Feedback from alumni suggest many of our students are not prepared for this transition from the family home to halls of residence in College. We are lucky to have an amazing Food Tech Lab in our school and GCSE Food Technology and the Cooking ECA Clubs are really popular. But, still some sixth formers have no idea how to even boil an egg! So as part of our Extended Curriculum Project in Year 12 where students have further Life Competency experiences beyond their A Levels, Mr Williams offers the students a period a week to learn some basic cooking skills. This has been very popular, not least because to cook with friends is a good well being activity to release the stress of academic study and upcoming examinations. We have also really enjoyed this year rebooting the house system in Laude and the Sixth Formers are the leaders as House Captains. This year we have had Interhouse Magazine, Basketball, Trivia, Cross Country, Handball and we are working towards a huge sports day in April. It was the Year 13 Principals, however, who suggested a House Bake Off just for them, a final interhouse memory before they graduate. With this idea of Zoe, our Student Principal, we held an Inter-House Bake Off in Mr Williams´s Food Tech Lab. If any of you know of the “Great British Bake Off” on BBC TV, it mirrored this event with a technical round of Chocolate Cookies and a Showstopper Cake! The 2 rounds comprised of a Biscuit / Cookie Bake judged with these criteriaTexture – balance of crispness (base and top) and crumbliness (interior) – 5Flavour – sweet enough and balance of biscuit and flavour content – 5Appearance – the biscuits look attractive and similar in shape and size – 5Process – the kitchen is clean, well organised and the team work well together – 5 Showstopper – Cake Bake (Based on the theme of ‘Our House´) The cakes were then judged on: Moist and Tender Crumb – 5Well-balanced flavours – 5Exquisite Aesthetic Appeal – it must look good! – 5Light and Fluffy Texture – 5Memorable and Unique Twist to the interpretation of the theme – 5Process – the kitchen is clean, well organised and the team work well together – 5After all the judging by Head Judge Mr. Williams and the Sixth Form tutors, it was a close call but eventually East House came out on top.The students were wonderful and made some memories before they head off to focus back on their examinations. Well done to Holly and the East House (1st place) for narrowly beating a strong North House into 2nd. South burned their cookies in fourth and West did an amazing Lemon cake to make it to 3rd. Was it all just about fun and baking? No! The competencies of communication, planning, teamwork, decision making, delegation, negotiation, time management all came to the fore. It takes confidence to put your baking skills to the test in front of your teacher judges under pressure. Some of the students can now at least eat cake at College and hopefully know their way around the kitchen!
