Vegan High Level Skills Training
By Louise Davies, Founder of the Food Teachers Centre and Fiona Mather, Food Teachers Centre Volunteer Ambassador
Louise and Fiona from the Food Teacher's Centre tell us how their new course 'Vegan High Level Skills Training' can impact schools.
The aim of this course is to introduce teachers to the Food Teachers Centre’s new Vegan High Level Skills training package for GCSE and KS4 vocational courses. It has been produced with support from Leith’s Cookery Academy, Pro-Veg UK, The Vegan Society and practising food teachers, such as Phillip Friend. The course is led by Food Teachers Centre Ambassador, Fiona Mather, and Founder, Louise Davies.
Vegans and veganism is not always well supported in GCSE and vocational courses. This training is intended to offer support to teachers and students who are vegan or who are interested in veganism.
This training package is a six-session on-line cooking course supported by videos, recipes, and explainers. There are some face-to-face events taking place. For dates and venues contact Fiona Mather (details below)
In addition, the course provides essential guidance, such as checklists for policy documents/school policies as veganism is a 'protected characteristic’, key planning and teaching resources for KS4 exam courses and support for KS3. It aims to build your confidence to make sure that vegan students gain maximum marks using high skilled practical dishes, and that your non-vegan students are well equipped to choose dishes for NEA tasks focused on veganism, vegetarian or plant-based diets.
What this course provides:
6 Step by Step Recipe Videos.
Vegan high level practical skills and recipes to meet exam requirements. These recipes have been produced with support from Leith’s Cookery Academy and focus on the detail of high-level skills.
Session 1: Vegan meringue and filling
Session 2: Vegan fresh pasta and fillings
Session 3: Vegan enriched doughs
Session 4: Vegan thickening and setting
Session 5: Vegan pastry
Session 6: Vegan cake making and decorating
6 Explainer presentations.
Each recipe is accompanied by an explainer presentation, where we introduce the recipes, the high-level skills used and the science behind it.
How the vegan alternative recipe works and science for successful use of vegan alternatives.
High level knife skills and knife cuts, and vegan examples of where they might be used.
High level dough skills, including enriched doughs, pastries and handmade pasta.
High level meringue skills.
High level cake making and decoration.
High level thickening and setting skills.
Upskilling and adapting base recipes
Nutritional content of the dishes.
What goes wrong, and tips for success.
Essential Guidance:
policy and planning documents to meet the needs and requirements of students who are vegan. Plus, meeting exam board requirements.
An overview of exam board-defined high-level skills and review of recipes that can be used, adapted or should be omitted.
The exam board requirements: clarity on skills and what signifies high grades.
A recipe bank (list of key recipes and vegan swaps that work, with links to the full recipe on-line).
Example exam board tasks and supporting students preparing for and interpreting NEA.
Using Student voice and reviewing your scheme of work.
Planning and managing lessons where vegan students work alongside others.
Working with parents and sending information home. Inclusive language: Communication at options evenings and on your school website re your scheme of work.
Researching, upskilling recipes, and evaluating to gain marks in exams.
Useful sources of information, speakers and teaching content.
Having educated discussion and debates about food choices and where food comes from.
Should we all be working towards a more plant-based approach? What are the benefits?
For more details contact Fiona Mather, Food Teachers Centre Volunteer Ambassador - f_mather@yahoo.com
