Food
Cooking and Nutrition KS3 (Year 7 & 8)
Cooking and nutrition is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Pupils will learn about the importance of healthy eating and will produce a wide range of dishes, predominantly savoury, whilst demonstrating an understanding of hygiene and safety. As pupils progress they will learn and develop a range of food preparation skills which increase in complexity as they move through the school. Pupils will also learn about the safe storage of food and how to prevent food poisoning.
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 enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.
Food Preparation and Nutrition
In Year 9, pupils continue to develop their skills in food preparation producing more complex dishes with an emphasis on a high quality finish and attractive presentation. They also learn to apply their nutritional knowledge by selecting dishes appropriate for people at different life stages and with different dietary requirements. Pupils begin to learn more about the ethical and environmental issues surrounding food production.
Pupils progress to study AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition. The course has 5 key topic areas;
- Food, Nutrition & Health
- Food Science (understanding the function of ingredients)
- Food Safety
- Food Choice (studying the wide range of influences that affect an individuals’ food choices)
- Food Provenance (studying the environmental impact and sustainability of food production).
The course is assessed through two Non-examined Assessment projects; NEA 1 is a 2000 word essay investigating a hypothesis related to food science, NEA 2 is a project involving research around a theme followed by testing and trialling of a variety of dishes culminating in a 3 hour practical session in which students must produce 3 complex dishes safely and with a high standard of accuracy and finish.