Food – a fact of life in the classroom

Free education resources are available to all young learners with our popular education programme, Food – a fact of life, with the British Nutrition Foundation. AHDB Senior Education Manager, Elsa Healey, explains.

Originally set up by the British Nutrition Foundation over 30 years ago, and with AHDB strengthening the programme four years ago, Food – a fact of life now offers over 2,000 free educational resources to teachers of students between three and 16 years of age.

This collaboration combines the nutrition expertise of the British Nutrition Foundation with our farming expertise to provide evidence-based resources and training to teaching professionals across the UK.

Last year, as a result of using resources from Food – a fact of life, 85% of pupils in the UK were more informed about where food comes from, and 88% of pupils were more informed about healthy eating.

Forming part of our strategy to protect and promote the reputation of British agriculture, we focus on developing accurate and up-to-date educational resources with the aim of reaching and informing consumers of the future.

In 2021 alone, resources including activity packs, quizzes, lesson plans, presentations and worksheets were downloaded 1.3 million times.

Overall, almost 1,000 educators attended events, workshops and webinars last year, covering topics such as cheesemaking and butchery, with 80% using the training to update their own lesson plans.

Regional conferences will be held this year, offering teacher training to build confidence in delivering classes on food and farming.

The programme meets all UK national curricula and alleviates some of the increasing time and budget pressures faced by educators. It focuses on providing life skills in nutrition and healthy eating, practical cooking skills, and understanding where food comes from.

Amy Bergiers, a primary school teacher at Nantgaredig Primary School, said: “I can honestly say that Food – a fact of life makes life so much easier for teachers. I think that all schools should take advantage of the programme. The website is very much a one-stop shop and it’s clear the resources have been written by people with a real understanding of the subject and what works in the classroom.”

Four ways for farmers to get involved in education

If you’re looking to engage with your local school, AHDB is here to help. We provide tools and resources that help you educate schoolchildren about farming and where food comes from.

There are four different ways farmers can support children in learning more about farming:

1. Help your local school or community find the right resources by sharing details of ‘Food – a fact of life’ and Countryside Classroom.

‘Food – a fact of life’ promotes knowledge and skills on where food comes from and healthy eating, as well as supports young people to develop the life skill of cooking. The easy-to-use resources are free to access and compliant with the national curriculum. The education programme is delivered as part of a partnership between AHDB and the British Nutrition Foundation.

Countryside Classroom helps teachers find resources and places to visit and provides schools with support on food, farming and the natural environment. The website covers early years, through to 16–18-year-olds and has resources for every subject from art through to languages and science. The resources are managed by Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) in partnership with industry organisations, including AHDB.

Sharing the resources in your community or on social media can help.

2. Use our online ordering form to receive printed resources or download digital versions

To help engage the next generation, download or order our latest set of posters, ‘farming food for you’, to share with your local school. These posters show life on the farm, how animals are reared and cared for, and how crops are grown and harvested. Additional resources available include stickers and educational leaflets.

3. Speak to schools directly with Farmer Time

Run by LEAF, Farmer Time helps you connect to classrooms directly by holding a live chat with them. It provides a great opportunity to talk to the next generation of consumers about where their food comes from.

Children chat with their matched farmer through FaceTime or Skype to discuss ideas, ask questions, share knowledge and gain a ‘real-time’ understanding of the issues farmers face every day.

4. Host education visits to your farm by becoming CEVAS accredited

CEVAS is an accredited learning programme for farmers interested in providing education or therapeutic (care farming) experiences at their farm. CEVAS-trained farmers welcome 500,000 schoolchildren every year.

There are two routes available – either education or therapeutic. While the former is aimed at schools, the latter covers a wide range of visits. On top of this, becoming CEVAS accredited counts towards BASIS and Dairy Pro.