Taunton Deane Partnership College

Food Technology Overview 2023/2024

Key Stage 3-4

Intent

The ability to prepare fresh meals safely and hygienically is a key skill that pupils need to lead a healthy life. Our aim is to ensure that all pupils are equipped for the demands of living independently as healthy adults. Food Technology is designed to teach students about cooking and nutrition, and how it can make a real difference to the quality of their lives; it equips them with the confidence to make healthy food choices and supports a healthy enjoyment of food. Cooking is a perfect tool for teachers to captivate and stimulate student’s enjoyment of food and can help to build self-confidence when they are proud of the dishes they make. Cooking and nutrition is designed to ensure there are many cross curricular links and provides a focus for English and Maths. Through design, producing and evaluation process, students are encouraged to reflect on and appreciate how food and nutrition can impact on our physical and mental health. All pupils should complete Key Stage 3 having developed the knowledge and skills to be able to successfully transition to the BTEC Home Cooking Skills course at Holway or to a mainstream provision.

Implementation

In order to promote lifelong learning and promote personal development, a planned programme of cooking and nutrition is implemented in the early years and all key stages across the school. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, the students build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills, knowledge and challenge. The introduction of key vocabulary is built into each year group. The Curriculum considers the skills in the following areas and outlines the process:

• Food safety and hygiene

• Consumer awareness

• Designing and Preparation of healthy everyday dishes

• Cooking and evaluating dishes

Through these lessons, pupils will be inspired to enjoy cooking for health and nutrition. Each week, pupils are able to select either a sweet or savoury recipe that ties in with a theme (e.g. St David’s Day, Easter etc).

KS3 pupils are taught the necessary skills to work safely and hygienically in a kitchen environment.

KS4 pupils can be entered for a Level 1 BTEC in Food Technology, which covers core cooking skills, such as basic hygiene, chopping, grating, boiling etc. The outcome is that pupils should be able to safely and independently follow a recipe within the constraints of a budget. Some pupils can extend their learning and have the opportunity to progress to the Level 2 BTEC award, which requires a more in-depth knowledge of hygiene (shelf-lives etc.) and the ability to adapt recipes.

We acknowledge that our cohort of pupils at TDPC have had disrupted learning and sometimes struggle to access learning. Some pupils, who are unable to access the BTEC curriculum, will engage in therapeutic cooking lessons where they are taught to cook safely 1:1 or in a small group.

Impact

To foster an enjoyment in cooking by using a variety of recipes to engage and interest our pupils. To make all lessons accessible by providing a choice of recipes so that pupils have some ownership of their learning. To encourage students to share food and eat together. Students are able to achieve AQA awards, which demonstrates their learning and additional skills that they have acquired and can lead to the BTEC award in Home Cooking Skills.

Key stage 3  The impact on our pupils is engagement in lessons, being able to work safely in a practical environment and building up skill set that can be used when preparing food.

Key stage 4  The impact on our pupils is engagement in lessons and being able to work safely in a practical environment. Pupils are given the opportunity to gain a Level 1 BTEC in Food Technology. Some pupils will progress further and work towards a Level 2 BTEC. Gaining a BTEC in Food Technology enables pupils to access further education or work.