Inspiring school of the month…

Planning a locally sourced meal triggered a plethora of food projects at St Francis Church of England Primary School in Oxford. More than sixty children were involved in preparing for the Local Lunch. The menu was Vegetable Soup with homemade bread followed by Apple and Blackberry Pie. It was served to fifty staff and pupils as an alternative to school dinner. As part of the preparations for the lunch each year group undertook various food projects that were collated together to make a striking display for the school corridor. All of the projects were linked to the National Curriculum. Year 1 children were inspired to explore the origins of the food they eat (from beyond the supermarket shelves) by digging carrots from the school's vegetable plot and picking pears from the school's pear tree. They all sampled the produce too. Year 2 created a comparison chart between the taste of home-grown carrots to the flavour of supermarket bought ones. The results showed that they were unanimous in thinking the homegrown ones tasted better but preferred the appearance of the pre-cleaned supermarket ones. Students in Year 3, already immersed in their termly project on the Caribbean, decided to do a study of Caribbean food and how it compared with the British diet. Year 4, set about discovering how the Anglo Saxons managed to feed themselves without shops or electricity. They learned about foods that grow in the wild and went on a foraging trip to find 'free food' in the hedgerows. They also discussed the way animals were farmed and hunted. Year 5 and 6 children looked at new food that was introduced into Britain during the Tudor period. This led to exploring foods that are grown here and those that have to be imported. Preparations are already underway to celebrate British Food Fortnight in September with further food based projects planned.