In September 2024, Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School were awarded a grant from INEOS and the Forgotten 40 funding.
After speaking with the local community, new Headteacher Craig Brown elected to introduce parent cooking workshops for parents/carers of pupils at the school.
This was one of their biggest worries and concerns, so Dean Bank to the rescue!
Lorraine Harrison, the school cook, was drafted in to plan and deliver weekly sessions to parents with the focus on supporting them to cook from scratch, using fresh ingredients.
With most of the dishes, the children are able to help with making too.
Throughout the year, parents in each year group have been invited to attend four weekly cooking sessions with Lorraine.
The sessions last approximately two hours allowing enough time for a brew and a natter as well as the main focus, reading recipes, measuring ingredients and cooking – and don’t forget the tasting at the end!
To support parents further, the funding has not only been used for staffing but ensuring that we use local, fresh ingredients where possible, to support the local community.
With up to six parents attending each session, Mams, Dads, Aunties, Uncles, Grandmas and Grandads all gain valuable skills to help ensure their children are fed healthy and nutritious home-made meals and snacks (some a little naughtier than others of course).
Preparing and cooking this is not possible in the school environment, therefore air fryers were purchased so that a classroom space could be utilised to deliver the sessions.
Headteacher Craig Brown stated: “The feedback and attendance of parents/carers at these sessions has been fantastic.
“They have really engaged with the project and all finished the final week cooking with their children.
“It’s even better that both the children and adults keep sending images and telling me about what else they have cooked at home, given the confidence and skills to do this”.
This is all made possible as at the end of the course, provided they have attended all sessions, parents are given an air fryer to keep.
This, alongside their own cook book and a basket of store cupboard essentials that they may not have ordinarily purchased, ensures that they continue to practice the skills taught.
From Scotch Eggs to Chocolate Brownies, Bacon and Cheese Frittata to Apple Slices, Cheese and Onion Toasties and various pasta dishes, the smell of delicious food drifting down the corridors is tantalising.
With the remaining summer term still to go, we are excited at further prospects of developing confidence in our families cooking nutritious home-made meals using the skills taught.
A huge thank you to Mrs Harrison in the kitchen for her support with this project.
If anyone would like any advice or support in how we got this up and running, please don’t hesitate to get in contact.
Ferryhill & Chilton's local community newspaper.
