffins, fruit muffins, mini fruit cakes or mini carrot cakes. These have been chosen as they demonstrate combining ingredients (e.g. all-in-one method), accurate weighing and measuring and using the oven.