Co-op Academy Penny Oaks (formerly St Mary’s and St Peter’s Catholic Primary School) submitted an entry for the “LACA School Catering Team of the Year – Primary Award”, which was packed full of evidence showcasing the passionate commitment of Paula Garner and her catering team, and how they work closely with the headteacher, Michelle Khambhaita in promoting inclusivity, celebrating diversity and  engaging with the community. 

They wowed the judges with both the quantity and quality of the activities that were taking place within school. One example was a successful initiative to help new Nigerian pupils settle into school life. After  seeing the children weren’t taking the meals they were entitled to, the team organised Ready Steady Cook style sessions where the parents and children created dishes they liked to eat at home. These were then fully integrated into the school menu for everyone to enjoy. 

Our catering team have certainly used the power of food to help bring people in the school community  together. They called upon the treasure trove of cultural expertise in school (where 18 nationalities are  represented) to create some fantastic themed events, with not only special menus but also where children  had the chance to try their hand at African drumming and bhangra dancing etc. 

Another very popular initiative, “Dance and Dine”, which was created with the headteacher to develop community links  and promote the school’s health and wellbeing agenda, has attendees doing an hour of exercise, (often dancing), followed by Paula providing everyone with a delicious meal. Paula also conducts cooking sessions for students, teaching age-appropriate cooking skills and promoting nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. And because of the school’s partnership with Rethink Food to reduce food waste and provide  fresh ingredients to families, Paula runs cooking sessions for parents using these ingredients, with  everyone coming together at the end to eat, and celebrate the new skills they have learnt. School staff  have also joined the fun, when Paula hosted a ‘Cook Off’ competition to promote creativity and teamwork during one of their staff training days. 

The ingredients for all this amazing activity in school come from a variety of sources, and one is from within school itself. On top of everything else, the school also has a hydroponics system (that supercharges the growth of vegetables / herbs in a soil-free and very resource efficient way) and flower gardens where children grow herbs and vegetables for school meals, promoting a sense of ownership, environmental awareness, and sustainability.