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  • Bolden Terrace, Westhouses, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 5AF. Tel: 01773 832 518

Cooking

Cooking and the curriculum

At Westhouses we link cooking to different topics so children continue to cook throughout their whole time at school. 

 

Little Explorers'Exploring Growing!' Cooking and Nutrition. Making bread.'Go and Explore!' learning about cooking and Nutrition'Marvellous Explorers!' Trying new foods. 
Explorers'How does your garden grow?'  Ready, steady, cook with allotment donations. Cucumber sandwiches, carrot cake etc. 

'Tremendous China!' What do people eat in China? Let’s open a Chinese restaurant.

 
Philosophers'Scrumdiddlyumptious' - Children learn cooking skills using local and seasonal produce. This is followed by a workshop link to fairtrade food. 

 

 

 

 

 
Trailblazers'Rights and Responsibilities '- Children chose, design and cook a range of Mexican dishes to create a Mexican Restaurant.

'War and Conflict'

Children learn about rations and take part in 'Dig for Victory' where they grow their own food and create War inspired meals. 

 

 

 

 

Cooking at home.

 

Why not try cooking at home as a family? Check out all our children friendly recipes below. 

 

Remember to send your pictures into the school office if you make any of our recipes at home, this really helps us achieve our awards! 

Check out some of the amazing stuff you have made at home this year. Thank you to everyone who sent in their recipes!

Check out what we have done at school! 

What we have grown on our Allotments

Check our what Mrs Tucker and the gang have grown on the allotments. Ms Rabbitt cooked it up and everyone has had a great time trying them out!

Little Explorers soup

Little Explorers with the help of Mrs Coupe and Mr Walker have been practicing their cooking skills and made some yummy roasted tomato and pepper soup. 

Little Explorers go pancake mad!

Yummy, look what Little Explorers have been enjoying. 

Green tomato soup

Mrs Tucker/Ms Rabbitt and the children have been hard at work making some AMAZING green tomato soup from the produce on the allotments. Our Trailblazers got to give it a try and gave it a 10/10! 

Sports day and Parent Picnic

On Thursday 13th July we held our annual sports day and after had parents come into school for a picnic. Each class has made something for the picnic. Trailblazers made scones, Philosophers made Jam and Little/Big Explorers made layered fruit pots. Check out the photos and recipes below.

Baking

Philosophers have been making rocky road for our bake sale!

Baking

Miss O'Neill has been working with the Little Explorers to do some baking!

Chop chop chop!

Little Explorers have continued practicing their chopping skills on their home grown tomatoes!

Chopping skills 

Little Explorers have been practicing their chopping skills with some fruit 

Easter cakes

More yummy cakes made by Little Explorers, this time for Easter! 

Yummy chocolate cakes

The infants have been helping us use up some of our rice krispies by making some yummy choc cakes! 

Chinese food

Key Stage 1 have been putting their cooking skills to the test and creating some Chinese meals. They all agreed it was very tasty! 

Buttering toast

Little Explorers have been working hard and learning how to butter their own toast.

Gingerbread men

It's Christmas time and Little Explorers have been baking some yummy gingerbread men to enjoy! 

Making porridge

Little Explorers have been learning how to follow instructions while making porridge with Mrs Russell.

Allotment to plate

From our allotment, this butternut squash has been kindly cooked by our school Chef and served at lunchtime. YUMMY! 

Cooking with the school chef

The children have grown some courgette and spinach on the school allotments.

The school chef has very kindly worked with some of the children to make some courgette and spinach pasta, this was then served at lunchtime. 

 

The children got to practice every aspect of their cooking skills with this and the dish was a big hit!

Queen's Jubilee 

For the Queen's Jubilee we held a picnic at school, each class got to make their own food to serve at the picnic for pupils, staff and parents. Trailblazers decorated some themed biscuits. 

Queen's Jubilee 

For the Queen's Jubilee we held a picnic at school, each class got to make their own food to serve at the picnic for pupils, staff and parents. Little Explorers made some muffins, they used raspberries and blueberries so they looked red, white and blue. 

Queen's Jubilee 

For the Queen's Jubilee we held a picnic at school, each class got to make their own food to serve at the picnic for pupils, staff and parents. Philosophers made some fruit tarts and got to practice their cutting skills. 

Queen's Jubilee 

For the Queen's Jubilee we held a picnic at school, each class got to make their own food to serve at the picnic for pupils, staff and parents. Explorers made some fruit skewers and got to practice their cutting skills. 

Baking bread

Little Explorers have been working on their teamwork skills and understanding how ingredients can be turned to food. 

Broccoli omelette

Little Explorers have been donated some broccoli from Mrs Pell (our volunteer working on our allotments with us), they got to harvest it themselves and have made some yummy broccoli omelettes with it. 

 

 

Check out our composter 

Baking Bread

Little Explorers have baked some bread in class today, they followed some instructions and had to weight out their ingredients. They all got to try the finished product and agreed it was yummy. 

Dig for victory

As part of their World War unit Trailblazers made war style food at their sleepover, this included, soup, bread and crumble. The activity focused on cutting and oven skills. 

Pizza making 

Philosophers made their very own pizzas in D.T., they were encouraged to try all toppings before making their final choice. This lesson focused on making the sauce for the pizzas and making healthy topping choices. 

Pizza Competition 

SNAG have been running a pizza competition this half term and the winners are in, congratulations to the fabulous winners. 

 

Healthiest topping - Harry D 

 

Most adventurous Chef - Sonni 

 

Craziest topping - Rupert 

 

Best Themed - Patrick (runners up Amelia W and Amelia B)

 

Little Explorers enjoy some Easter treats! 

Pancakes

KS1 have had a great time making pancakes in school. Using their amazing maths skills to work out how much ingredients they needed.

 

Creative play - what goes on a pizza? 

Little Explorers. 

Cooking with fire

Philosophers have been learning how to cook with fire in Forest Schools. 

Baking bread

The Philosopher children who have been in school have been learning how to follow instructions and make bread! 

Home-Learning

Food and Mood

 

Eating well can make all the difference to our mental health. Some foods affect our brain chemistry, others contain nutrients that support happy hormones - find out more in our simple resource. Try one of Jamie Oliver’s simple recipes - perfect for cooking with children in school or at home.

 

Pizza making

Our Little Explorers have been hard at work making their very own pizza's (all part of their healthy eating lessons)

Stone cake

Little Explorers have been getting messy outdoors learning how to follow instructions and making (not so yummy) stone cakes! 

Hedgehogs, butterfly, snails & caterpillars

Our children in school have made animal themed bread and yummy pizzas, they had so much making their animals. 

Homemade chocolate

The children in school have made their very own yummy chocolates and create boxes to take them home in! 

More baking at home

Mason, Emmi & Corey have been hard at work baking some yummy biscuits - well done guys! 

Baking from home

A massive well done to Grace who baked a lemon cake and some chocolate cakes, they look yummy!

Cooking for the family

Emmi has made Chinese style food for her whole family to try - well done Emmi! 

Friends of Westhouses 

We are currently trying to get parents more involved in food at school. We are delighted to invite them to a pancake after-school club, to enjoy socialising with their children and other parents. 

Cooking at home

Thank you to everyone that tried out our recipes at home, we think they look yummy!! 

Baking for good causes 

Well done to all of EYFS for making cakes to raise money for an animal charity. A big thank you to Mrs Salt who helped and Mr Cox's partner for baking some cakes at home to sell. 

Triple fruit cookies

Our SNAG team got to make one of school recipes on Friday to sell at our Christmas Fair. The children got to measure out and bake the recipe with the help of Mrs Russell and the cookies where a huge success! We also gave away FREE recipe books with all our child friendly ideas in! 

Dig for Victory

As part of Trailblazer's (our year5/6 class) topic this term the class hosted a WW2 day where children dressed in traditional clothing and created authentic meals based on the time period. The children grew most of the ingredients themselves in the schools grounds and they really enjoyed making food from harvesting to cooking. This really helped the children understand rationing and how important it was to grow your own food in War time England. 

Quiches

Philosophers has such a good time yesterday working with the Co-op. They learnt all about fair-trade food and got to make some yummy looking quiches!

Bread Making

Explorers (Reception class) have had a great time making bread with Mrs Tucker - They have been reading a story all about making bread!

 

Oat cakes

Philosophers have been busy making oat cakes for their current topic 'Anglo-Saxons'. 

 

 

Gruffalo crumble

For world book day Mrs Salt's workshop looked at 'The Gruffalo', the children got to make some yummy Gruffalo crumble. 

 

Explorer's make some bread

Explorers had Warburtons in their class today making bread with them! Mrs Coupe looked amazing!