Children were joined by the Lady Mayoress of the City of London at a workshop teaching them basic life skills.

The mayoress, Samantha Bowman, visited Woodside Primary Academy in Walthamstow, where pupils learned how to make a healthy vegetable soup as part of a programme run by the Country Trust.

The scheme is run at schools where a high proportion of children receive free school meals and teaches them basic cooking skills and about how food ends up on their plates.

The Lady Mayoress said: “It is a delight to visit Woodside Primary Academy to see their work.

“I believe The Country Trust’s programme is teaching children vital life skills and is helping them grow their food confidence, their self-confidence and their knowledge of the world around them.”

Pupils at Woodside have been growing their own vegetables and herbs in school and learning how to cook meals using fresh ingredients and the produce they have grown as part of the programme.

The Country Trust, which works with around 25,000 children in disadvantaged areas across the UK, also organised a school visit to a farm through the project.

Country Trust Food discovery co-ordinator, Poppy Flint, said: “We’re delighted that the Lady Mayoress joined us and it was a fabulous experience for the children to meet her and show off their cooking skills.

“Our programme is about real-world learning in an educational setting. Children learn life skills like growing and cooking, but also gain confidence, learn to solve problems and meet people in a variety of jobs who get our food to our plates.

“We’re really proud of how the programme is working at Woodside and it was an honour to show this off.”