Cooking and Nutrition

Cooking and Nutrition is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject designed to increase student’s independence skills. Cooking and Nutrition encourages students to gain skills and knowledge of practical food preparation techniques, recognise and know the uses of a wide variety of equipment and utensils, including the safe use of electrical equipment. Students are also encouraged to solve problems, make decisions, work with and lead teams, communicate effectively, develop recipes, produce food to sell and establish a basic repertoire of recipes they are familiar with. We also utilise cross curricular links using functional maths and English to allow students to apply their classroom knowledge to a practical setting. Where possible, we also link to science, history and geography. Students are also allowed to taste and evaluate their produce, make decisions about what changes we should make to recipes, cooking times and temperatures and how to present food in an attractive manner to allow opportunities for students to gain in confidence and have their voices heard.

Every student is provided with a double Cooking and Nutrition lesson in key Stage 3 and 4, from Experiential Learners having the opportunity to participate in sensory stories with a linked recipe, Supported Learners working in small supported groups with step by step instructions through pictorial recipes through to Independent Learners being given weekly opportunities to work in and lead small groups, follow recipes, make ongoing decisions and use their problem solving abilities to create dishes to sell to staff. The curriculum area is designed to allow students to take given recipes, make, evaluate and develop existing recipes which are then absorbed into the topic areas to give students ownership of the subject area.

Students are also given opportunities to research, design and make their own dishes within a limited budget to expand their food preparation skills which can then be used at home to help develop their independence skills. Students are also involved in creating food to sell to staff each week and create jams, pickles and Christmas cakes to sell at the Christmas Market ensuring the curriculum area is self-funding and allowing full participation by every student in our school and college.

Every student is provided with a double Cooking and Nutrition lesson in key Stage 3 and 4, from Experiential Learners having the opportunity to participate in sensory stories with a linked recipe, Supported Learners working in small supported groups with step by step instructions through pictorial recipes through to Independent Learners being given weekly opportunities to work in and lead small groups, follow recipes, make ongoing decisions and use their problem solving abilities to create dishes to sell to staff. The curriculum area is designed to allow students to take given recipes, make, evaluate and develop existing recipes which are then absorbed into the topic areas to give students ownership of the subject area.

Students are also given opportunities to research, design and make their own dishes within a limited budget to expand their food preparation skills which can then be used at home to help develop their independence skills. Students are also involved in creating food to sell to staff each week and create jams, pickles and Christmas cakes to sell at the Christmas Market ensuring the curriculum area is self-funding and allowing full participation by every student in our school and college.

When designing and making, students are taught to:

Design:

• Students research through the internet and recipe books to plan and create recipes ready to cook, present and sell to the public
• Develop and design recipes through evaluating dishes to add to our Community Café menu
• Evaluate existing recipes, checking, weight, measures, cooking times and temperatures

Make:

• Make decisions on equipment and utensils needed to set up their work area
• Select, weigh and measure accurately the correct ingredients to be used
• Use food preparation skills to safely prepare ingredients, for example, dicing, slicing, snipping Use table top mixers, food processors, blenders, combination ovens, ice cream machines, hand held mixers and stoves safely and independently to prepare and cook ingredients
• Taste testing, adjusting flavours and correct seasoning
• Make decisions about portion sizes and presentation of food

   

  Evaluate:

  • Investigate fresh ingredients both seasonal and imported
  • Identify the difference between tinned, frozen, fresh and dried food
  • Evaluate food they have produced and make decisions about any required improvements
  • Evaluate the food produced from recipes they have created and use this knowledge to make any changes needed to their recipe
  • Gain knowledge about how food preparation and food storage has developed

   

  Technical knowledge:

  • Apply their food preparation knowledge to prepare ingredients to standard required on recipes
  • Apply knowledge of the uses of different knives for different ingredients
  • Gain working knowledge of when ingredients can be prepared using food preparation equipment
  • Gain working knowledge of the uses of different pans, moulds, tins and cases for a wide variety produce e.g, stews, flans, pies, sponges and bread
  • Gain working knowledge of how to accurately set oven temperatures and use knowledge of time to ensure correct cooking time
  • Identify when to use stoves, grills, ovens or griddles to cook ingredients

   

  Key skills and key knowledge for Cooking & Nutrition have been mapped across the school to ensure progression between year groups. The context for the student’s work in Cooking & Nutrition takes into account the need for students to expand their independence skills from Year 7 to Year 11 leading to the opportunity to gain Level 1 and Level 2 NCFE Food and Cookery Skills.