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.