The food cooked by pupils from St Katherine's School, Pill, will be much tastier thanks to a £300,000 Government grant.

The food technology department at the school is to be improved after North Somerset Council learned its bid to the Department for Children, Schools and Families for the money was successful this week.

St Katherine's, a specialist science college, will use the funds to extend the food technology classroom and update cooking equipment.

The grant came after the Government announced it wanted all pupils aged between 11 and 16 to have an opportunity to learn to cook in school.

St Katherine's School's business manager, Laurence Frewin, said he was delighted that the grant application had been successful.

"This money will enable us to make some significant improvements to our food technology area and provide a state-of-the-art facility for our students," he said.

"Food technology is already an important part of the curriculum but this grant will help us build on our existing successes."

The money will be used to update cookers, fridges and other equipment to modernise the classroom.

The school is a Food For Life Flagship School and secured a bronze award for its work in food technology last year. It has already put itself forward for a silver award.

The Food for Life Partnership is a network of schools and communities across England working towards transforming food culture.

The initiative is led by the Soil Association, bringing together the practical expertise of the Focus on Food Campaign, Garden Organic and the Health Education Trust.

The awards recognise schools that use practical learning experiences to make children think more about the food they eat, following the journey from field to plate.

Last year St Katherine's held a food festival, where parents, pupils and staff enjoyed cooking demonstrations and classes led by Thai and Jamaican chefs. It also plans to open the improved facilities to Pill once completed.