Flour and education

UNTIL the 80s, the phrase "It’s Friday, it's five o’clock. . . It’s Crackerjack!" used to signal the start of the weekend for children.

Nowadays, at Yanwath School, near Penrith, it's the sound of eager pupils in Friday afternoon's after school cookery club that winds up the week - thanks to a generous donation of flour from Carrs Breadmaker.

The aroma of freshly baked bread is unforgettable sensory signal that "school’s out" which happened after teaching assistant Tracy Simpson approached Carrs Breadmaker.

“The school has Healthy Eating status and encouraging the children to make homemade bread is a great way of going even further down that route,” said Tracey, whose two children Mia and Tara are also pupils at the school.

The after school cookery club runs from 3.30pm to 5.30pm every Friday and helps out parents who have to collect their children from school after work.

“It’s part of the extended education agenda and really popular with the pupils,” added Tracy.

“We make all kinds of things but the breadmaking days - thanks to Carrs Breadmaker - are really popular and we are now producing some wonderful loaves and rolls and inventing all kinds of recipes!”

The school has 101 pupils divided amongst four classes and educating them about healthy eating is of paramount importance.

Instead of crisps and sugary snacks during break times the pupils are given apples and other fruit and they are also taught about Fairtrade products, sourcing them for the school wherever possible.

Caroline Dale, marketing manager of Carrs Breadmaker, was delighted to add healthy breadmaking to the after school cookery club agenda.

"I was very impressed indeed by Yanwath School, everything from their inclusive approach to education to their recycling initiatives and healthy eating concerns,” she said

"Children absolutely love making bread, it’s great fun, tactile and so many of the elements of the national curriculum can be covered. They are already producing some interesting breads to add to their health school status."