Diamond Academy and the Charles Burrell Centre create a recipe for success

Over the last year, Diamond Academy and the Charles Burrell Centre have been working together to provide high quality food technology lessons.

All children at Diamond Academy have the opportunity to take part in these lessons led by Tracy Terry who has previously worked as a Raising Achievement Manager at Inspiration Trust’s Thomas Paine Sixth Form and now leads the community café and kitchen at the Charles Burrell Centre. Tracy has made a huge impact in the community, leading community dinners each week for 60+ people, hosting events such as the Platinum Jubilee Big Lunch for over 200 people, and running oversubscribed summer holiday cookery classes for Diamond Academy pupils and their families.

Tracy Terry has worked closely with Diamond Academy to create an exciting food technology curriculum which provides children with an understanding of nutrition allowing pupils to learn about healthy eating and seasonality as well as cooking some exciting dishes.

The kitchen at the Charles Burrell Centre is organised into different stations with ovens, hobs and enough equipment for children to work in small groups to cook a range of healthy recipes. There is a demonstration station where Tracy is able to model different aspects of the cooking process and this is displayed on the TV for all children to see.

After being shown how to use equipment, children have the opportunity to practice these skills and build independence over a sequence of sessions.

Diamond Academy pupils take part in all aspects of the lesson from preparing ingredients to washing-up in order to gain valuable life skills. When everything is cooked and clean, the children then sit down in the café next to the kitchen to taste the meals they have made and sometimes there is even enough to take some home for their families.