Prue Leith visit 'inspiration' to cookery pupils

A head teacher said a visit from Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith was "a huge inspiration" to pupils.

Dame Prue opened a new teaching kitchen at Bruern Abbey in Buckinghamshire, an independent school with a particular focus on neurodiversity.

The school, in Chilton, said its kitchen provided a space "where children with dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD can thrive through hands-on, confidence-building experiences".

Dame Prue advised pupils that "doggedness" was needed to succeed, both in cooking and in life: "You need grit - you just need to keep going. Even when things get really tough."

The Michelin-starred chef spent the morning touring the new facilities, chatting with pupils, and joining a cookery lesson where boys were preparing chicken pie.

She watched closely as they rolled pastry, checked fillings, and talked enthusiastically about what they had learned.

The school said its new facility, which includes professional equipment, "will play a central role in the school's broad and inclusive curriculum".

Head of the school, Kate Walker, said the visit marked an important milestone.

"Prue's visit was a huge inspiration to our pupils," she said.

"The kitchen will give them the chance to develop essential life skills: from teamwork and organisation to creativity and independence."

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