
Key Stage 3 Vision:
In Year 7 Food Technology, students will embark on a journey to develop foundational cooking skills and an understanding of kitchen safety.
Term A: Introduction to Cooking and Basic Skills begins with an emphasis on kitchen safety, hygiene, and the use of equipment. Students will engage in practical sessions including making pizza toast to learn measuring and mixing, biscuits for basic knife skills, pasta salad for simple baking, bread rolls for stir-frying basics, and flapjacks for review and reflection.
Term B: Expanding Basic Skills builds on this foundation with practical lessons focusing on more advanced techniques. Students will cook omelettes to learn egg cookery, pancakes for batter preparation, fajitas for simple meal preparation, Caesar salad for salad preparation, cupcakes for basic baking skills, and sausage/vegetarian rolls for review and reflection.
Each practical lesson is paired with theory on health and safety, planning, and forward-thinking. Students are also encouraged to evaluate their previous lessons, fostering continuous improvement and critical thinking.
In Year 8 Food Technology, students will build upon their culinary skills through a series of practical lessons designed to build on their existing knowledge and introduce them to more complex cooking techniques.
Term A: Intermediate Cooking Techniques focuses on enhancing students’ proficiency in the kitchen. Practical lessons include preparing chicken, beef, or veggie burgers to understand protein sources, baking biscuits with variations to explore advanced techniques, and making pasta salad with homemade dressing to learn about salad preparation. Students will also bake flatbreads to master bread making, stir fry vegetables to refine their stir-frying skills, and create flapjacks with added fruits and nuts for a session of review and reflection.
Term B: Cooking for Different Occasions introduces students to diverse culinary experiences. They will prepare omelettes with various fillings for breakfast, make pancakes with different toppings, and cook fajitas with different proteins for family meals. Additionally, students will bake themed cupcakes for special occasions, prepare sausage or vegetarian rolls with a side salad for quick and nutritious meals, and create decorative keyring biscuits for an engaging and reflective activity.
In Year 9 Food Technology, students will master advanced cooking skills and prepare for future culinary challenges through a series of practical, hands-on lessons.
Term A: Advanced Cooking Skills focuses on developing students’ proficiency in complex culinary techniques. They will learn skewering techniques and marinades by preparing kebabs, explore complex baking with sandwich biscuits, and enhance their salad preparation skills with Caesar salad and homemade croutons. Students will also delve into advanced bread making with artisan rolls, practice advanced stir-frying with protein and complex sauces, and create layered flapjacks, culminating in a review and reflection session.
Term B: Preparing for the Future aims to equip students with skills for professional and creative cooking. Lessons include preparing gourmet burgers, baking themed and decorated cupcakes for competitions, and making restaurant-style pasta salad. Students will also craft stuffed or flavoured flatbreads, experiment with international flavours in stir-fries, and focus on professional plating with sausage or vegetarian rolls.
Year 7
Term A: Introduction
- Term A: Introduction to Cooking and Basic Skills
- Introduction to kitchen safety, hygiene, and equipment.
- Practical: Pizza toast (measuring and mixing).
- Practical: Biscuits (basic knife skills).
- Practical: Pasta salad (simple baking).
- Practical: Bread rolls (stir-frying basics).
- Practical: Flapjacks (review and reflection).
Term B: Expanding Basic Skills
- Practical: Omelette (egg cookery).
- Practical: Pancakes (batter preparation).
- Practical: Fajitas (simple meal preparation).
- Practical: Caesar salad (salad preparation).
- Practical: Cupcakes (basic baking skills).
- Practical: Sausage/vegetarian rolls (review and reflection).
All of these lessons will coincide with a theory lesson on health and safety, planning and forward thinking. Students will also be challenged to evaluate their previous lesson.
Year 8
Term A: Intermediate Cooking Techniques
- Practical: Chicken/beef/veggie burgers (protein sources and preparation).
- Practical: Biscuits with variations (advanced baking techniques).
- Practical: Pasta salad with homemade dressing (salad and dressing preparation).
- Practical: Flatbreads (bread making).
- Practical: Stir fry with different vegetables (stir-frying techniques).
- Practical: Flapjacks with added fruits/nuts (review and reflection).
Term B: Cooking for Different Occasions
- Practical: Omelette with various fillings (breakfast preparation).
- Practical: Pancakes with various toppings (pancake variations).
- Practical: Fajitas with different proteins (family meals).
- Practical: Themed cupcakes (special occasion cooking).
- Practical: Sausage/vegetarian rolls with side salad (quick and nutritious meals).
- Practical: Keyring biscuits (decorative and edible; review and reflection).
Year 9
Term A: Advanced Cooking Skills
- Practical: Kebabs (skewering techniques and marinades).
- Practical: Sandwich biscuits (complex baking techniques).
- Practical: Caesar salad with homemade croutons (advanced salad preparation).
- Practical: Artisan bread rolls (advanced bread making).
- Practical: Stir fry with protein and complex sauces (advanced stir-frying).
- Practical: Layered flapjacks (review and reflection).
Term B: Preparing for the Future
- Practical: Gourmet chicken/beef/veggie burgers (gourmet burger preparation).
- Practical: Themed and decorated cupcakes (baking for competitions).
- Practical: Restaurant-style pasta salad (professional salad making).
- Practical: Stuffed or flavoured flatbreads (artisan bread making).
- Practical: Stir fry with international flavours (creative stir-frying).
- Practical: Professionally plated sausage/vegetarian rolls (review and reflection).
Key Stage 4 Vision:
In Year 10 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, students will deepen their understanding of health, nutrition, and food science while preparing for their final examinations.
Term 1a focuses on health and nutrition, alongside food science, culminating in a unit assessment to evaluate students’ grasp of these essential topics. Term 1b covers food spoilage and the origins of food, followed by another unit assessment to ensure comprehensive understanding.
In Term 2a, students will explore factors affecting food choice and complete a unit assessment to consolidate their knowledge. Term 2b is dedicated to mock examinations and revising past papers, providing students with opportunities to refine their exam techniques and receive valuable feedback.
Term 3a centers on thorough preparation for the final examination, ensuring students are confident and well-prepared. This term concludes with the actual examination, where students will demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
In Year 11 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, students will engage in comprehensive coursework to enhance their culinary skills and theoretical knowledge, preparing for their GCSE exams.
Term 1a begins with NEA 1 (Non Exam Assessment), where students research and trial foods based on a specification brief. In Term 1b, they complete NEA 1 documentation, detailing their research, trials, and evaluations.
Term 2a focuses on NEA 2 (Non Exam Assessment), with students trialing foods from another brief to refine their skills. In Term 2b, they complete NEA 2 documentation and undertake a 3-hour food experiment practical.
Term 3a is dedicated to mock examinations and intensive preparation for the GCSE exams, allowing students to practice their exam techniques and identify areas for improvement. This curriculum aims to develop students’ practical cooking abilities, deepen their understanding of food preparation and nutrition, and ensure they are well-prepared for their final assessments.
Key Stage 4 Vision:
In Year 10 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, students will deepen their understanding of health, nutrition, and food science while preparing for their final examinations.
Term 1a focuses on health and nutrition, alongside food science, culminating in a unit assessment to evaluate students’ grasp of these essential topics. Term 1b covers food spoilage and the origins of food, followed by another unit assessment to ensure comprehensive understanding.
In Term 2a, students will explore factors affecting food choice and complete a unit assessment to consolidate their knowledge. Term 2b is dedicated to mock examinations and revising past papers, providing students with opportunities to refine their exam techniques and receive valuable feedback.
Term 3a centers on thorough preparation for the final examination, ensuring students are confident and well-prepared. This term concludes with the actual examination, where students will demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
In Year 11 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, students will engage in comprehensive coursework to enhance their culinary skills and theoretical knowledge, preparing for their GCSE exams.
Term 1a begins with NEA 1 (Non Exam Assessment), where students research and trial foods based on a specification brief. In Term 1b, they complete NEA 1 documentation, detailing their research, trials, and evaluations.
Term 2a focuses on NEA 2 (Non Exam Assessment), with students trialing foods from another brief to refine their skills. In Term 2b, they complete NEA 2 documentation and undertake a 3-hour food experiment practical.
Term 3a is dedicated to mock examinations and intensive preparation for the GCSE exams, allowing students to practice their exam techniques and identify areas for improvement. This curriculum aims to develop students’ practical cooking abilities, deepen their understanding of food preparation and nutrition, and ensure they are well-prepared for their final assessments.
Students should use their Knowledge Expert sheets to help them improve their knowledge and understanding in preparation for their Non Exam Assessments (NEAs) and their GCSE exams.