Educatio
Mission Statement
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”.
Food preparation and nutrition at All Saints Catholic College will equip students with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating. The atmosphere is creative, fun and energetic with a curriculum that will encourage students to cook and enable them to make informed decisions about a wide range of further learning opportunities and career pathways. 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 affordably and well, now and in later life.
Aims of the Food Preparation and Nutrition Department
• To increase pupils’ knowledge and understanding of food and nutrition.
• To enable pupils’ to demonstrate effective and safe cooking skills by planning, preparing and cooking using a variety of food dishes using various cooking techniques and equipment.
• To understand the relationship between diet, nutrition and health,
• Pupils will further develop and demonstrate the principles of food hygiene and safety.
• Pupils will deepen and apply their knowledge of consumer food and drink choice.
• Pupils will develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently.
Key Stage 3
Food preparation and Nutrition is compulsory for all students in Years 7, 8 and 9. Across the three years, students will attend theory and practical lessons throughout KS3. This will allow students to gain knowledge and skills related to a healthy lifestyle, diet and health. The students are assessed on 4 key areas throughout each project: cooking skills, use of equipment, food evaluation skills and nutrition knowledge.
Food preparation and nutrition in years 7-9 is made up of a number of topics:
In Year 7: healthy eating, Eatwell guide, hygiene and safety practices, hazards and equipment, food provenance.
In year 8: diet and health, Eatwell guide, family meals, and macronutrients.
In Year 9: diet and health, dietary needs of different groups in society and diet related diseases, functions of ingredients and making food choices.
This curriculum has been designed to develop the knowledge and understanding related to a range of skills and techniques. Embedded within the curriculum are links with literacy, numeracy and science. These are implemented through learners developing skills such as measuring, timing, temperature control, glossary terms, various cooking methods and definitions.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 Students can choose to study GCSE’s in Food Preparation and Nutrition. The students study the AQA specification which focuses on nurturing students’ practical cookery skills to give them a strong understanding of nutrition. Students must be able to make the connections between theory and practice to apply their understanding of food and nutrition to practical preparation. Cooking and healthy eating is an important life skill and Food is focussed on preparing healthy dishes safely and hygienically. Pupils will explore healthy eating and balanced diets and will learn about nutritional needs of different groups in society.
The 5 main topics covered are: Food, nutrition and health, Food science, Food safety, Food choice and Food provenance.
Pupils are assessed under four objectives, listed below:
• AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of nutrition, food, cooking and preparation.
• AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of nutrition, food, cooking and preparation.
• AO3: Plan, prepare, cook and present dishes, combining appropriate techniques.
• AO4: Analyse and evaluate different aspects of nutrition, food, cooking and preparation including food made by themselves and others.
Food preparation and nutrition is a popular lesson which allows for all pupils to learn and develop transferable life skills to be used both in and out of school. The GCSE Food Nutrition and Preparation specification ensures that pupils increase skills not only in food but across the curriculum particularly Science, Maths and English. Pupils will be monitored throughout each topic and practical skills on a regular basis to ensure all pupils are making the maximum amount of progress possible.
Click below to view our Food curriculum for each year group.
If you would like to find out more about the Food Technology curriculum, contact our Head of Food Technology Ms Obikoya by emailing k.obikoya@allsaintscc.org.uk
