Food Technology

CURRICULUM INTENT STATEMENT

Key Stage 3

In key stage 3, Food Technology is part of our Design course, and there is a project in place for each year group. Following a brief, students have the opportunity to research, develop and make products that are creative and unique.These projects cover relevant, current topics which inform students of issues which are pertinent to their lifestyle now and in the future, such as healthy eating, the effects of food choices on the environment and how culture and religion impact our diets. They develop skills in decision making, teamwork and questioning.  Literacy and numeracy skills are developed through research, weighing ingredients, reading recipes and following design briefs. There are opportunities to develop their nutrition knowledge and practical culinary skills for later life through lessons and other opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, baking competitions and catering for events such as the school cabaret and festival shows.

Students are encouraged to cook at home to develop their skills further and enjoy the impact of cooking on their wellbeing. There is a lot of discussion based work which will pique students’ curiosity, encourage them to ask questions, develop oracy skills and carry out research to become more informed and develop an opinion of their own. This will influence their future decisions. Students learn how to be responsible in their eating habits and keep themselves and their families as healthy as possible through their diet and lifestyle. They also learn about different cultures and religions and how they can make choices that show responsibility and respect for the world they live in, such as Fairtrade products and buying locally to reduce their carbon footprint.

Key Stage 4

For key stage 4, students are able to choose to study the OCR GCSE Food and Nutrition course. The curriculum is wide ranging, covering topics from nutrition to food processing, food science and food provenance. Students become well informed about where their food comes from, how it is made and how that impacts the wider world in terms of, for example, the environment and carbon footprint. Development of practical cooking skills is a valuable life skill and nutrition knowledge allows students to make informed choices about their own diet and that of their families. Students work in a variety of ways to develop their literacy, oracy and numeracy skills, including independent research, presentations, group work, experimentation and following recipes in practical work. By attempting to make increasingly skilled products, students develop confidence in the kitchen and higher aspirations of what they can achieve in their practical exam and beyond.

The curriculum allows for sharing of successes and failures to help students build their confidence and resilience. students are not only prepared in terms of their cooking ability but their knowledge of nutrition, diet related health issues and a wide range of issues that food choices can impact on, such as their carbon footprint. Students look at issues such as Fairtrade, which develops their awareness of how the food industry impacts on the lives of growers and producers on a local, national and global scale.   The curriculum also allows them to explore and debate more moral and ethical topics such as fishing and farming methods, GM foods and organic farming and become better informed young people with an opinion formed from research and listening to differing viewpoints. Respect and consideration for others is the culture adopted in class and beyond. This part of the curriculum introduces valuable knowledge and skills which feed into the IB Learner Profile and Core part of the course at KS5.