Parents with children at Northampton International Academy are being invited to learn how to cook healthy, budget-friendly meals through a series of free cookery classes.
The school is hosting the five-week programme of classes to teach parents how to make a range of affordable and nutritious meals, as well as learning about issues such as portion size, snacking and tackling fussy eaters.
The classes are being delivered by the Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT) 0-19 team and Northamptonshire County Council’s adult learning service.
Cllr Ian Morris, County Council Cabinet Member for adult social care and public health, said: “This is an inspiring project which adds great value to both the school and the community.
“Being able to cook is a fantastic skill and these classes provide the perfect opportunity for parents and children to spend quality time and learn together.”
Mariza Horne, inclusion lead and design technology teacher at Northampton International Academy, said: “This programme is designed to help some of our parents who may struggle with healthy meal ideas to learn how to make some simple and affordable dinners for their families.
“I think it’s really important to engage with our parents. We’re also looking at other ways of bringing parents into the school with things like story time sessions for pre-school children and baby weigh-in clinics. We have quite a bit of space here at Northampton International Academy and we think this would be a great way to make use of it.”
Over the five-week programme, families will learn how to make dishes such as pasta and chorizo hotpot, potato and leek soup and quesadillas.
Chloe Turner, a healthy lifestyle advisor at NHFT, said: “There are lots of parents who don’t know how to cook well. Every meal we make on this course costs less than £5, and this programme will hopefully give them the confidence to start cooking healthy meals on a budget for their families.”