The invisible subject? Where is food education in Ofsted reports?
New Food Teachers Centre research examined 180 inspection documents (randomly selected, across England), comparing the visibility of four practical subject areas.
Explicit educational or subject references appeared in:
Food education: 8.3%
PE and sport: 70.0%
Art and design: 35.6%
Drama and theatre: 30.6%
These figures include curriculum, enrichment and inspection-scope references, not just evaluations of teaching. Accounts of the taught curriculum were uncommon across all four areas, appearing in just three documents for food.
Absence from a report does not mean absence from a school. But how much can families learn from inspection reports about pupils’ opportunities to develop cooking skills and understand food and nutrition?
As England prepares to introduce a revised curriculum, the Food Teachers Centre is calling for an updated evidence base: a Food and Nutrition research review and a subject report identifying strengths, weaknesses and effective practice. These would help DfE plan implementation support and guide schools and food education organisations in improving provision. (Inspection was also highlighted in the recent British Nutrition Foundation white paper.)
We propose a discussion with Ofsted about how food education is considered during inspection, clearer reporting of substantive findings, and access to specialist expertise, including exploring a named national lead or adviser for food education. (Food education has not received a dedicated review in Ofsted’s subsequent curriculum research review series, unlike subjects such as PE and science. The last D&T report was published in 2011.)
We also recommend focused research into pupils’ access to food education and monitoring its visibility under the renewed inspection framework.
Full report below.
