SubjectsFood Technology
Our Curriculum Intent
The curriculum at all key stages has been designed to be inclusive and develop students’ life skills as well as excel in examination courses. The curriculum is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains current and relevant, keeping up with changes and trends within the industry. The academy’s core Christian values of Love, Peace, Respect, Reconciliation, Service and Justice are embedded through the curriculum. Students are taught to respect others’ beliefs whether they be religious, ethical or otherwise. Environmental issues related to food production are explored across all key stages, encouraging students to respect the environment and recognise the impact of their food choices.
At Key Stage 3 students are taught the basics of good nutrition and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They are given the skills to make informed choices as consumers later in life. Practical work focuses on students developing the skills needed to feed themselves and others nutritious, cost-effective dishes.
Examination groups are taught a wide range of increasingly complex dishes, there is also a strong focus on the skills required for a range of jobs within the industry. Students learn about jobs within both areas of the sector including managerial roles such as hotel managers and executive chefs, the range of different chef stations, roles of wait staff and housekeeping, to specialist positions such as Sommeliers. NEA-style tasks all have a vocational focus for example students write proposals for dishes from the position of a sous chef applying for a new position. Examination content is taught through a range of different activities making use of adaptive teaching to support the needs of all students.
Implementation
Students are taught in mixed-ability groups. Curriculum Organisers are used to support learning in lessons and to communicate key recipes. The curriculum is a mix of practical lessons alongside supporting theory. Independent home study tasks are designed to support learning in lessons. Literacy is incorporated into lessons through reading aloud key text, analysing briefs and application of subject-specific terminology in the correct context. Students are taught how to weigh and measure and understand the different units of measurement and what food types they should be used for. Timekeeping is an essential part of practical lessons and students use analogue clocks to monitor their time in lessons to safely produce cooked outcomes.
At Key Stages 4 and 5 lessons have a strong vocational element due to the nature and structure of the courses being delivered. Students continue with a varied curriculum of both theory and practical lessons. Practical skills become increasingly complex, with dishes being presented to industry standards. At Key Stage 5 students take on a more scientific approach to practical work carrying out practical investigations to solve food problems. At both key stages, students continue to develop their literacy skills through the use of subject-specific terminology, including catering terminology such as ‘au gratin’, ‘Bouillabaisse’ and ‘pâtisseur’. Numeracy continues to be developed through the use of weighing and measuring with an increasing focus on the importance of ratios and the use of equipment to ensure accuracy. Students at Key Stage 4 and 5 are required to write timed step-by-step plans to follow when making dishes.
Impact
Assessments are used to inform the planning and delivery of lessons and to monitor progress. Through this, misconceptions are identified and addressed to ensure good progress is made. At Key Stage 3, all students learn the skills needed to feed themselves and others nutritionally balanced, cost-effective meals. They gain the knowledge needed to make informed choices as consumers later in life.
Students in examination groups are proud of their developing practical skills and make dishes of high standards, many opting to make use of their own time to further develop their outcomes. In addition to whole Academy assessments at the end of cycles, students are given regular lower stakes tests to monitor their knowledge and understanding. Additional support is put in place in lessons where there are misconceptions. Students are regularly given clear and detailed guidance on their current level and how to improve.
Students at all key stages take pride in their work, especially made outcomes. At Key Stage 3 students take their made outcomes home and are pleased to show their peers what they have made. Students are increasingly commenting on dishes they have made again in the home setting.
Students can continue with further education by completing a wide range of courses covering all aspects of the industry. This could include professional cookery courses at level 3, BSc in Human Nutrition or Nutrition and Dietetics BSc (Hons), Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management BA (Hons) or Tourism and Hospitality Management BA (Hons).