Year 7:  

In year 7 Food, you will begin by learning how to be safe and hygienic in the Food room, as well as learning how to follow the routines for practical lessons. You will learn how to store and prepare different foods safely and be able to prevent cross contamination. You will also develop some key skills and will learn how to follow and cook a range of recipes. You will be taught about the Eatwell Guide and the importance of following a healthy diet, and will understand how our body uses some of the main nutrients found in our foods. You will develop your evaluation and analysis skills, including using your senses to taste and evaluate a range of foods. 

In year 7, you will cook the following:  

Fruit Fusion, Pizza Toast, Cheese Scones, Vegetable Soup, Tomato Pasta, Burger 

Year 8:  

In year 8 Food, we will focus on different factors which can affect our food choice. You will build on your knowledge of nutrition and healthy eating, starting by looking at the macro and micronutrients in more detail. You will further embed your weighing and measuring skills and develop new preparation and cooking skills within our practical lessons. We will learn about Foods from around the World, and conduct sensory taste testing on traditional international rice dishes, before making a traditional local dish from the Northeast and considering Religious dietary laws. We will learn about how Food can impact on the environment and make a dish using seasonal ingredients, consequently lowering our food miles and carbon footprint.  

In year 8, you will cook the following:  

Pizza, Chicken Fajitas, Jam Tarts, Vegetable Stir Fry, Rice Dish of choice, Seasonal Muffins 

Year 9:  

In year 9 Food we will begin by looking at how a poor diet long term can have a negative impact on our health, with a particular focus on take aways and processed foods. The first three dishes we make will be healthier versions of some popular take away dishes, linking with our learning of lowering our saturated fat and salt intake. We will discuss lifestyle factors which make people choose convenience foods and learn about medical issues which can occur with prolonged bad diets. We will also focus on skill development, learning about a range of raising agents and how to apply these to some more complex dishes. You will be taught how to use IT software to generate nutritional labels and use this to further develop your analysis and evaluation skills. You will also learn how to be more independent when cooking, in preparation for the KS4 curriculum.  

In year 9, you will cook the following:  

Chicken Tikka Masala, KFC Style Chicken, Homemade Kebab, Sausage Rolls, Toad in the Hole, Swiss Roll, Pasta Dish of Choice 

KS4: Hospitality and Catering 

In year 10 and 11, we now offer the WJEC Level 1/ 2 vocational award in Hospitality and Catering. This gives our students a deeper understanding of the H&C industry, as well as learning a range of low, medium and complex knife, preparation and cooking techniques. NEA, Unit 2 is 60% of the overall grade, completed in the Autumn term of year 11, and the written exam, Unit 1 is 40% of the overall grade which is sat in June in year 11.  

Year 10:  

Topic 1: Health and safety, including safety documentation used within the industry. External food safety course. Food Related Ill health (food poisoning, allergies and intolerances), preventative measures, visible and non-visible symptoms. Food Labelling Laws.  

Topic 2: Food and nutrition. Use of the Eatwell Guide, macronutrients, micronutrients, nutritional needs at different life stages. How different cooking methods impact nutritional value of foods.  

Topic 3: Food Choice and factors affecting menu planning. Vegetarianism, Religious diets, Lifestyle factors, Seasonality and Sustainability. How to plan time effectively.  

Topic 4: Running of the H&C industry. Types of establishments; residential, non-residential, commercial, non-commercial. Front of house and back of house roles. Personal attributes, skills and qualifications. Kitchen workflow. Roles and responsibilities of the Environmental Health Officer. Business running costs. Impacts of new technology. Use of media within the industry.  

Some of the dishes you will cook include: Soup with bread rolls, chicken pie, teriyaki chicken, fishcakes, Mille Feuille, Panna cotta, Meringues, gluten free brownies, dairy free cakes, plus a range of dishes of your choice. 

Year 11: 

The final year will mainly focus on the NEA and final exam preparation. Cooking: You will have a chance to practice some key complex skills prior to starting the NEA, and will cook your two chosen dishes in the 3 hour practical exam, which should include sides/ accompaniments.  

Autumn 1: Revision of content for NEA; Eatwell Guide, Macro and Micronutrients. Nutritional needs at different life stages. How cooking methods impact nutritional values. Factors affecting menu planning. How to plan time effectively.  

Autumn 2: Begin NEA- brief given to students. Controlled assessment begins (12 hours within exam conditions), split into four units;  

1a- Analysis of brief, understanding of macro and micronutrients 

1b- Impact of cooking methods on nutritional value of chosen dishes 

2a- Factors affecting choice of dishes 

2b- Time plan 

Practical exam (full day off timetable including 30 minutes preparation time plus 3 hour practical exam, followed by tasting and evaluations) 

3a- Demonstrating safety and hygiene 

3b- Food Preparation 

3c- Cooking of food 

3d- Presentation of final exam dishes 

4a- Assessed production of dishes 

4b- Review of performance 

Spring 1: Contract Types, Role of the Environmental Health Officer, Establishments and amenities, Meeting the needs of customers, Sustainability in the H&C industry 

Spring 2: Basic Costs for H&C Establishments, How the Economy impacts businesses, Fluctuating needs of the industry, Food services, Standards and Ratings, New Technology, Media Types, Operational Requirements, Catering Equipment, Catering Documentation and admin.  

Summer 1: Final revision and exam preparation: how to answer longer answer questions. Exam Practice