The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Adopt a School programme is looking forward to a record-breaking new academic year, getting more chefs than ever into schools to share their skills, knowledge and passion for food. Last year 205 industry professionals were trained to work with schools - twice as many as the previous year - and 71 percent of them are either delivering lessons already or in the process of adopting a school.
In the past year around 300 chefs and hospitality professionals have delivered the programme to schools across the UK, from Cornwall to the Highlands of Scotland. As well as visiting over 15,000 primary-school children over the course of the year, our chefs and hospitality professionals also delivered sessions outside of the classroom. Through our partnership with LEAF Education, Adopt a School chefs Idris Caldora and James Holden took six schools across the West Midlands and North West to local farms to teach children about food provenance. Adopted schools have visited the kitchens in top hotels, and Adopt a School chefs and volunteers have also worked with hospital schools, ensuring that children in hospital had access to good food education and learn vital cooking skills.
Adopt a School is rewarding for children, teachers and professionals who participate in the programme. 100 percent of chefs who delivered Adopt a School would teach the programme again and 100 percent of schools who took part in the programme would recommend it to other schools. Chris Brampton, a teacher at St Anne’s Catholic School in London claimed 'it has been one of the best programmes delivered'. Gareth Ludlam, a teacher at Oakfield Primary School in Essex said 'as a teacher, the programme taught me just as much as the children!'
If you are a school who would like to have Adopt a School delivered in your classroom, please contact our Programme Administrator, Alys Bannister, by emailing alysbannister@raoca.org.uk
