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Food and Nutrition

Curriculum Plan for Food & Nutrition

Aims and Purpose

Our Food & Nutrition curriculum equips pupils with practical food skills and develops their understanding of healthy and sustainable diets, working to instil a culture of healthy eating and food literacy in our students.  Pupils will be taught to make informed decisions about food and drink, and to celebrate food as an important part of different cultures, and source of nourishment, connection and joy.

The aim is to relate cooking and nutrition so that all pupils can ‘understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook’. The concepts of healthy eating, cooking and food provenance are taught over time with increasing complexity, providing pupils with the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills by making informed choices when preparing, making and evaluating dishes.

Further Study

Upon completion of this course, pupils will be qualified to go on to further study or embark on an apprenticeship in the catering, nutrition or food industries. This subject provides an excellent basis for progression to related courses in higher education including Food Science, Food Technology, Food Microbiology and Nutrition related degrees. Food Preparation and Nutrition provides a platform for a wide range of careers in the food industry, which is one of the largest employers in the world.

Threads Across Food & Nutrition

Curriculum threads build in complexity over the period of study and are revisited through each learning cycle.  To reflect the core knowledge and skills that underpin Food & Nutrition our chosen threads are:

  • Consumer awareness
  • Food culture
  • Food hygiene and safety
  • Food origins and provenance
  • Food preparation and cooking
  • Healthy eating and nutrition
  • Sensory evaluation
  • Sustainability and climate change
  • The science of food

KS3 Assessment

Key Stage 4

GCSE Food and Nutrition

At KS4 we study GCSE, WJEC Eduqas Food & Nutrition, with Grades 1-9 available. This course has a 50% coursework and 50% written exam split as below:

  • Component 1: Principles of Food Preparation and Nutrition written examination

1 hour 45 minutes (50% of the qualification, externally assessed)

  • Component 2: Food Preparation and Nutrition in Action Non-Examination Assessment (NEA)

NEA 1: 8 hours assessment (15% of the qualification, internally assessed, externally moderated). Food Investigation Assessment (30 Marks) – a scientific food investigation which will assess the learner’s knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to scientific principles underlying the preparation and cooking of food. Students are required to produce a written or electronic report (1,500–2,000 words) including photographic evidence of the practical investigation.

NEA 2: 12 hours assessment (35% of the qualification), internally assessed, externally moderated).  The Food Preparation Assessment (70 Marks) Prepare, cook and present a menu which assesses the learner’s knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to the planning, preparation, cooking and presentation of food. Students are required to produce a written or electronic portfolio including photographic evidence. Photographic evidence of the three final dishes must be included.

The NEA assessments will be based on a choice of tasks released by WJEC annually.

Core knowledge is split across six topics that underpin both the content and food preparation skills for the course:

  • Food commodities
  • Principle of nutrition
  • Diet and good health
  • The science of food
  • Where food comes from
  • Cooking and food preparation

Units of Study

Specification

Department Staff

Mrs M McCall

Teacher of Food Preparation and Nutrition