As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enable pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life’ source: National Curriculum.
Students are expected to provide ingredients from home in order to make their dishes during practical lessons. School will provide store cupboard basics such as oil, herbs, spices etc. There is provision of ingredients available on parental request e.g. Free School Meal students are eligible for this.
Foundations of Food Education
Year 7
- Health and Safety – personal hygiene, food safety, safe working practices
- Healthy Eating – The Eat Well Guide, current guidelines, balanced diet, nutrients and their sources
- Understanding and following recipes to produce a variety of dishes and develop skills
- Sensory analysis: testing, comparing and peer and self-evaluating/assessment
- Quality control – sensory properties & functions of ingredients, weighing & measuring
- Cooking methods & use of equipment
- Understanding food science
- Time management / personal organisation / responsibility / independence
- Dishes cooked include fajitas, nan khatai biscuits, stir fry with noodles, Nandos style spicy rice
Year 8
- Food choice – factors that influence this
- Exploring International cuisine
- Food provenance – imported ingredients and reasons why
- Development of skills needed to produce a variety of International dishes
- Making healthy choices
- Understanding food science
- Time management / personal organisation / responsibility / independence
- Dishes cooked include kebabs, cookies, own choice of rice dish e.g. jollof rice, biryani
Year 9
- Life stages and dietary needs, focus on teenagers
- Special dietary needs
- Recipe modification linked to nutritional guidelines
- Expanding and refining culinary skills and techniques to make a variety of dishes
- Understanding food science
- Time management / personal organisation / responsibility / independence
- Dishes cooked include Chicken tenders and chips, own choice of mince-based dish e.g. lahmacun, keema curry and own choice of pastry or pasta based dish
Year 10
GCSE Food students work through the AQA exam board specification to acquire a broad based knowledge and understanding of the following areas. This is utilised in the written exam as well as the two coursework components that are completed in Year 11.
- Food Nutrition & Health
- Food Science
- Food Safety
- Food Choice
- Food Provenance
- Food Preparation Skills – developing and refining repertoire of dishes in preparation for Non-Examination Assessment (NEA) work
Year 11
The focus in Year 11 is on preparing for the examination through the completion of the two coursework components as well as the written exam.
- Non-Exam Assessment 1 – Food Investigation (15%)
- Non-Exam Assessment 2 – Food Preparation Skills (35%)
- Core theory consolidated prior to written exam (50%)
Further Information: AQA Food Preparation and Nutrition (8585)