Food and Nutrition

Our aim is to give students an understanding of the role and value of food in society. We hope to develop a broad knowledge and understanding of healthy eating patterns and develop the practical skills that are needed to prepare and cook tasty, nutritious food.

In Year 7, our students will gain the confidence to work with a selection of hand and electrical tools to make a variety of food products. They will be shown key methods in food preparation and will make simple tasty dishes.

The emphasis will be on basic cookery skills. They will learn to use the hob/grill/oven safely and to handle knives and other equipment in a safe manner. The course also covers hygiene and safety within the kitchen.

In Year 8 students will have opportunities to work with a wider range of food materials and equipment to make a variety of recipes.  They will also learn different methods and techniques to develop their food preparation skills.

Please take a look at the recipes we will use in Years 7 and 8:

• Year 7 recipe book
• Year 8 recipe book

Overview of the course

Food and Nutrition is a creative and academic subject, in which you will be learning through making. You will be given the opportunity to develop and practise a wide range of skills along with having a greater understanding of nutrition, the science behind food as a material and wider environmental aspects associated with food. The GCSE course promotes independent thinking, forward planning and organisational skills. Our students will take the new GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition through the AQA exam board.  Food Preparation and Nutrition involces the study of:

• Food preparation skills
• Food nutrition and health
• Food safety
• Food Science
• Food provenance
• Food choice

Assessment details

50% Non-examination assessment

50% Examination

Upon completion of this course, students will be qualified to go on to further study, or embark on an apprenticeship or full time career in the catering or food industries. 

Students can access this digital book bundle when they start the GCSE course. Login information will be given out in class: http://www.illuminate.digital/aqafood/

Parents are asked to provide ingredients, ideally weighed out for each practical lesson. Recipes are sent home a week in advance.

Students will need suitable containers/boxes which need to be labelled with the child’s name. Help with ingredients or an alternative recipe/ingredients can be arranged by contacting the department. If your child has missed a lesson it is in their responsibility to contact relevant staff in advance to find out if a practical lesson is scheduled. If there is not enough time for a parent to provide the necessary ingredients, staff will endeavour to find the best possible solution.

• foodafactoflife.org.uk
• www.bbc.co.uk/food/
• jamieshomecookingskills.com

Subject Lead for Food Preparation & Nutrition is Ms M Zulkarnain who can be contacted by email at m.zulkarnain@voy.hlt.academy

Below is a selection of photographs of the Springboard competition where our students got to the regional finals and a Year 9 visit to York College where the students had the opportunity to make a three-course dinner and sample college life.