The Food and Nutrition Department is a lively, enriching and rewarding educational environment where the girls’ creativity thrives. A wide range of practical skills are taught in the large and well-equipped Food room and we also have an additional classroom for teaching the non-practical aspects of the curriculum. The Department is well resourced and offers a wide range of specialist equipment for all girls to utilise. Pupils in Years 7 to 9 have one double lesson per week for half the year, rotating with DT.

Aims of the Department

• To provide a range of learning opportunities in a safe environment implementing good food safety and hygiene practices.
• To allow pupils to make informed choices to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.
• To explain how and why food is cooked and the functional properties of ingredients, to gain a scientific understanding that underpins key food preparation and cooking processes.
• To allow pupils choice and personalisation of cooking activities, encouraging independence and decision-making skills.
• To encourage pupils to understand other people’s situations, lifestyles, social and cultural differences.

Key Stage 3

In Key Stage 3, we teach food preparation and cooking with consideration for the selection of equipment, ingredients, food sources and functional characteristics. Pupils examine where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught, and processed, and consider sustainability
and the impact of different choices on the environment. They also learn to describe how preparation and cooking affects the sensory and nutritional properties of the ingredients. Food and Nutrition lessons provide an excellent platform for developing confidence, problem solving, organisation and time management skills.

Key Stage 4

Food and Nutrition is a very popular option at GCSE and pupils study the AQA Food Preparation and Nutrition specification. Pupils are taught the science behind why and how we use ingredients to make food safe and appetising. The qualification will also equip students with an
exceptional range of practical skills and, most importantly, an in-depth understanding of nutrition. Year 13 Enrichment – all pupils participate in a practical skills, short course, ‘Cooking on a Budget’ which teaches them valuable life skills and sound nutritional advice to help prepare them for living away from home.

Key Stage 5

Year 12 Enrichment – This is an optional session for pupils in Year 12. They participate in a 6 week course designed to teach pupils a range of skills that can be applied to preparing, cooking, and baking quick and nutritious dishes.

Extra-Curricular

The Department contributes to several extra-curricular events; SHiNE Together, WGS summer camps, North West Gifted and Talented and making the food for the afternoon tea on Citizenship Day in the Summer Term, as well as numerous charity events.

“I really like Food and Nutrition because we get to taste and make different things and we also get the chance to learn the science behind baking.”

A Year 7 pupil