Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Do your kids bring ingredients to school for food tech ?

126 replies

Shishasister · 04/10/2023 15:44

Private Day school announced that due to health and safety pupils supply own ingredients.
Today it was 250g beef mince, can of tomatoes, box of tomatoe paste, 250g milk , 6 sheets of lasagna, 25g butter, 25g flour, 50g of grated cheese, 15ml of oil , and onion, a.carrot and a oven proof dish ..
Oh and pepper and mixed herbs.

Health and safety my arse , a child carrying raw meat and milk in a rucksack is more of a risk. 🤢
Plus I spent an exorbitant amount on last minute purchasing that surely would be more reasonable in bulk. Yes the dish came home but nobody will eat it except maybe the dog.

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 04/10/2023 19:06

Guiltyfeethavegotnorhythm0 · 04/10/2023 18:53

I do wonder if schools these days don't have proper home economics dept. When I was at schools we had proper rooms with sinks , running hot water , ovens and store cupboards and home economics teacher whose only job was teaching cooking .

Show quote history

We have that. Apart from the teacher who is also a form tutor and doesn't get any time to order all this stuff that people think she should be ordering.

FrippEnos · 04/10/2023 19:07

Guiltyfeethavegotnorhythm0 · 04/10/2023 18:53

I do wonder if schools these days don't have proper home economics dept. When I was at schools we had proper rooms with sinks , running hot water , ovens and store cupboards and home economics teacher whose only job was teaching cooking .

Show quote history

TBH honest a lot of schools have cut back on food tech and DT in general as it costs a lot for very little gain in exam results and a lot of schools still use food and DT as dumping grounds for less able pupils.

Original poster
Shishasister · 04/10/2023 19:07

Food tech teacher does one class of practical cooking per fortnight with five year groups. Max students 20.
100 portions per fortnight is comparable to a large families cooking.
They also have a food tech assistant.
I think they have time to an online shop.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

General education General food
FrippEnos · 04/10/2023 19:08

Shishasister · 04/10/2023 19:07

Food tech teacher does one class of practical cooking per fortnight with five year groups. Max students 20.
100 portions per fortnight is comparable to a large families cooking.
They also have a food tech assistant.
I think they have time to an online shop.

Our classes were 24 to 28 pupils.

Dogsogdog · 04/10/2023 19:09

1 class per year group ? We have 8 in each year

MrsHamlet · 04/10/2023 19:10

Shishasister · 04/10/2023 19:07

Food tech teacher does one class of practical cooking per fortnight with five year groups. Max students 20.
100 portions per fortnight is comparable to a large families cooking.
They also have a food tech assistant.
I think they have time to an online shop.

Why don't you do the online shop for them if it's so quick and easy?

eatdrinkandbemerry · 04/10/2023 19:12

No we pay a donation for the year and they provide the ingredients ( it's only junior school though)

Dogsogdog · 04/10/2023 19:14

There’s only one class in each year ?

OrangeBlossomPretty · 04/10/2023 19:15

Well you're at private school, so am guessing you're not on the bread line eh love?

AllWeWantToDo · 04/10/2023 19:16

State school and yes they have to take their own in. This is my 3rd dc and the others were the same. It's pointless and sometimes expensive

Foxesandsquirrels · 04/10/2023 19:18

@OrangeBlossomPretty What a snarky comment. Apart from the fact that these sorts of things should really be included in the fees, it's the logistics of it. Getting all those ingredients etc, you might as well just teach them at home! It's meant to make cooking accessible, there's no way a kid on FSM could provide all that.
My DD is at a private school funded by her EHCP. She was on FSM when she was in state system. I appreciate that's not the average private school kid, but still, don't judge.

rollonretirementfgs · 04/10/2023 20:35

Love it when non teachers comment how easy it would be to just add this this and this to our already hectic day. Shopping for 500 plus kids, storing it, getting it ready for lessons, sorting allergies etc. easy!!

rollonretirementfgs · 04/10/2023 20:36

AllWeWantToDo · 04/10/2023 19:16

State school and yes they have to take their own in. This is my 3rd dc and the others were the same. It's pointless and sometimes expensive

Teaching children to cook is pointless??

FrippEnos · 04/10/2023 20:38

Foxesandsquirrels · 04/10/2023 19:18

@OrangeBlossomPretty What a snarky comment. Apart from the fact that these sorts of things should really be included in the fees, it's the logistics of it. Getting all those ingredients etc, you might as well just teach them at home! It's meant to make cooking accessible, there's no way a kid on FSM could provide all that.
My DD is at a private school funded by her EHCP. She was on FSM when she was in state system. I appreciate that's not the average private school kid, but still, don't judge.

Those on FSM should have ingredients provided for the from the pupil premium budget. Unfortunately some schools refuse to do this.

rollonretirementfgs · 04/10/2023 20:38

Shishasister · 04/10/2023 19:07

Food tech teacher does one class of practical cooking per fortnight with five year groups. Max students 20.
100 portions per fortnight is comparable to a large families cooking.
They also have a food tech assistant.
I think they have time to an online shop.

We do three per year group per fortnight!

maryberryslayers · 04/10/2023 20:44

Just refuse the change. The school know their bloody allergies, they feed them every day!
You're paying for it already, why should you pay twice. Go and see the head and say it's not good enough and really inconvenient.

rollonretirementfgs · 04/10/2023 20:45

Wow so many misguided comments here! Firstly, dt and food tech are lessons like all the others. Where we have to plan lessons including theory lessons, mark, demonstrate, do practical lessons, assessments, reports, homework. Also we are a gcse subject so those saying it's pointless are wrong, it's a gcse like every other subject. It's not just cookery like the olden days. We also offer after school clubs, have duties to do, forms at registration. 'Cookery' doesn't exist anymore!

rollonretirementfgs · 04/10/2023 20:46

maryberryslayers · 04/10/2023 20:44

Just refuse the change. The school know their bloody allergies, they feed them every day!
You're paying for it already, why should you pay twice. Go and see the head and say it's not good enough and really inconvenient.

You're confusing food tech with the school canteen... neither have anything to do with each other! Have you been in a school recently???

Jessstar · 04/10/2023 20:49

My DC are at a day prep. All the ingredients are provided by school at no extra cost.

BettyBoomer · 04/10/2023 20:49

Comefromaway · 04/10/2023 15:51

Mine had to supply their own ingredients in state and private. It was taken to the food tech room before registration and kept in the fridges.

State school.

Same here. Brought in, has to go in fridge before first period.

NotFastButFurious · 04/10/2023 20:53

Back in the ‘90’s that’s how we did Home Ec at school with a Whicker basket for your ingredients that was impossible to carry and without fail snagged on your tights. We never put anything in the fridge, either raw or cooked, and as far as I’m aware everyone lived to tell the tale!

maryberryslayers · 04/10/2023 20:57

@rollonretirementfgs yes I have thanks, have you?
My child goes to a small private school and has allergies. The member of staff in charge of health and safety oversees what is served to the children with allergies, at lunch and in the classrooms, not the kitchen staff.

rollonretirementfgs · 04/10/2023 21:03

maryberryslayers · 04/10/2023 20:57

@rollonretirementfgs yes I have thanks, have you?
My child goes to a small private school and has allergies. The member of staff in charge of health and safety oversees what is served to the children with allergies, at lunch and in the classrooms, not the kitchen staff.

Ummm yes, everyday??

AllWeWantToDo · 04/10/2023 22:42

rollonretirementfgs · 04/10/2023 20:36

Teaching children to cook is pointless??

Show quote history

School cooking lessons are pointless, my older dc are 28 and 20. They didn't learn to cook by making a flan not from scratch, or some mince dish or a salad or a bloody cheese cake .

I taught them to cook , not the school .

TrailingLoellia · 04/10/2023 22:45

Yes for my DC. As for meat and other perishables, that is what freezer packs in a cool bag are for- to keep it cool until they get to school and it goes in the fridge.