Situation regarding school cookery lessons.

shellsuit

I'll definitely grab a couple of sets of scales as my son will have to make the same next week ~ didn't realise you could get them so cheap!

What you've all suggested is the best way I think, to pay X amount towards the goods either at the start of term, or so many days before the lesson ~ it would mean not so much to pay and nobody would miss out.

If the teacher gets stroppy, it's something to suggest, besides more notice!

Thanks for all your advice

Nikki

I would expect at least a weeks notice also. We shop on a friday night and that's it for the week, if I haven't got it tough 'til next friday. When I did HE we came home the same day with a list for next weeks ingredients.

Savvy_Sue

I have to say it's more than the notice I sometimes get, but that's not the school's fault ... I think DS3 is cooking his final 'development' for his DT coursework tomorrow, and I won't be sorry! :rotfl:

vetfred

When I was at school, ooh 10 years ago now, they would tell the kids a week in advance. Approach the school and let them know your concerns... it's particularly easy to rectify the problem - the teacher needs to plan ahead and be organised and everyone will benefit!

bestpud

I've been at my local co-op at 7.40 in the morning before now getting HE stuff - but it was nothing to do with the school! The funny thing was, the woman in the shop asked if it was for the meat pie, as I was the fourth parent on that morning buying the same ingredients! :rotfl:DS only did that the once though as he was told very clearly he'd be going without the next time!

But no, I agree they should give a week's notice. They must know after all - they plan lessons ages in advance. I always thought it might be beter to send a list home every half term with the cookery items on it.

I think paying so much to the school is better all round because the pupils get to weigh the ingredients and learn to judge amounts etc as well.

Becles

When I was at school, we were always told to bring in fresh ingredients like veg, meat and fruit, but the school had supplies of staples such as flour, sugar and marg.

Say we were making apple crumble, we'd be told to bring in 2 cooking apples and say 50p to cover the cost of the ingredients from school.

I worked out that the school was making a profit on the ingredients by comparing the cost they were charging us and the cost of stuff when I went shopping with my Mam. Also my Mam was buying Bero flour and Stork marg, whereas school were selling cheap Makro own brand stuff. :money: from an early age I explained to the teacher I'd be bringing all my own ingredients in after that, and she was happy for me to do it.

I agree that school should give more notice that ingredients are needed for cookery, but make sure that your children are getting value for money if they buy the stuff from school.

Dazzieboo

Where my daughter goes, they are given a week and the ingredients are written in their planner, BUT they are told not to get the stuff beforehand incase the lesson is changed, so I don't know for certain until the Monday if the class is going ahead on the Tuesday. This is ok for basics but not when Pineapples, mango or fresh meat etc is needed.

The thing which really grates me at tis school is the kids have to take everything in, right down to the pinch of salt or pepper and it has to be pre-measured out into a bit of celophane, the first lesson, I told her not to be so silly and sent the salt pot in, only to find the salt pot had been passed around the class !!. I would much rather give the school a donation and leave them to sort everything out. My Son had just left another school in Ipswich and he did cookery lessons every week and the school provided everything and I was never asked for a penny, but then he also went on school trips without me having to pay.

minimacka

My sons "cookery" lessions were a joke, the first one he ever did i just sent the ingredients eg flour, sugar etc not weighed out only to be told when ds got home that I should of weighed out the ingredients beforehand because they didnt have scales. So he had to guess how much to use and so his cooking was awfull. Also he had to make a pasta like bolognaise using a jar and some mince. Not very mse and not a very practical cooking lession. We always cook from scratch at home and im sure by the time he comes to leave home he will of learnt to cook from us but many kids dont so there is no wonder many kids when they do leave home resort to ready meals when they arnt being taught the basics of cooking at school.

When I went to school they even taught us how to wash up, glasses first etc... (and it was the same school and same teacher as my ds had :eek: ) I just think that they only have 1 hour lesson so what can they do in that. They only "cooked" about once or twice a term aswell.

bumpybecky

I'd expect more than a day's notice too. I hope the meanie teacher is OK with your request

Jo_F

we were getting given the list of ingredients on a Monday for the lesson on the Thursday with my daughter's lessons. They also asked for a contribution of £1 each at the beginning that covered little extras.

There was one time she was making a cake and I didn't have any eggs in, so the teacher gave her an egg. Also they were doing something with mixed spice, and I bought a refill pack, sent her in with it and told her to let the teacher have it, or share it if someone else didn't have any. We had no use for it here, and if it helps someone out then that's great.