23 December 2025
Well done to Little Learners for leading by example and becoming the first ever Early Years setting in West Northamptonshire to achieve a Food for Life Early Years Bronze award, and in just five short months!
To celebrate their hard work, we hosted a celebration event on the 17th of November where Kate Shaw, our Local Programme Manager for West Northamptonshire led some fantastic food-related activities. Kate taught attendees to sow cress into empty egg shells and read stories all about how food connects us. The day ended with a foodie sing-along session to really celebrate the importance of food and how it can provide a joyful experience that brings people together.
Kate's collaboration with Little Learners all started on May 9th, when she delivered some practical, one-to-one gardening activities with the children. During the session, the children explored what lives in the soil and what plants need to grow. They even got involved with planting some seed potatoes in the garden, allowing them to begin to understand the farm-to-fork journey, and the true value of food from such a young age.
Little Learner's chef, Amy, is an excellent example of a Food for Life champion that is striving to create a good food culture within her setting. She produces all meals and snacks across her extended day, making sure to prioritise healthy, sustainable and delicious food for the young children. Even in her busy schedule, she finds time to teach the children how to cook, and links cooking activities with stories that inspire the children's imaginations.
Children aged three years and above spend their days immersed in the school's outdoor classroom, taking part in Forest School activities that connect them deeply with nature, and mealtimes are no exception! The children eat outdoors, surrounded by fresh air and natural light, to grow a mindful relationship between food and the environment. When the weather turns, they can retreat to a cosy barn. In this unique space, learning happens through direct and active experience. The children discover what it means to live a healthy, balanced life that involves being in nature, nurturing plant growth and staying active.
The nursery is not only making a difference within its own setting, but it is also creating a positive impact in their wider community. Recognising that some families are struggling to make ends meet, the nursery self-funds a food bank, making up food hampers for parents to collect when needed. This has created some hugely powerful bonds between the settings and families, and some exemplary work for creating a welcoming and inclusive culture where good food is accessible to all. One of the strongest examples of this is evidenced by Mel, the family support manager, who has been curating care packages for immigrant families containing food and supplies that are familiar to them, to make them more settled in their new home.