Shropshire primary school using food education to help Afghan refugee students feel more at home
Albrighton Primary School's Tuesday Night Dinner Clubs have become much than than just about teaching kids about food waste
A primary school in Shropshire wanted to teach it's pupils about surplus food, however, what it created became something extra special.
Albrighton Primary School's been hosting Tuesday Night Dinner Clubs, in partnership with the Shrewsbury Food Hub, to help give some of it's Key Stage Two pupils a chance to learn some cooking skills and about tackling food waste.
However, after the influence of some local families, it became a dual opportunity to also teach the student population about the cultures and delicacies of Afghanistan.
Headteacher Karen Tearle explained that the school currently has 18 pupils who are refugees from Afghanistan, now living in the small town that borders Wolverhampton.
To help give the youngsters some home comforts, it was decided that the excess food would be used to cook traditional Afghan dishes, which the students then served to their families by hosting a restaurant at the end of the session.
"It was this way for them to be able to share their culture," Karen said.
"They've come to England, they've adapted really well to British culture and customs and manners - all sorts of things that we do differently to how they might do it in Afghanistan, but for them to be able to then share part of their culture, and also be so proud of it and out children be really excited to learn about it, I think that's what the real power of this project was."
The students did all the prep work, all the chopping, cutting mixing and even learned how to use a stove.
They then made the menus, table decorations and served their parents their homecooked meals.
"It was quite nice because we got to taste food that we'd never tasted before," said pupil Brody.
Another student, Jonah, said: "Like Brody said, it's good to try new foods."
"It was exciting because we got to cook food for our families," said Rose.
Jasper said: "It's just stuff that's new, and new is good."
For Rowan, learning about how to stop perfectly good food from going to waste was just as inspiring as learning about the cultural meals.
"Seeing all that food that we turned into something that was probably going to be thrown away, I'd just say don't waste food, because it's not very nice," she said.
Nine-year-old Arsalan is one of those pupils who's family fled Afghanistan - in his words, it was "very special" to be able to share his favourite foods and knowledge of his home country with his friends at school.
"It was just the best day ever," he said.
"I had my friends enjoying what we aet every day at home."
His mum even cooked a Kabuli Pulao for all the children and staff at the school to enjoy, after they had had a go at making it themselves.
Karen said during the sessions, she saw children who were usually quiet come out of their shells, and heard those pupils from Afghanistan talk about their home in a way she never had before.
"Two of our values are respect and kindness," she said.
"And we saw that in abundance while the children were working together."
She added: "It's what we do it all for - it's about bringing children together."