Food Preparation & Nutrition

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Food and nutrition

Food Technology gives students a scientific look at designing, creating and making nutritious food, with some practical elements.

It’s also about learning how our society produces our food, learning about the Eat Well Plate, as well as introducing students to chemical make-up of vitamins and minerals. Between talking about food miles and sustainable farming, this is more than just a cooking class!

According to the British Hospitality Association, the food industry is Britain’s fourth largest sector and accounts for around 10% of the total workforce. Since 2010, over 25% of all new jobs have been within the hospitality and catering sector with the majority of new roles falling within the 18-24 age group, according to a report by People magazine.

Food Technology at Cecil Jones Academy is a scientific look at the components of food, with the opportunities to implement understanding within a practical setting. Students will be making a variety of sweet and savoury dishes, underpinned by food chemical reactions alongside health and safety awareness.

KS3

The Key Stage 3 curriculum is designed to develop students’ practical skills in preparing a range of commodities and understanding of hygiene practices. Students learn about the theoretical knowledge of health and safety, hazards, nutrition, special diets, and the impact of food choice on health and the environment. These topics will help prepare pupils to progress to study Food Preparation and Nutrition at GCSE.

Pupils will be taught to use a range of preparation, cooking and presentation skills focussing on fruit, vegetables and some carbohydrate foods in Year 7, which a particular emphasis on dry cooking methods. Year 8 will dive into chemical reactions, including gelatinisation and viscosity through heat transfers (convection and conduction), as well as reductions. Students in Year 9 will be comparing methods of dry and wet cooking methods through more high-risk foods and sources of protein.

Students will learn to use a range of equipment and techniques, to apply knowledge gained of health and safety practices, to question the impact of our food choices on our own health, the NHS and the planet, and how to adapt recipes to meet specific dietary/ religious/ ethical needs.

KS4

As a department, we follow the WJEC Eduqas GCSE in Food Preparation and Nutrition, in order to provide students with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating. It encourages students to cook, enables them to make informed decisions about food and nutrition and allows them to acquire knowledge in order to be able to feed themselves and others affordably and nutritiously, now and later in life.

Food Preparation and Nutrition is made up of two units:

· Principles of Food Preparation and Nutrition (theory paper); and,

· NEAs: The Food Investigation Assessment and The Food Preparation Assignment.

More information can be found at:

https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/food- preparation-and-nutrition-gcse/#tab_overview

high medium and low level practical skills

An activity to try at home

Be sure to collect the following bits: 2-3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water, skewers, a glass or jar, a large saucepan and clothespins. You may want to have food colouring too!

Mix 1 cup of the sugar and 1 cup of water in the saucepan. Over a medium flame, stir until dissolved. Then, slowly add more sugar and mix until the sugar will no longer dissolve in the water. You may have to add sugar, then mix, and repeat until you can’t add anymore!

The water should look a little cloudy– that is the perfect sugar-saturation needed! Add the food colouring, remove from heat and allow to cool.

Cut your skewers to their desired length, then dip in water and roll them in sugar. Set aside and allow to dry.

Once your sugar-water is cool enough, pour into your glass/jar. Once sticks are dry carefully place them into the jar. Remember, your skewer should be completely dry– the rock candy needs the sugar on the sticks to grow! Please make sure your sticks are not touching the side or bottom of the jar.

Hold the skewers up with your clothespin. Then, wait an observe! If you can hold out, wait about a week and enjoy!

Activity to try at home