Food teaching in schools: A framework of knowledge and skills

Food teaching in schools: A framework of knowledge and skills (secondary)

Public Health England (PHE), along with the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), initiated the development of a Food teaching in schools framework in response to a meeting comprising the BNF, with the Food Teachers Centre, OfSTED, Department for Education and School Food Plan to discuss the management and provision of food teaching in 2015. The development of guidelines for food teaching was an action that all felt imperative to ensure the quality of food teaching in schools.

The purpose of this guidance is to help schools implement the requirements for food within the new National Curriculum for Design and Technology (D&T) in England and the Core competences for children and young people aged 5 to 16 years (and GCSE for secondary schools). These curriculum measures, together with the other action points of the School Food Plan, seek to promote a 'pro-food' ethos in schools and heighten awareness of the integral part that food and a whole school approach plays in children's health, well-being and attainment. However, the basic principles can be applied throughout the UK.

It is intended that the framework can be used to:

• review and plan courses for trainee teachers, and set out expectations for qualified teacher status;
• audit current practice by existing teachers, supporting performance related development;
• support professional reviews with colleagues;
• plan and run professional training courses to support best practice.

The framework was been developed to:

• set standards, expectations and requirements for qualified teachers teaching food in secondary schools;
• highlight key areas for development, presented in a manageable, easy to convey way with clear expectations;
• provide aspiration goals which will be developed over time (describing accomplished food teaching);
• stipulates distinctive descriptions of food teaching, rather than generic teaching standards (which they may be used alongside).

The framework is presented in nine sections:
1. Developing professional competence;
2. Taking a whole school approach;
3. Teaching the curriculum;
4. Managing practical food classes;
5. Teaching food preparation and cooking;
6. Engaging in designing, making and evaluating with food;
7. Promoting and applying nutrition;
8. Applying aspects of consumer awareness;
9. Implementing good food safety and hygiene.