Cookery in schools is an opportunity to educate in nutrition, food hygiene, and kitchen safety. However, its potential in aiding cultural and language learning was not lost on New Hall’s Modern Languages Department. Armed with an array of their favourite recipes, our teachers took to the drawing board, developing lessons packed with experiential language learning, practical vocabulary use, and oral practice. In specialised Modern Languages Cookery lessons, and in the weekly Spanish Cookery Club and termly French Soirées, cultural experience combines with the culinary arts for an innovative approach towards learning French, Spanish and Chinese. Today, this innovative initiative was recognised in the Muddy Stilettos Best Schools Awards 2024, winning the category of Best Experiential Learning.

It was an exciting time for aspiring chefs and linguists alike when New Hall opened a brand-new second Cookery Room this academic year, with twelve workstations, each complete with a 4-piece induction hob, an oven, and full-crockery set. The new Cookery Room accommodates an entire class at once, allowing for the experiential culinary and culture lessons to be woven seamlessly into the Modern Languages curriculum, with the Cookery Room a short walk from the Modern Languages Department. The Modern Languages lessons certainly add a delicious twist to the timetable, with Year 7 classes having fortnightly lessons, and other Year groups currently enjoying planned lessons coinciding with important dates or celebrations, such as ‘carnaval’ themed lessons in Spanish. Our weekly Spanish Cookery Club allows students to create delicious treats and learn about the story behind each recipe, travelling the Hispanophone world one tapa at a time. Historically offered exclusively to Year 7, it became so popular that this academic year, we have expanded to offer the club to Year 9 students as well. Chefs joined together to make dumplings for Chinese New Year, according to their teacher’s secret family recipe. Students packed the new Cookery Room for Mardi Gras, learning about Francophone traditions from around the world, through the delicious medium of crêpes.

The idea was the brainchild of Principal, Mrs Katherine Jeffrey, a life-long Francophile who has herself struggled to master the language – but keeps trying!  Mrs Jeffrey has been keen to help students of all abilities progress in Modern Languages whilst doing something they love.  She saw a unique opportunity to combine language learning with one of the most popular co-curricular activities – cooking!  Assisted by M. Boudon, Head of French, Mrs Jeffrey led by example in persevering with language learning, achieving her B1 DELF qualification in French in 2023; whilst preparing for this, she saw first-hand how an immersion style of learning helps to build confidence when learning a language.  She worked with M. Boudon to develop the prototype French & Cookery lessons, which were then rolled out in Spanish and Chinese.  Mrs Jeffrey has been delighted at the success of the programme, recognised in the Award announced this week: “The response to this style of learning has exceeded all expectations – students are engaged and enthusiastic.  They have made exceptional progress in their language learning, culinary skills and cultural appreciation.  This has got to be the most fun that can be had learning a new language!  And, along the way, New Hall students have gained valuable life skills by gaining expert knowledge in food and nutrition.  We hope the success of this award-winning original initiative sets a new example of language teaching practice across the education sector, helping to reverse the downward national trend in modern languages.”

A testament to the success of the initiative, our yearly trips to France and Spain have brought back dozens of happy students who reported successfully cooking with their host families, finding it easy to ‘passer le poivre’ [fr. pass the pepper] or ‘corta el pan’ [es. cut the bread], even practising their newly acquired culinary vocabulary while ordering in the local restaurants. This year, we have completely filled language trip spaces in each year group, from Year 7 to Year 13.

We certainly agree that ‘a way to a person’s heart is through their stomach’ – at New Hall, our experiential learning through cookery develops a love of language, culture, and many delicious new meals. We are delighted that this is now recognised in the Muddy’s Best Schools Awards as an award-winning initiative. To lovers of both languages and the culinary arts, we say, ‘Bienvenue et bon appétit!’