Five Medway schools are celebrating after it was announced that they will receive £300,000 funding each for food technology lessons.

The money is targeted on schools where current facilities need improvement.

The Government funding amounts to £1.5million for Medway.

The funding is for practical cooking spaces and to support the introduction of compulsory food technology lessons for pupils in the early years of secondary education.

Ministers decided to make the money available after it became concerned that some children and young people are leaving school without having gained basic cookery skills.

The five schools are Chatham Grammar School for Boys, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, The Howard School, Greenacre School and The Rochester Grammar School.

Cllr Les Wicks, Medway Council's portfolio holder for Children’s Services said: “I welcome the news of this funding. It’s great news for students.

"Learning to cook and understand how to handle food is a great life skill and one which will enable our young people to be more independent.”

Rose Collinson, Director of Children and Adult Services, said: “Increasingly. Government is realising that it is essential to help young people gain practical and work-related skills at home and at school.

"In Medway, we are leading the way in offering these skills alongside more traditional academic studies.

"Introducing this kind of learning allows more young people to achieve in different ways, as well as ensuring that they have the ability to earn a living and look after themselves and their families as they grow into adulthood.”