LEYF opens up its chef training academy to all nurseries

LEYF launched its Early Years Chef Academy in 2019 to ensure more children get the healthy, nutritious food they need. Following a successful pilot in its nurseries, the group has now opened enrolment of its professional Chef Academy qualification to all nurseries and chefs working with children under the age of seven.

The first external candidates will start training in March. Further training opportunities will be available in October.

With more than 1 million children a year attending an early years setting, LEYF’s belief is that the sector now has a real opportunity to improve children’s diets and long-term health.

Its CACHE-endorsed qualification covers portion sizes, weaning, menu planning and managing allergies, while building participants’ confidence to hold food-related activities with children, staff and parents.

The qualification has been updated following research conducted by CEEDA on behalf of the nursery group, which indicated there is a real need to build the knowledge and skills of chefs and early years staff about children’s nutritional needs and increase support to help parents embed good practice at home.

The findings from the research of 382 providers and 415 parents also revealed:

• Just 19 per cent of teachers reported being ‘very confident’ in nutrition for children aged 7-12 months and 39 per cent for children aged one to four.
• Only 24 per cent of teachers were ‘very confident’ in setting appropriate portion sizes.
• Almost a third of parents reported that their family can’t afford to eat balanced meals.
• Three-quarters of parents said they would be more likely to trust advice on healthy eating for their child if it came from a specially trained chef.

June O’Sullivan, chief executive of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), said, ‘The best way to embed a healthy food culture for children is to train those who cook. Children’s nutritional needs are quite different to adults and it’s imperative that we get this right with proper professional training for early years chefs. There’s no denying that once a child becomes obese, it is highly likely that they will be obese for the rest of their lives. This is why, as a sector, we need to take a more responsible, supportive and joined up approach.’

• To enrol on the course click here