Kitchen class a bonus for Foundation Studies ākonga

Foundation Studies tutor Alex Dickie knows how tough it can be for some learners who just don’t gel with the mainstream education system.

Some of his students have struggled in traditional education settings due to neurodiversity, challenging family situations, or a lack of confidence and ability to concentrate. Others are learning to navigate modern life and its myriad distractions such as screens and social media – which can lead to social isolation.

Alex trialled a new way to engage students by taking them out of the classroom and into the commercial kitchen on the WITT campus for part of their course. It’s a space he’s comfortable in, having been a hospitality tutor at WITT and prior to that, a professional fine dining chef - from Wellington’s top restaurants to celebrity superyachts in Europe.

He understands that practical, tactile learning can be more effective for students who are here to refresh numeracy and literacy skills they missed out on at school. The New Zealand Certificate in Foundation Studies (Level 2) qualification is designed for people engaging or re-engaging with learning who have the basic skills to pursue further education or employment but require further development to confidently apply them.

“Cooking is an ideal context for honing literacy and numeracy because they [students] need to read and understand written instructions, like recipes, and be able to measure and weigh ingredients, as well as understand temperature and timing,” he says.

Cooking also helps them with essential life skills, such as how to create nutritious meals on a budget, shopping, reading and interpreting food labels and understanding what a balanced diet looks like.

Diverse needs and learning styles

School leaver Christina Smith is already on a path to working in hospitality. She opted to do Foundation Studies - on her mum’s advice – before she enrols in a hospitality programme, her next step. She works at Tawa Glen Café in Lepperton as barista and front of house. Christina is motivated to gain qualifications in hospitality so she can work in diverse areas of the sector, aiming for management roles in the future.

Storm Winmill-Ross chose Foundation Studies to get back into study after years raising children (now aged 16 and 8).  She has gained NCEA units up to Level 3 so she can apply for early childhood or primary teacher training – her dream.

She’s also enjoyed learning carpentry and metal work in the trades elective she’s done through Foundation Studies - and is confident she will now be able to fix a few things at home.

Teryn Haughey attended high school for five years but felt she didn’t achieve to her ability having been placed in a class that catered for students with disabilities. She has ADHD and Autism. She loves maths and had achieved top marks for her NCEA Level one at school. However, socially she found it difficult and stopped going to school.

Teryn says she learns at a slower pace than many students. “I was told I would never achieve anything.”

At WITT she’s found her rhythm and is very happy. “I’ve made friends who accept me for who I am.”

WITT has been life changing, she says. “I go home now and tell my mum what a great day I’ve had.”

Cameron Ponga enrolled in Foundation Studies from Year 12. He also finds he can work at his own pace, and now feels more confident as a learner. As well as academic study, he’s enjoyed cooking classes and meeting new people of diverse backgrounds and ages. He’s keen on pursuing civil engineering.

Te Whare Tapa Whā for wellbeing

Alex incorporated other new elements of learning to enhance students’ well-being, with the Te Whare Tapa Whā model developed by leading Māori health advocate, the late Sir Mason Durie. The model defines health and wellbeing as a wharenui/meeting house with four walls representing wairua/spiritual wellbeing, taha hinengaro/mental and emotional wellbeing, taha tinana/physical wellbeing and taha whānau/family and social wellbeing. Connection with the whenua/landforms the foundation. Sessions were supported by kaimahi from Te Puna Manaaki and Kopa Manaaki.

Alex says he had to put on his “Gordon Ramsay hat” occasionally when drilling health and safety measures in the kitchen. Foundation Studies is the only course of this kind in the country (as it branches out into all industries instead of a direct pathway into a specific trade) and Alex believes the kitchen learning experience was a great success in giving ākonga valuable life skills.

“I’m so grateful to our Kaimahi at WITT – from all of our student support services, tutors from trades, hospitality, health and fitness to the deputy directors – who shared their expertise, support, and passion to make the Foundation Studies programme and enriching learning experience for our ākonga,” says Alex.

Caption: (from left) Storm Winmill-Ross, Teryn Haughey, Cameron Ponga and Christina Smith.