Start with a person
Find the person responsible for the kitchen today. Explain what you have been trained to do and what is unfamiliar. Agree who will check the meals with you and who to call if the plan changes. A short article cannot establish practical competence.
Read today before preparing anything
Open Today’s Kitchen. Confirm the date, when attendance was last checked, rooms and meal quantities. Read the current dietary and texture instructions with the responsible staff member. Locate the individual plans through the centre’s authorised process; a summary on screen does not replace them.
Walk the work area
Ask to be shown the handwashing point, clean utensils, dietary preparation area, thermometer, approved Food Safety Plan and emergency procedure. Read the handover and open issues. Confirm that equipment is available and suitable before starting a task.
Work backwards from service
Read the menu and approved recipe version. Check ingredients and labels, then agree the first tasks and room delivery times. Record checks when you perform them. If something is missing or unclear, pause the affected task and ask the supervisor to resolve it.
Practise a decision
The regular cook is absent and a replacement sauce has arrived. What do you do? Keep it out of preparation until its label, recipe impact and affected children’s plans have been reviewed. Ask the responsible person to approve and record the change.
Read the source guidance
Sources checked for this edition on 9 September 2026. Check the linked authority for subsequent changes.