Recent work

Teacher training and resource development

Designed and delivered 10 professional development sessions about how the Oak National Academy curriculum can be used and integrated into school curriculum for the British Nutrition Foundation. The work also included the development of interactive tools and resources for teachers

Cooking and nutrition curriculum development

Appointed as Curriculum Design Lead for Oak National Academy, creating their Cooking & nutrition curriculum for Key stages 1, 2 and 3 (primary and secondary).

In addition, writing 108 lessons based on the curriculum, creating lesson slides, assessment materials, teacher support guidance, recipes and video training.

Textiles framework and research

Development of the Textiles Education: A framework for teaching textiles. Working with a range of key stakeholders, including universities, researchers, industry and practicing teachers. It provides a rationale for textiles education and outlines the fundamental curriculum building blocks for a cohesive textiles education experience for young people. 

The Framework was based on research and report production on future of textiles education for the Textiles Skills Centre, including a separate report for primary textiles education,

Social media and education

Education social media content creation, management and evaluation for:

DfE expert group

Roy is a member of the DfE Food and nutrition expert group to review proposed changes to the national curriculum (2025-2026). The group is providing expert feedback to the curriculum drafter and DfE colleagues.

AI and safeguarding

AI Safety Data Labeller - Reviewed and labelled AI-generated lesson material snippets as part of a professional educator panel for Oak National Academy. Applied safeguarding knowledge and classroom expertise to annotate a structured dataset used to evaluate AI content safety in educational contexts, covering areas including sensitive content, discriminatory language, and age-appropriate suitability across Key Stages. Dataset contributes to Oak's internal AI moderation and safety evaluation work.

Training and publications

Examples of previous work

  • development of resources, training and website for Food – a fact of life
  • national food teaching programmes (including Licence to Cook, Food in Schools training and toolkit, and Teach Food Technology)
  • national framework development, including:
  • DfE Real Meals cookbook for schools
  • school textbooks, such as Food 1 & 2 Specials! (supporting pupils with additional needs) and ICT activities for food technology
  • EU food education projects, such as the European Food Framework
  • curriculum support and research for the Food Education Learning Landscape report
  • articles in various journals
  • international visits and presentations, including Switzerland, Canada, Turkey, USA and New Zealand
  • Active Kids Get Cooking (Sainsbury’s) and work with a range of organisations while employed at the British Nutrition Foundation

"I recommend Roy Ballam very highly. The expertise he brings to the Food Teachers Centre’s social media is invaluable. He’s approachable and easy to work with. His output is phenomenal, and he never misses a deadline.  He has a keen eye for written copy and creates impactful campaigns with a variety of targeted graphics. His communication skills are outstanding, and he is a great team player. 

Roy always goes above and beyond what he has been asked to do - his experience and insights means that he is able to support organisations with funding bids, curriculum development, and professional development. His extensive knowledge and skills are also used by the team for innovative new programmes, market research, and consultation reports."

Louise T Davies, Founder, Food Teachers Centre