Food & Catering

Food and Nutrition - Key Stage 3

Throughout KS3, students follow a rotational structure, overtime in Year 7 and 8, students will experience 12+ food and nutrition lessons per academic year. Within these 12 lessons students will learn:  How to be healthy, safe and hygienic in the kitchen, and learn a variety of cooking skills and techniques whilst cooking healthy meals, how to use different pieces of equipment/ utensils and where food comes from/how much recipes cost. There will also be focus on how to access a healthy diet working from the ‘Eat Well’ guide. Students are required to bring ingredients to lessons as set on Show My Homework.

How to support your child?

At KS3 it is essential that students complete all Homework tasks set on Show My Homework on time to prepare for the learning of the next lesson. Additionally parents need to be supportive with the providing of materials/ ingredients if needed. It is encouraged that parents support their children by allowing them to practice practical skills gained at home to build their confidence in the subject.

We are running a scheme in KS3 where parents pay £10 towards the cost of ingredients each year instead of asking parents to go out and buy the ingredients. It should appear as an item to purchase in the parent pay website once logged in.

Hospitality and Catering - Key Stage 4

This course focuses on the key principles of the Hospitality and Catering Industry. A lot of the content is learnt through practical lessons. Students will need to provide their own ingredients and will be cooking regularly. For the controlled assessment task in year 11, students will be given a design brief by the exam board which requires them to be creative and research and plan dishes thoroughly. Students will work independently to cook, evaluate the sensory attributes and finally conclude the task. This includes a whole day practical exam. This course provides an excellent insight into the hospitality and catering industry in addition to building pupil’s practical skills in the kitchen.  This is a coursework based subject with a written exam taken in either Year 10 or Year 11.

How to support your child?

The food department provide the students with clear deadlines as it is a coursework based subject. If you feel your child is struggling to meet a deadline on time please contact your child’s classroom teacher or Head of Department so as a department we can put necessary interventions in place to support your child. All deadlines should be met before or on the given date. Details of coursework deadlines are on Show My Homework. Revision materials for exams are distributed by the teacher. It will be required that you provide your child with materials/ ingredients to succeed in the Ks4 course. There is funding for pupil premium students available on request.