TWO schools in Bushey have waved goodbye to chips and snacks and welcomed in healthy cooking thanks to a local supermarket and Government scheme.

Students at Bushey Hall School have been among the first to try out glossy new cookbooks sent for free to every 11-year-old in the country to try to promote healthy cooking.

Although initially chaotic with exclamations of: “where are the chopping boards?” and “I’ve cut my finger” the first cooking lesson for the Year 7 students proved productive.

After careful instructions from the book and patient teacher Garth Aird, the pupils put together a hot pot and apple crumble.

The cookbooks, part of a Government plan to tackle childhood obesity, include clear descriptions, pictures of utensils and dozens of simple recipes.

Mr Aird said: “They are good recipes that are suitable for them to try out at home.

“It’s not just cakes. Different year groups will try out different recipes.”

Down the road at Bushey and Oxhey infants school, children were handed a free “Grow it. Cook it. Eat it” kit by staff at Sainsbury’s.

This includes a trowel, a spade, a fork, a rake, a brush, a hoe, a watering can, wooden seed tags and labels, pots and saucers and a wheelie bag.

Teacher Aaron Wanford, said: “Free materials like this are invaluable and help us educate children about where food comes from and to teach them basic cooking skills – not to mention the importance of healthy eating.

“Clearly all of this helps towards us achieving the Government’s Eco-School Award.

“We just can’t wait to incorporate the kit into the children’s lessons and after-school activities.”