In KS3, students learn to work in a kitchen safely and produce a range of dishes which develop in skills and complexity across KS3, building the foundations for the abilities required at KS4 and 5. We believe that confidence in cooking is gained through regular practice, encouragement, and support from the teacher. By the end of KS3, students should be able to prepare and cook a range of healthy dishes to feed themselves and others.

At KS4, we follow the AQA Food Preparation and Nutrition specification. The KS3 curriculum has been developed to prepare students for this course of study and builds in complexity on the skills and knowledge learnt in Years 7 and 8. Students are taught in topics and each theory lesson has a linked practical to develop cooking skills and embed topic understanding. As the course progresses, we move away from directed recipes to encourage individual choice, develop skills, independence, and confidence.

At KS5, we follow the WJEC Level 3 Food Science and Nutrition specification. Each unit within the qualification has an applied purpose which acts as a focus for the learning in the unit. The applied purpose requires learners to consider how to use and apply what they learn on themselves, other individuals, employers, society, and the environment. This also enables learners to learn in such a way that they develop:

• skills required for independent learning and development
• skills to ensure their own dietary health and well being
• the ability to solve problems
• the skills of project-based research, development, and presentation.

The course becomes more theory-based at this point, but is still underpinned with regular practical sessions, which build on the skills and abilities learnt at KS4. There is a solid focus on Nutrition and Health, together with a strong emphasis on Food Science and Food Safety, with students completing assessments in each of these topics.

Year 7 Overview

Students are taught the following topics in Year 7:

• How to work safely in a kitchen
• Food safety and hygiene when preparing food
• How food is cooked – heat transfer
• An introduction to the Eatwell Guide
• How to handle raw meat safely
• Investigating where our food comes from
• The benefits of buying seasonal food
• How to conduct sensory analysis
• The wide variety of food available in the world.

Year 8 Overview

Students are taught the following topics in Year 8:

• Food safety and hygiene and food poisoning
• The function of ingredients in bread
• The Eatwell Guide and how to carry out nutritional analysis
• The role of micronutrients and macronutrients on health
• Eight tips for healthy eating
• The importance of maintaining energy balance
• Food provenance
• Ethical food choice.

GCSE Overview

Food, Nutrition and Health.

Food Science:

• The functional and chemical properties of food.

Food Safety:

• Food spoilage and contamination.
• Principles of food safety.

Food Choice:

• Factors which affect food choice and world food.

Food Provenance:

• The environmental impact of food production.

A-Level Overview

Students are taught the following topics in Years 12 and 13:

Certificate (Year 12)

Unit 1 Meeting Nutritional Needs of Specific Groups

• LO1 Understand the importance of food safety
• LO2 Understanding properties of nutrients
• LO3 Understand the relationship between nutrients and the human body
• LO4 Be able to plan for nutritional requirement.
• LO5 Be able to plan the production of complex menus
• LO6 Be able to cook complex dishes.

Diploma (Year 13)

Unit 2 Ensuring Food is Safe to Eat

• LO1 How micro-organisms affect food safety
• LO2 How food can cause ill health
• LO3 How food safety is managed in different situations

Unit 3 Experimenting to Solve Food Production Problems

• LO1 The scientific properties of food
• LO2 Scientific investigation into changes in food
• LO3 Solving food production problems.

• International Food Studies trip
• Chef’s Club (KS3)
• Skills School (KS4)

• Rotary Young Chef Competition