Food Technology

As part of their work with food, students will be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables students to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life. We have worked hard to create a comprehensive curriculum that promotes safety, passion, creativity and discipline within the kitchen, as well as important social factors such as food sourcing, ethical eating and the development of national cuisines.

Our Food Technology curriculum is focused on the theoretical and scientific elements of cooking, developing students’ confidence in where our food comes from, what’s in it, how it’s sourced, processed and made as well as how various reactions taking place within our cooking impact how it tastes, smells, looks and feels. 

From KS3 through to KS4, students are challenged and supported to experiment within the kitchen, consolidating their theoretical knowledge through the planning, preparation and execution of a wide range of dishes, as well as writing detailed plans and reviews for their cooks throughout.

Key Stage 3

At KS3, students will take part in Food Technology for approximately 10 weeks within a school year as one of four subjects delivered on a rotation basis. Within these 10 weeks, they will receive, on average, one 100-minute lesson and one 50-minute lesson every fortnight. The theory lessons are designed to develop a solid understanding of diet, nutrition, hygiene and food safety. The practical lessons are designed to allow students to consolidate their theoretical knowledge and have some creative freedom to adapt basic recipes which we provide, for example to consider specific dietary requirements or allergies. 

All recipes are given to the students in their theory and planning lessons, where they are encouraged to make note of them. This means that on average, students will have approximately a weeks’ notice. We also upload the ingredients lists onto Google Classroom, and now moving forwards, this information will also be provided on Class Charts. 

If you have any queries or concerns about obtaining any of the ingredients, please do not hesitate to contact your students’ Technology teacher, or myself directly with at least 48 hours notice and we will happily provide ingredients to support your child’s learning. 

Key Stage 4

At KS4, students will receive three 100-minute lessons across a fortnight. These will be delivered as; food theory, practical, and evaluation and planning. The GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition course is a theory-based course, with a heavy emphasis on the science of cooking and nutrition, therefore our curriculum for Year 10 aims to be a balance between research, written and practical based elements. At the beginning of the course, practical lessons are teacher-led, developing key culinary skills. As we move through Year 10, students will become more independent as they learn how to plan and prepare dishes based around the appropriate theme of theory they are studying. This means that ingredients needed throughout the year will vary considerably, and students are to be accountable for making sure they know what they need and when. They will have approximately a weeks notice between planning and cooking, and they can access their ingredients/recipes through Google Shared Drive. This will best prepare them for Year 11, where they won’t cook in school until their practical exam. All three 100-minute lessons will be theory-based, developing their coursework module which is a 20 page written document planning and evaluating their cooks. 

If you have any queries or concerns about obtaining any of the ingredients, please do not hesitate to contact your students’ Technology teacher, or myself directly with at least 48 hours notice and we will happily provide ingredients to support your child’s learning.