PRACTICAL cookery lessons are to be compulsory in schools for the first time, the Government has announced.

From 2011, every 11 to 14-year-old will be given hands-on cooking lessons in how to make cheap, healthy dishes from simple, fresh ingredients. Cooking has never been compulsory in secondary schools before.

More than 85 per cent of schools already have the facilities in place and offer food technology classes.

Among them is Bishop Perowne CE College in Worcester, where cookery lessons are having a marked impact on the attitude pupils have on food.

I joined a group of key Stage 4 students at the school who have decided to continue their cookery classes to GCSE level. The students were taking part in a practical lesson, making lasagne, as part of their GCSE catering course.

"We try to do as much practical work as we can," said food technology teacher Alison Haughtey. "And we also try to make sure they are learning healthy meals. We look at all the nutritional aspects of what we are making."

She added: "We are fortunate here that we have two fully-equipped kitchens and two fully-qualified members of staff."

In key stage 3 the school teaches pupils how to make a range of dishes, including healthy pizzas, fruit salads and even healthy burgers - which are made from scratch.

"We try to make food that the students like but make them healthy, so they can see what is going in to them," Mrs Haughtey said.

And in key stage 4 the students get to expand on their skills, becoming more daring and adventurous with their dishes.

"Last week we did Chinese food and next week we are doing Mexican," Mrs Haughtey said.

The students all seemed to be enjoying the practical lesson, and were enthused about the food they were making. But what surprised me most was the reaction of the boys towards cooking, compared with the girls.

Of the five boys in the class, four wanted to become chefs later in life. But of the four girls, not one said they were actually considering cookery as a career. Fifteen-year-old Ben Smallman said: "I really enjoy cooking. I think it is interesting and a valuable skill. I do a lot of cooking at home, and at my nan's house. A lot of people think cooking is just for girls but it isn't."

Ben said he was inspired by celebrity chefs such as James Martin, on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen.

Dale Nicholson, also 15, said: "I would really love to be a chef. I think it's really interesting and fun. I like to watch Gordon Ramsay on the TV."

The students said they were glad to be learning skills they could use in later life, and were being prepared for adulthood.

Part of the Government's drive to increase cookery lessons in schools is to recruit more teachers and technicians.

Worcester Sixth Form College offers two A-levels, leading to a career in this field: Food Technology and Food, Nutrition and Health.

Course leader Laura Tonner said: "The number of students taking up the courses has increased massively in the past four years. But a lot of students are looking more at careers in food research and development, or dietics. I would love to see more students going on to become teachers. It is a fantastic, rewarding job."

Mrs Tonner said she welcomed the Government's drive to increase cookery lessons for pupils. "It is such an important skill to have," she said. "Not only do they learn how to look after themselves but there are so many careers that it can lead to. Here at the college we welcome the news and hope that pupils at school will enjoy the sessions and will decide to continue their study with us."

COOKERY LESSONS: WHAT THE PUPILS SAY

Ben Smallman, aged 15, said: "Learning to cook is really important, and it's something everyone should do. But it is also enjoyable and you get satisfaction from making something that tastes good."

Jack Jones, aged 15, said: "My mum works nights sometimes so I cook for me and my brother. I like to cook healthy food and make it from scratch as it is so much better than heating ready meals."

Christine Staff, aged 14, said: "I really like cooking, and I think it's a good skill. I don't think I would want to do it as a career but I think it is important to know how to cook for later in life."

Lois Henshall, aged 14, said: "It's good to know what is going in to your food so that you can make sure it's healthy. I enjoy the practical sessions and think I have learned a lot in my cookery classes."