Food Preparation and Nutrition
Key Stage 4
What will students learn?
This course focusses on:
- A wide range of practical skills including knife skills, sauce making, setting a mixture, raising agents, looking into different types of dough, preparation techniques with meat, fish and vegetables and cooking methods such as using the grill and oven.
- Investigating the properties of food commodities such as flour, milk, eggs & cheese.
- The relationship between diet and health.
- Nutritional and dietary needs of different groups of people.
- Energy balance and the relationship between food intake and physical activity.
- The analysis of the micro and macronutrients.
- Looking into and understanding food provenance.
- The food processing and production systems.
- Factors affecting food choice.
- Investigating food science.
This is a practical course which is heavily supported by detailed and thorough understanding shown through the accompanying written work. The key factors that students should think about when choosing this option include a real enthusiasm for food and cooking with an interest in why food behaves as it does when cooked and how we choose and cook with food in the UK. It is worth remembering that everyone eats and this course is about the choices we make as individuals and as a society.
How will students be taught?
Students will be taught through a range of strategies including practical work, experimental work and formal teaching. Students are expected and encouraged to become independent learners who can work with a range of information to present their own opinions.
Students will be expected to provide their own ingredients for focused practical tasks where a dish or product is produced. Some ingredients will be provided for other tasks.
How will students be assessed?
The course is divided into three units, one of which will be assessed through a written external examination and two that will be assessed through non-exam assessment (NEA).
- Exam
Written exam at the end of Year 11 worth 50%
- Non-exam Assessment 1
Food commodity investigation – 15% and completed at the start of Year 11
- Non-exam Assessment 2
Food preparation task (students have a 3-hour practical exam with accompanying written work) - 35% and completed in Year 11
Examination board & course type
OCR - GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309)
What can studying this subject lead to?
This subject can lead on to careers in the food industry, including product development, marketing, dietician, sports nutritionist, teaching, journalism and food writing.
Revision Advice
A subject specific guide featuring key content, recommended resources and the specifications we cover in that particular subject can be downloaded below:
Teacher to contact for further information
Miss H Carpenter