Cookery

At Queensgate Primary School, our Cookery curriculum is designed to equip children with the practical skills and knowledge they need to cook confidently and make healthy choices in today’s world. From understanding where food comes from to developing essential cooking techniques, our lessons provide a balanced mix of hands-on and theoretical learning. We focus not only on preparing and cooking food safely and hygienically but also on encouraging creativity, independence, and an understanding of nutrition. With access to quality ingredients and specialist teaching, pupils build confidence in planning, preparing, and evaluating dishes—skills that are essential for their future learning and everyday life.

At Queensgate, we believe cooking is a vital life skill—and something every child should enjoy and feel confident doing.

Through regular cooking sessions, all our children learn to appreciate good food, understand where it comes from, and recognise its importance in family life, community, and overall well-being.

Our aim is to inspire a lifelong love of cooking and help children make healthy, informed choices—both now and in the future.

Intent

At Queensgate Primary School, our Cookery curriculum aims to inspire a love of cooking while equipping children with the practical skills and knowledge they need to make healthy, informed choices about food. We intend for pupils to develop confidence in planning and preparing simple, nutritious meals, understand where food comes from, and appreciate the importance of healthy eating for their wellbeing. Through engaging and purposeful lessons, we nurture creativity, independence, and an understanding of food hygiene and safety, laying the foundations for lifelong healthy habits.

Implementation 

Cookery is delivered through dedicated lessons as part of our wider Design and Technology curriculum and cross-curricular links with Science and PSHE. Pupils have regular opportunities to plan, prepare, and cook a variety of dishes using fresh ingredients. They learn key cooking techniques such as chopping, mixing, measuring, and using equipment safely and hygienically. Lessons build progressively on skills and knowledge, with practical activities supported by discussions about nutrition, seasonality, and cultural food traditions. Pupils have access to our dedicated cookery suite and benefit from the expertise of staff who model safe and effective cooking practices.

Impact

By the end of their time at Queensgate, children will have developed the confidence and competence to prepare a range of simple, healthy dishes independently and safely. They will understand the principles of nutrition and healthy eating, be able to make informed choices about food, and appreciate the importance of a balanced diet. Pupils will have learned to work collaboratively, follow recipes, and evaluate their own cooking. Our aim is that these skills empower them to lead healthy lives and build positive attitudes towards food that will benefit them and their families both now and in the future.