Food Technology

Curriculum Intent

Within Food Technology we encourage our learners to work as both leaders and as part of a team in order to meet the needs of clients through the design and manufacture of innovative solutions. Through our curriculum learners are encouraged to develop transferable skills such as good communication, organisation and leadership alongside their academic studies, life skills and career options. 

The Food Technology curriculum meets the needs of the design and technology national curriculum in key stages 3 and 4 with emphasis on our 4 core pillars;

   

These core principles which are shared across the Art, Design and Technology faculty allow our learners to develop a whole appreciation for the design process within engineering and other related creative and technical disciplines. They provide learners with the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of analysis, design, food preparation, cooking techniques and the evaluation of dishes whilst exploring the career opportunities that the subject brings.

Student Learning Journey

At KS3, in line with the National Curriculum students will:

Students will learn about the value of healthy eating and the varied nutritional values of foods that we eat. They will develop their understanding of nutrition by exploring the differing needs of various groups, learning how diet can affect health and reviewing their own diet in order to understand how to make healthier choices. Students will look at careers associated with the subject, exploring opportunities for the subject to build into a future career.

Students will develop their skills in food preparation and cooking so that they are able to feed themselves and others, adhering to strict standards of health and hygiene when working in this environment. They will learn a range of cooking techniques, how to select ingredients and correct equipment for a given outcome.

Through practical cooking sessions students will learn how to prepare a range of savoury and sweet dishes. They will develop their understanding of where ingredients can be sourced and how these can be combined to adapt recipes to a given client brief.

Students will learn how to evaluate dishes, developing an awareness of their palette and how to use their senses to decide how dishes could be improved and modified in the future.

In Year 7 students will focus on

• Introduction to hygiene in a food preparation area.
• How a client brief influences the design process
• Analysing dishes in order to understand their benefits to health. .
• The eat well plate and how this links to a healthy lifestyle
• How to work safely with a range of cooking utensils and kitchen equipment in order to prepare and cook dishes
• Introduction to the evaluation of dishes.

In Year 8 students will build on

• Building knowledge on hygiene,health and safety in the food preparation area.
• Exploring the eatwell guide as a means of achieving a balanced diet.
• Understanding food and where they come from.
• Introduction to Nutrition.
• Sauces of the main nutrients.
• Nutritional needs of specific groups of people- focus on year 1-12.
• Developing confidence in selecting commodities(ingredients) to cook repertoire of dishes to feed themselves and their family.
• Independently selecting hand held equipment and knowledge on commercial equipment.
• Accurate weighing and measuring.
• Exploring different cooking
• Exploring different cooking skills
• Planning, preparing Designing(cooking) and presenting repertoire of savoury and sweet dishes.
• Evaluating and justifying.

By Year 9 students will be able

• Confidence in knowledge on hygiene, health and safety in the food preparation area.
• Developing several techniques used in making dishes such as a roux, shortcrust pastry, making custard, caramelising , roasting and other several cooking techniques.
• Nutrition- knowledge on  nutrients, their sauces and their function  in the human body.
• Relate the nutrients to the food groups. Recommend improvements to your diets based on the principles of the eat well guide.
• Nutritional needs for specific groups of people with focus on teenagers.
• Ability to construct a logical time plan together to successfully and safely make a product.
• Using a range of commodities(ingredients) to produce a quality product.
• Weighing and measuring ingredients with increasing accuracy.
• Organising practical cooking and making a range of dishes that are mostly accurate and precise.
• Planning, preparing, cooking and presenting repertoire of savoury and sweet dishes.
• Evaluating and justifying.

Key Stage 4 in Food Technology

At KS4, students will:

Students follow a vocational pathway (WJEC Eduqas L1/ 2 Vocational award in Hospitality and Catering) designed to equip our students with applied knowledge and give them a taste of the Hospitality sector. This qualification is for students who want to learn about this vocational sector and the potential it can offer them for their careers or further study. Students are given the opportunity to develop a range of specialist and general skills that would support their progression to employment. Employment in hospitality and catering can range from waiting staff, receptionists and catering assistants to chefs, hotel and bar managers and food technologists in food manufacturing.

Students build sector-specific and transferable skills through 2 units, the first of which is assessed through a written examination and the second through a combination of written and practical assignments. The curriculum provides our students with the opportunity to build their confidence in the subject and prepare to take their next steps, be that a level 3 qualification elsewhere, an apprenticeship or the world of work.

How is Food Technology taught?

Key stage 3 ADT lessons follow a similar structure across the different subjects; however each is tailored to suit the individual skills and knowledge associated with each specialism. Delivered through a carousel system, students embark on a termly delivery of each of the ADT subjects in order to allow them to experience each subject.

Each lesson begins with an entry activity designed to allow students to recall previously taught skills and content in order to embed key content. Learning within the lesson is progressive, providing students with the opportunity to develop their abilities and then apply them to written, design or practical based activities. Assessment for learning and live marking is used each lesson in order to identify misconceptions in the classroom and allow students to progress their understanding of key topics and concepts.  Opportunity for experimentation, creativity and the development of new practical based skills and techniques are fostered within lessons, encouraging students to try new things and take risks.  Lessons end with a review of the learning that has taken place, with the information gathered used to inform future lessons.

Home learning

Home learning activities are used to support our students' learning, providing valuable opportunities for them to conduct research into careers, practice skills or build their wider understanding of the taught topics.

In key stage 3, students are set 5 home learning activities over a term. These are set using online and paper based methods dependent on the type of activity set. Feedback is provided via google classroom.

In key stages 4, home learning time is used predominantly during assignment completion weeks when students are expected to complete a minimum of 1 hr per week. Weekly revision of the topics delivered is also encouraged in order for students to begin planning their time effectively to recap material outside of the classroom.