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Food & Nutrition
Departmental approach to the curriculum
Food Preparation and Nutrition is taught across Key Stage 3 in a carousel model; students experience both theory and practical lessons for one term within an academic year.
At Key Stage 4, GCSE Food and Nutrition is taught to Years 10 and 11.
We offer enrichment opportunities to Key Stage 5, including ASDAN FoodWise from September 2023.
Year 7
Students are introduced to the subject with two lessons over the two-week timetable looking at basic food skills. This includes Food Hygiene and Safety as well as an introduction to basic tools and equipment. The course follows a theme of learning new skills in order to prepare foods that are interesting and delicious. Practical lessons vary between weekly and every two weeks depending on the planning and preparations needed for students to fully understand a topic.
Year 8
Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and health.
Cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes so you can feed yourself and others a healthy and varied diet.
Become competent in a range of cooking techniques, selecting and preparing ingredients, using utensils and electrical equipment, applying heat in different ways, using awareness of taste, texture, and smell to decide how to season dishes and combine different ingredients adapting own recipes.
Understand the source, seasonality, and characteristics of a broad range of ingredients.
Year 9
These skills will be built on and improved should pupils opt for the GCSE course. Students will use previous skills to plan, prepare and create new dishes. All work will introduce pupils to the skills required at GCSE for the Food Preparation and Nutrition specification AQA, Eatwell guide, vitamins and minerals.
Students will acquire key skills and understand how to:
- Investigate functional and chemical properties of ingredients
- Analyse and evaluate results
- Understand special diets and Food Choice
- Select equipment for practical sessions and use it safely and correctly
- Plan a dish and produce it using a detailed time plan
- Test food and identify areas for improvement.
- Linked to Core topics KS3
- Food nutrition and health
Year 10 and 11
The new AQA Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE is an exciting and creative course that focuses on practical cooking skills to ensure students develop a thorough understanding of nutrition, food provenance, and the working characteristics of food materials. At its heart, this qualification focuses on nurturing students’ practical cookery skills to give them a strong understanding of nutrition over the course of two years AQA exam board.
It is a practical and creative course that focuses on giving students the necessary skills and subject knowledge to provide the foundation for the NEA and final examination in year 11.
Intended to be flexible and easily adapted to meet the curriculum requirements.
The approved books support the course specification with recipe suggestions for practical activities and can be used as an extension over additional sessions.
Topics and themes:
1. Food, nutrition, and health
2. Food science
3. Food safety
4. Food choice
5. Food provenance
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/food/gcse/food-preparation-and-nutrition-8585
Students will be expected to apply their knowledge and understanding of the specification from the Year 10 course and demonstrate a wide range of practical skills in the Non-Exam Assessment (NEA). The final written paper will assess their theoretical knowledge and understanding of the subject content of this specification.
Students will have been taught a wide range of food preparation skills which have been integrated throughout the Year 10 scheme of work and linked where appropriate to the subject content. In the NEA, students must use and apply a variety of food preparation skills to achieve a range of different outcomes. The choice of recipes to demonstrate the skills.
Assessment for AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (8585)
Assessment is by a Non-exam assessment (NEA, undertaken in year 11) which forms 50% of the marks, the remaining 50% will be by a one hour 45 minutes written examination.
Link to the AQA Food Preparation and Nutrition homepage
Written Exam worth 50%
Time: 1 hour 45 mins
Marks: 100 marks
Coursework worth 50%
Task 1: Food investigation (30 marks)
Students' understanding of the working characteristics, and functional and chemical properties of ingredients.
Practical investigations are a compulsory element of this NEA task. Task 1: Written or electronic report (1,500–2,000 words) including photographic evidence of the practical investigation.
Task 2: Food preparation assessment (70 marks)
Students' knowledge, skills, and understanding in relation to the planning, preparation, cooking, presentation of food, and application of nutrition related to the chosen task. Students will prepare, cook and present a final menu of three dishes within a single period of no more than three hours, planning in advance how this will be achieved. This task can be written or electronic portfolio including photographic evidence. Photographic evidence of the three final dishes must be included.
Long Term Curriculum Overviews
Long Term Curriculum Plan - Food and Nutrition - Year 7
Long Term Curriculum Plan - Food and Nutrition - Year 8
Long Term Curriculum Plan - Food and Nutrition - Year 9
'The Big Picture' Curriculum Map
'The Big Picture Curriculum Map
This document will provide a visual overview of the department's curriculum from Key Stages 3 to 5. This is in a student-friendly format to support them in their understanding of the department's curriculum.
Assessment Matrix - Food Preparation and Nutrition
Department Assessment Matrix
This document will provide an overview for assessment for Key Stages 3 and 4.
Home Learning
Home learning at Key Stage 3 contributes and feeds into the scheme for learning.
Home learning is set once every half term at KS3. The frequency of home learning will increase at Key Stage 4 and 5 and represent work for students’ examined assessments.
How can you help your child succeed in food technology?
KS3/KS4
We recommend the students cook as much as possible to practice all their skills as well as developing a love for cooking skills.
KS4
We recommend that students use the AQA revision guide as their source of revision. The AQA guide along with past papers is a fantastic way to prepare for the exam. The AQA can be purchased on amazon.
