"The whole child is our whole point."
Weald of Kent Grammar School
Food and Nutrition
The intention of the Food and Nutrition curriculum at Weald of Kent Grammar School is to ensure our students develop knowledge and skills that will allow them to learn to cook and understand how to eat a healthy balanced diet. Students will gain invaluable life skills to prepare them to lead healthy and independent lives beyond the classroom. Students are taught a wide range of nutrition and food science topics, linked with food provenance and sustainability issues, alongside the practical application of preparing ingredients and using equipment safely and hygienically. A range of recipes, including those that are influenced by a variety of cultures and cuisines, are taught in each year group, and students are encouraged to adapt them as required. The Food and Nutrition curriculum builds on practical key skills and knowledge each year, recapping and revisiting topics to link understanding between ingredients and their working characteristics. Transferable skills develop resilience, adaptability, independence and working thoughtfully with others and encourage our students to respond positively to challenges. Literacy is embedded in every lesson and consolidated through discussion during practical and theoretical application.
Course Content
Years 7-9
Year 7
- Food hygiene and safety rules and guidelines
- Healthy eating including the Eatwell Guide
- Each of the 5 sections of the Eatwell Guide are studied, including starchy carbohydrates, fibre and energy, fruits and vegetables, dairy and alternatives, beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins, fats and spreads
- Introducing food provenance and processing of raw ingredients into products, looking more closely at fish
- Comparing British cuisine with influences from multi-cultural cuisines
- Practical skills cover weighing and measuring, safe use of the knife, grating, safe use of the hob, grill and oven, baking skills, planning and adapting recipes, evaluation skills and teamwork
- Recipes made include: cous cous salad, pizza toast, ‘no waste’ rainbow pasta salad, rock cakes, fruit crumble, chana masala and learning the science of why popcorn ‘pops’, with opportunities for sensory taste testing of fish
Year 8
- Recap of department expectations, food hygiene and safety rules
- Introducing a range of diets and foods available, including religious and cultural diets
- More in-depth focus on learning about macro nutrients for fats and proteins and their functions in the body
- Introduction of aspects of food science for enzymic browning, thickening a sauce through gelatinisation and the function of ingredients in bread, focusing on yeast as a raising agent
- Discovering different religious and cultural traditions surrounding food and festivals
- Identifying food allergens and the importance of food labels
- Recipes made include: vegetable stir fry, shortcrust pastry as cheese straws, bread rolls, healthy breakfast, cheesy pasta, chicken or halloumi goujons with opportunities for sensory taste testing of cultural breads
Year 9
- Introduction of food issues, considering food waste and its impact on the environment and how the food industry can be sustainable, including methods of farming e.g. Fair Trade
- A more in-depth look at sensory taste testing and how to record and evaluate results
- Recap of nutrients with a focus on micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) functions in the body
- Exploration of meat and poultry and the hygiene and safety surrounding their preparation and use in recipes
- Identifying vegetarian and vegan food choices
- Discovering the science of how milk is processed into cheese and trial making soft cream cheese
- Looking at how Japanese culture and cuisine differ from British cuisine, with an increased awareness of Japanese ingredients and dishes
- Recipes include: Pita bread and Tzatziki dip, Bolognaise, Chilli con carne, mini layer cake, sushi, chicken skewers, shaping mince into meatballs, creating a reduction glaze sauce on the hob with a focus on developing higher level knife skills for garnish presentation.
Years 10 & 11
Following the EDUQAS GCSE exam board specification.
Students studying this course will be given an opportunity to develop and broaden their food preparation practical skills to produce high skilled products to suit a variety of needs. Students will also develop skills and knowledge in food science, experimenting with ingredients to identify what they are composed of and how these components react during cooking.
Students will study a variety of factors that can influence food choice, including diet and health, food provenance (where food comes from), food science and food safety. Students will develop their research, testing and practical skills, analysing and evaluating to be able to produce suitable products for a specific need. Students will also learn practical life skills they can use beyond school, to know how to follow a healthy balanced diet. Students will start looking in-depth at the chemical and functional properties of food and how these can affect what happens during cooking and at a nutritional level.
Students are assessed during Year 10 on written and practical elements throughout the year, to monitor their understanding and progress.
During year 11, students will spend 30 hours completing their Non-Examined Assessments (NEA) and then use the remaining time to recap and revise for the written examination. The NEA tasks are released by the exam board in September (NEA1) and November (NEA2).
Students are assessed during Year 11 in three areas that contribute to the final GCSE level:
- NEA1 – Food Investigation Task 15% of GCSE
- NEA2 – Food Practical Task 35% of GCSE including a 3-hour practical
- Written paper – 50% of GCSE
Co-Curricular Opportunities:
We work as part of the Creative Arts faculty to deliver different House Challenges during the year and Enrichment Day activities for specific year groups, offering a consolidation of essential life skills to enrich student education. Food teachers can also assess Duke of Edinburgh Skills Award, completed in cooking.
Greater Depth in Food and Nutrition
- Discussion with students regarding food related experiences/cooking outside of lessons
- Students initiating discussions about ‘how to make’ technical recipes
- Exploring new techniques and equipment and bringing this knowledge to the classroom
- Students who are confident to take risks and push themselves out of their comfort zone
- Students asking inquisitive questions in their theory lessons, relating the lesson content to life skills, developing links between subjects (particularly science) and experiences they have had
- Independently adapting recipes with appropriate alternative ingredients
- Demonstrating exceptionally high standards of food presentation
- Further developing cooking skills with DofE
- Ability to be independent with NEA coursework and interpret the brief creatively
Testimonials
Year 7
“In my food lessons, I’ve learnt a lot about how to eat healthier and now feel I can be more responsible with my food choices.”
“I like learning about how different foods are made and how eating certain types of food can impact our health.”
“'Food and Nutrition is an experience I will remember forever! It is so fun to learn how to make food, even if you have no experience of cooking it at all.”
Year 8
“I enjoy learning a fundamental life skill and being able to use my creativity in a safe environment.”
“There is so much help and support from the food teachers, so we are always given the best chance to succeed!”
“I really enjoy my Food and Nutrition lessons because they allow me to be creative while learning essential life skills. The hands-on approach makes it easier to understand how to prepare healthy, delicious meals, and I always feel a sense of accomplishment after trying something new in the kitchen. It's not just about cooking; it's about developing confidence and understanding the importance of nutrition in our everyday lives.”
Year 9
“Food and nutrition is a great subject, I particularly enjoy the wide range of dishes we cook/bake. The theory lessons are very interesting, and I always gain knowledge from them. Overall, I love Food and Nutrition and can't wait to take it as a GCSE subject!”
“'It’s a great way to express creativity in a way that will also help you in the future to become more independent.”
“I like that we have little cards to choose our targets each practical, all of the staff are lovely, and it just creates a fun environment, in theory I like the inclusion of us (students) and it is very interesting.”
“'I really enjoy the positive atmosphere given by the teachers and the variety of food we make!”
Year 10
“The lessons are always engaging and enjoyable. The teachers are so helpful and always make sure you can achieve your full potential within the lessons.”
“I love how fun and interesting the practical’s can be! It really teaches me a lot about how the food we eat day-to-day is actually made!”
“'I really enjoy the practical’s because I enjoy making food and seeing the final product! I also find the theory lessons really interesting as I can learn about the science behind the food we make.”
Year 11
“I love having creative freedom in practical lessons, and teachers allow our ideas to flourish!”
“It's fun getting to experiment with different recipes and interesting to learn the science behind our food.”