Children exploring different fruits with the nursery

Early Years Chef Academy

We train chefs and teachers to be experts in child nutrition and to help children, staff and parents build healthy habits for life.

Apply now

Make your nursery a leader in healthy eating and practice

Level 3 CACHE-accredited award

Introduced in 2019, Early Years Chef Academy trains Early Years chefs to ensure more children get the healthy, nutritious food they need to grow and learn.

We train chefs from all Early Years Settings to be experts in child nutrition and to help children, staff and parents build healthy habits for life.

Download the course guide to find out more.

“It is great that finally there is training available that focuses on Early Years chefs.”

Nursery Manager of external chef

Course details

The course is delivered in weekly interactive online sessions via Microsoft Teams and is therefore suitable for Early Years chefs working anywhere.

Course length: 15 modules taught over 4.5 months, made up of 2 hour sessions per week.

Dates: 5th June until 16th October 2024.

Timings: every Wednesday afternoon, 2pm until 4pm.

Apply now

Entry requirements

Any chefs or people working with fresh produce in a kitchen in any Early Years setting can take part.

Nurseries need to be invested in improving their food, the health of their children and empowering their chef to help make the nursery a community hub for good practice.

Nurseries will need to provide cover for learners during their weekly sessions over the course of five months. Course participants must have access to a laptop or tablet.

Cost

Full price	£1200
Charity/non-profit nurseries	£800
Nurseries offering the 2-year-old funding entitlement	£800
Charity and the 2-year-old funding entitlement	£400

A £100 deposit will be required to secure your place upon application.

What should you expect from the course?

Participants can expect to become experts in everything from portion sizes to weaning and from menu planning to managing allergies.

We give chefs the tools and confidence to help children, nurseries and wider communities embed healthy, lifelong eating habits.

The training covers practical areas, such as adapting dishes to make them healthier, running exciting food-related activities with children and offering tips to staff and parents, so they can make healthy and delicious meals without breaking the bank.

"Our Chef appears energised, motivated and excited after attending this training"

Nursery Manager

What is the impact of the course?

So far, our external evaluation of the course found that:

Chefs found the training useful and worthwhile
Chefs reported improved understanding around child nutrition
Chefs reported improved confidence in encouraging healthy choices
Chefs felt the training had improved their status
Chefs were interacting more with children, other staff, and parents around healthy eating
Expected improvements to children’s diets have started to materialise

Explore the course’s impact

"It really is a worthwhile course"

Meet Janet, Senior Chef at Stockwell Gardens Nursery and Pre-School. She tells us about what she learned and the value she gained from the LEYF Chef Academy.

Watch

Contact us

Please get in touch with any questions or queries you may have, at chefacademy@leyf.org.uk or on 020 7834 8679.

Partners

Impact on Urban Health

Thomasina Miers

Food and nutrition

Healthy eating and nutrition are a priority at LEYF.

staff and children looking very curiously into a plant pot

LEYF Pedagogy

Our unique seven-strand Pedagogy is interwoven into everything we do, to give all children wonderful learning experiences every day.

London Institute of Early Years

Learn from leaders in Early Years.

Make your nursery a leader in healthy eating and practice

Level 3 CACHE-accredited award

Course details

Entry requirements

Cost

What should you expect from the course?

What is the impact of the course?

"It really is a worthwhile course"

Contact us

Apply now

Early Years Chef Academy application form

Partners