School pupils in Scotland could soon have a slice of the action in bread making thanks to a free open online education course.

The course, developed by the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), is called Grow Your Own Loaf and covers a range of topics including the type of soil to use, how to encourage pollinators and, of course, what needs to be planted.

It follows the process of bread production from growing the wheat, grinding and making the bread, one of the key ingredients in our diet.

It will also look at the sustainability of food production, issues relating to food production and how wheat can be planted, grown and harvested at school.

The course was inspired by the Opening Education Practices in Scotland (OEPS), a £1.3 million, three-year project, aimed at erasing learning barriers; and joins the growing number of open learning courses created by the project.

The open education courses – with two nominated for digital awards – were launched in a collaborative effort involving universities, colleges, schools, union, and the third sector.

“This is an imaginative, fun and novel course and I am sure it will appeal to teachers and pupils alike,” said Dr Pete Cannell, co-director of the OEPS.

“The importance of how open learning resources from a variety of sources can be used more effectively is clear. High quality learning materials available to new audiences can encourage new ways of learning.”