Food Nutrition is an exciting and very popular subject at Weald where the students learn to cook in a safe environment. They also learn the science behind the dishes they make and the basics of nutrition to enable them to make healthy lifestyle choices.  Food and Nutrition is a truly cross-curricular subject that draws on many areas including maths, chemistry, biology, physics, religious education, personal health and social care and geography to name but a few. By learning to cook and eat healthily students are gaining invaluable life skills that will prepare them to lead healthy independent lives.

Key stage 3

Year 7

Practical Skills - basic

  • Precision cutting skills
  • Staying safe in a kitchen
  • Vegetable Couscous
  • Pizza toast
  • Chewy fruity flapjack
  • Crudités and dips
  • Carrot cake muffins
  • Ratatouille
  • Dutch apple cake
  • Irish soda bread

Healthy Eating

  • The Eatwell guide
  • 8 tips for a healthy lifestyle
  • Basic meal planning
  • Nutrition analysis of a recipe
  • Multicultural bread tasting

Food Science

  • Enzymic browning experiment
  • Acids and alkali reactions
  • Sensory testing

Year 8

Practical Skills - intermediate

  • Quesadillas
  • Bolognese sauce
  • Pineapple upside down cake
  • Fresh pasta
  • The perfect omelette
  • Fish cakes
  • Flavoured bread rolls
  • Scotch pancakes
  • Leek and potato or carrot and coriander soup

Nutrition

  • The nutrient groups
  • Food provenance
  • Sustainability of ingredients
  • Recipe modification
  • Nutrition analysis of a meal

Food Science

  • Eggs - denaturation
  • Eggs - coagulation
  • Emulsions –making mayonnaise and butter

Year 9

Practical skills – advanced

  • Swiss roll
  • Lasagne
  • Iced cherry Bakewell tarts
  • Pizza/Calzone – yeast dough
  • Gluten free chocolate brownies
  • Thai green curry
  • Sweet and sour chicken
  • Homemade fish fingers with sweet potato wedges and dips
  • Decorated Genoise sponge

Food choices and special dietary needs

  • Food choices - religion, culture, ethics, personal choice, special needs, life stages and seasons
  • Nutrition guidelines
  • Nutrition analysis - dietary needs
  • Food labelling and guidance

Food Science

  • Raising agents – mechanical, chemical and biological
  • Gluten formation and development

Key stage 4

Year 10

  • Food Preparation Skills
  • Food Nutrition and Health
  • Food Safety
  • Food Science
  • Food Provenance
  • Food Choice

Year 11

Task 1: Food investigation (September to November)

  • 10 hours’ work equalling 15% of your final GCSE grade
  • This task will showcase their understanding of the working characteristics of ingredients including the functional and chemical properties of the ingredients investigated.

Task 2: Food preparation assessment (December to March)

  • 20 hours’ work including a 3 hour practical session equalling 35% of your final GCSE grade
    • Prepare, cook and present a final menu of three dishes within a three hour session.
    • Research and trial dishes in advance of the three hour practical session.
  • This task will showcase the students’ knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to the planning, preparation, cooking, presentation of food and application of nutrition related to the chosen task.