Food and Nutrition

GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition focuses on practical cooking skills to ensure students develop a thorough understanding of food science, nutrition, food provenance and the working characteristics of food material.  It focuses on nurturing students’ practical cookery skills to give them a strong understanding of nutrition.  Students will be able to make the connections between theory and practice to apply their understanding of food and nutrition to practical preparation.

Demonstrate effective and safe cooking skills by planning, preparing and cooking using a variety of food commodities, cooking techniques and equipment.
Develop knowledge and understanding of the functional properties and chemical processes as well as the nutritional content of food.
Understand the relationship between diet, nutrition and health, including the physiological and psychological effects of poor diet and health.
Understand the economic, environmental, ethical and socio-cultural influences on food availability, production processes and diet and health choices.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of functional and nutritional properties, sensory qualities and microbiological food safety considerations when preparing, processing, storing, cooking and serving food.
Our students will discover the essentials of food science, nutrition and how to cook. In addition to this, students will understand the huge challenges that we face globally to supply the world with nutritious and safe food.
Understand and explore a range of ingredients and processes from different culinary traditions (traditional British and international), to inspire new ideas or modify existing recipes.
The knowledge and skills are linked to the 5 main assessment objectives; Food preparation skills, Food Nutrition and Health, Food science, Food safety and Food Choice.
Specific practical skills – Knife skills/Preparing fruit and vegetables/Use of the cooker/Use of equipment/Cooking methods/Prepare, combine and shape/
Sauce making/Tenderise and marinate/Dough/Raising agents/Setting mixtures

In Food preparation and Nutrition all topic builds on the foundations of KS3, whilst adding new areas of study and complexity.  This then extends to a deeper understanding at KS4.  Students need to be able to analyse and evaluate thoroughly demonstrating further knowledge of Food Nutrition.

Half Term 1

Food, nutrition and health Macronutrients.
Micronutrients (and water). Nutritional needs and health.
Food safety (Food Spoilage and poisoning)

Half Term 2

Food science. Cooking of food and heat transfer. Functional and chemical properties of food. contamination. Principles of food safety.

Half Term 3

Food safety. Food Spoilage and contamination.
Principles of food safety.

Half Term 4

Food choice. Factors affecting food choice. British and international cuisine. Sensory evaluation. Food labelling and marketing.

Half Term 5

Food provenance.
Environmental impact and sustainability of food. Food processing and production.

Half Term 6

Controlled assessment practise.
Revisit challenging topics

Half Term 1

NEA: Practical Controlled assessment:
Food investigation

Half Term 2

NEA: Practical Controlled assessment:
Food investigation
Practical Controlled assessment:
Food Preparation

Half Term 3

Practical Controlled assessment:
Food Preparation

Half Term 4

Practical Controlled assessment:
Food Preparation
Exam prep
Macronutrients. Micronutrients. Nutritional needs.
Food safety.

Half Term 5

Exam prep
Food labelling and marketing.Food provenance. Environmental impact and sustainability of food. Food processing and production.