Lawn Manor Academy cook up a storm with new Saturday morning sessions

By Jessica Durston - 27 June 2022

EducationSecondary
  • Lawn Manor Academy students Ruben (left) and Paris with Marek Koza and Sarah Smith

    Lawn Manor Academy students Ruben (left) and Paris with Marek Koza and Sarah Smith

Lawn Manor Academy say they have cooked up a plan to help support families who are struggling with the rising cost of living.

Lawn Manor Academy students (L-R) Ruben and Paris

Staff at Lawn Manor Academy say they recognise that in the current times of rising costs of food, fuel and utilities, many Swindon families are feeling the squeeze financially.

Marek Koza, Assistant Headteacher at Lawn Manor Academy, and Sarah Smith, Head of Design & Technology, have created special Saturday morning cookery sessions for pupils and their parents in Years 7 & 8, to help make nutritionally satisfying and tasty food, at low cost. 

With nearly half of pupils at the school in receipt of the Pupil Premium - which is additional funding to improve education outcomes for low-income families - this is said to be a much-needed initiative in such challenging times. 

Marek Koza, Assistant Headteacher at Lawn Manor Academy, said: “Sarah and I both love being in the kitchen, adapting dishes and sharing this passion with our pupils. This is where the idea of our ‘Cooking on a Budget’ sessions came from.

"Our pupils and parents have been invited to join us to learn how to cook some tasty recipes that don’t cost the earth. It’s also a great time for families to have fun, get creative and enjoy valuable time together on a Saturday morning.” 

Marek continues: "Our selected dishes have been inspired by the likes of Marcus Rashford and his Full Time Meals campaign, Gregg Wallace, Chris Bavin & Jordan Banjo, from Eat Well for Less and Jack Monroe of Cooking on a Bootstrap fame.

"We are eager to show that even the most basic of dishes can be adapted to make something delicious and that changing a few ingredients can create a completely different meal. We can't wait to get cooking, share our passion and do our bit to help our school community."

The three-hour sessions are running free of charge and pupils will leave with the ingredients to cook the same dishes at home with their families. 

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