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Food Teachers Centre
December 2025 Newsletter
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Merry Christmas! Here are some time savers for your end of term
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Hello
We know you are looking forward to the break. Here are some things to save you time!
1. NEED LESSON COVER?
Visit the Facebook Community for a ready made set of cover activities in case of staff sickness, or snow days. Set this up in advance quickly using our FREE RESOURCES in the GROUP GUIDE. Simply save to your school server for the person who arranges cover in the school to access.
  2. TEACHING TIPS THURSDAY
Visit the Facebook Community every thursday for tips from practising community leaders. Some of our recent ones are below – click on the pictures or visit the GROUP GUIDE for all the amazing tips.
           3. BRING PRACTICAL FOOD SCIENCE TO LIFE IN KS3 AND 4
Visit the Facebook Community EVERY TUESDAY for Barbara Monk’s weekly science tips and great activities – all ready to use videos and practical activities.
Here are some that you will find in the GROUP GUIDE
 4. Visit the Countryside Classroom portal
We are proud to be a Countryside Classroom partner, and worked with them recently again at the House of Lords meeting, on behalf of all the teachers in our community.
Countryside Classroom is managed by a partnership of organisations that represent the very best in food, farming and environment education. We are committed to working together to increase the quality of our services and reduce duplication in the sector.
The portal helps teachers to find resources, places to visit and school support relating to the themes of food, farming and the natural environment. Our site contains a range of quality assured educational content from hundreds of contributors.
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LATEST NEWS! OFSTED UPDATED NOV 2025
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OFSTED update 17th November 2025
Ofsted’s new Common Inspection Framework includes a judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. As part of reaching this judgment, throughout their entire inspection, inspectors will look at the extent to which schools are successfully supporting pupils to:
OFSTED suggest : The following questions and examples of evidence can help school leaders and governing bodies adopt a whole school approach to food.
  ACTION FOR FOOD TEACHERS!
This may be your chance to meet with the senior team in your school and check that everything is in place.
If you don’t have this already – ask about:
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THE FUTURE OF POST 16 COURSES – So what do your students need?
If you don’t speak up – NONE OF THESE WILL HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY
POST 16 Review – please have your say!
We need your opinion to count, we have set out what to say……
There is a consultation until January 12th 2026.
As you know we do not have much choice of Level 3 qualifications since the T level development was withdrawn, and removal of our 2 ‘A’ levels in 2016. We know that this has impacted upon our subject negatively and the talent pipeline does not have a clear progression route anymore. With the vast number of employment areas in the food industry this has led to a skills shortage at all leves, including technical and professional.
Recently, the government opened a consultation on a NEW POST 16 qualification ‘V’ Level. This may provide a vocational route for students who wish to continue to study food in schools, but our subject is very wide and offers a great many opportunities, thus more than one route may be needed L2 and 3.
For food teachers – the consultation asks many general questions (21 questions!), but we encourage you to make your voice heard and answer the key relevant questions – If you are short of time FOCUS on Questions 3, 5 and 17. This will not take long and we provide a simple guide to help you understand the process here.
3. Which subject areas do you think are most appropriate for delivery through V Levels? Please provide evidence of relevance to employment sectors or further study.
5. What factors should we consider when creating T Levels where there are currently no level 3 occupational standards? Please explain your answer.
17. What non-qualification activities do you think are successful at supporting vocational students to engage best in their course content in order to achieve in their course and progress to their stated destination?
PLEASE RESPOND BY 12th JAN
If you have time to answer all questions – here is our full GUIDE.
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Many Classrooms, One Mission
Friday 26th June
Our community national workshop -locally to you-
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 SAVE THE DATE! BOOK YOUR CPD DAY NOW!
Let’s get together face to face – at last!
On Friday 26th June food teachers across the country will come together simultaneously in regional hubs. We will update you on the new National Curriculum, and give you a chance to adjust your scheme of work for next year, as well as great opportunities to share classroom tips and teaching issues. Come and join the fun!
We already have hosts in London, Essex, Newcastle, Taunton and many more will be announced in the new year.
Would your school like to host your local food teachers?
If you meet the requirements below email us and we will get in touch : info@foodteachers centre.co.uk
NOTE: – we will only have one host school in each region/area
Host School Requirements:
The Food Teachers Centre team will run the live presentations and manage the bookings and all the behind the scenes.
What hosting involves:
If your school could host, or you would like to discuss the possibility, please let us know by Friday 16th Jan.
You can get in touch via info@foodteacherscentre.co.uk or directly to Fiona Mather (see below)
Your support will play a crucial part in making this nationwide event a success for food teachers everywhere.
Best wishes
Fiona Mather
Food Teachers Centre
Fiona Mather <f_mather@yahoo.com>
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Other upcoming events!
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‘Spotlights’ in the Food Teachers Centre Community group
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Thurs 8th Jan 2026 at 7 PM
Join Ant Fleming, WJEC Regional support team for Food and myself. Where he answers our questions on the new spec:
WJEC L3 Alternative Academic Qual in Food Science and Nutrition.
 Join Frances Meek where we explore the support for pupils with additional needs available on Food A Fact of Life website (FAFOL).
 Join Frances Meek where we explore the resources available on Food A Fact of Life website (FAFOL), looking at the science through the context of food.
 Join Frances Meek where we explore the careers in the agri-food industry.
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Oak National Academy – (on-line workshops)
A new Cooking and nutrition curriculum for National Curriculum Key Stages 1 to 3.
All at 7pm
The British Nutrition Foundation is grateful for the financial support from the All Saints Educational Trust to support the dissemination and training.
 Fish Hero programme face to face Teacher practical workshops FREE
Courses are usually on Saturdays around the country.Great if you are completely new to handling fish – we help you with your knife skills, cooking dishes students love and updating your fish knowledge.
SAT 17th Jan, Manchester Communication Academy
Last few places
SAT 7th Feb, Lordsworth Girls’ School, Birmingham
FRIDAY 24th April, Lawnswood School, Leeds
SAT 9th May Gosford School, Oxford
Book here FREE
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Fish Heroes programme now in Wales
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Great news! – we are now able to extend our FISH HERO programme to every school in Wales that would like to join. This is fully funded.
In 2026, we would like to recruit all secondary schools in Wales, we will be inviting you to FREE teacher training (both on-line and face to face workshops), offering you FREE student masterclasses to develop confidence and skills. Once you are trained, we will be offering you FREE fish to use in your lessons.
We are looking for schools willing to host teacher training for neighbouring schools in the following locations:
MORE INFORMATION and Sign up TODAY! Don’t miss out in 2026
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Professional Development brochure and programme
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Looking for other staff training? – for KS3, Food Safety accreditation and support staff training.
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We have a wide range of on-line courses, from exam course support, to KS3 360, Food Safety and Technician Training and Toolkit.
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