The new secondary curriculum, introduced from September 2009, places a new emphasis on practical cooking and healthy eating and will improve young people’s cooking experience and skills.  However not all schools will offer this option, as it is an optional strand of Design and Technology.  In January 2009 the Government announced that it would make food technology compulsory in the key stage 3 design and technology (D&T) curriculum from September 2011.  Compulsory food technology builds on the Licence to Cook entitlement which from September 2008 gave all secondary school pupils aged 11-16 the opportunity to learn how to cook. There are however, many qualified D&T staff with no food teaching experience or qualifications and other qualified teaching staff with no food teaching experience or qualifications who may be expected to teach cooking for the first time.

The programme
This is an exciting opportunity to help develop the expertise and knowledge of teachers who are not food specialists. The DFE has recognised the need for a professional development programme to support these teachers, ensuring that they bring appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding to the classroom. The plans are in place to support 3 main categories of teachers:

1. Qualified D&T teachers with a different specialism to food;
2. Qualified teachers of other subjects;
3. Newly Qualified Teachers and others that are setting up a food room from scratch.