SOMETHING FISHY IS HAPPENING IN SCHOOLS

Something fishy is happening in schools – young people are cooking and eating fish and they seem to enjoy it!  During the last school term, across the UK, young people in secondary schools prepared, cooked and tasted fish – often for the first time – and they liked it! And they told us that they want to learn more and eat more fish.

Part of the Fish in Schools Hero programme, the Food Teachers Centre, supported by the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, ran 26 student masterclasses in schools (with 520 students attending), as well as 10 secondary school teacher training sessions with 200 teachers. Both the masterclasses and teacher training session were free to schools, with students and teachers using British sustainable fish, including mussels, scallops, plaice or megrim, Gurnard, hake and mackerel.

The goal of the Fish in Schools Hero programme is simple yet impactful: every child should prepare, cook and eat fish before they leave school. Equally, the programme aims to equip food teachers with the confidence in fish preparation and cooking. The programme promises life-long learning experiences for thousands of pupils across the UK.

Student masterclasses introduce students to different types of fish, as well as talk about health and sustainability. The students get to prepare, cook and taste the fish. While some are hesitant at the start, once they start to cook they enjoy the experience and happily consume what they cook! 1 in 5 students said that they did not eat fish and 50% had never cooked fish, two-thirds (66%) said that the experience gave them confidence to cook and taste fish, and pupils wanted to learn and cook more fish.

Simon Gray, Senior Associate at the Food Teachers Centre said:

“It is so satisfying to see young people prepare, cook and taste different fish – and with such enthusiasm. By giving them the skills, and talking about the use of fish, it seems that we can have an impact. They are proud of what they cook – and quite rightly so!”

To ensure that the use of fish is sustained in the classroom, using up-to-date resources, case studies and techniques, the in-depth teacher training sessions sought to further enhance teachers fish knowledge and practical food skills, enabling them to transfer this good practice to their classroom to benefit all of their students. Teachers told us that they feel more confident in using fish in the classroom, and, equipped with a range of student-friendly recipes, are motivated to do more.

Simon Gray, Senior Associate at the Food Teachers Centre continues:

“The training sessions really feel a void – they provide an opportunity for teachers to learn new practical skills, as well as develop their understanding of fish in the food curriculum. We’ve created training to build teachers’ confidence, recipes to make their lesson run smoothly and delivered high quality fish that schools will love to try. We are excited to see the difference this will make to young people in the future.”

To further support teachers, in addition to the free teacher training sessions, the Food Teachers Centre have developed sample lesson plans, a training workshop and in partnership with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), several video recipes by chef and former Masterchef winner Dhruv Baker.

Industry has also been supporting the programme by donating fish and expert logistics support and advice to get fish out to schools and into the classroom. For example, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute recently gave the initiative another 10,000 pieces of wild Alaska pink salmon, Offshore Shellfish have donated two tonnes of rope grown mussels, and Macduff Shell fish 100kg of scallops. Wing of St Mawes have supplied the fresh fish for masterclasses and teacher training events across the UK, and Fastnet Fish Limited donated 1,250 pieces of Hake to schools. Sysco UK’s M &J Seafood & Fresh Direct, DFDS UK and Reach Food Service have coordinated the logistics to deliver to over 800 schools across the UK since the start of the programme.

The Food Teachers Centre is keen to make partnerships with fish suppliers, fish mongers, chefs and passionate fish folk who would like to become Fish In Schools Heroes to run even more student masterclasses and teacher training sessions. The fish industry has a lot to offer, and through their support enable young people to see not just the importance of fish in a healthy diet, but also career pathways into the future.