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Food Technology

Delicious aromas emanate from the Food Technology Room most days of the week as St Mary’s students prepare something delicious to take home in the afternoon. St Mary’s has a superbly appointed teaching kitchen where students learn the valuable life skills needed to feed themselves and their families nutritious, balanced meals. Students learn the basic skills of weighing, cutting, mixing, cooking, testing, cooking, cooling and storing food safely through a range of imaginative dishes. Special diets and allergies are incorporated into the programme of recipes cooked each week. The focus of lessons is practical; three lessons a week lead up to the student’s practical lesson and include demonstrations, testing and experimenting.

Key Stage 3

Year 7 - Chef School. Exciting dishes, increasing in complexity during the term are based on recipes from seven different chefs. Students will learn to become confident and competent cooks.

Year 8 – Master Chef Meals. Designing and making a hot school dinner to be sold in a school canteen students cook dishes locally and from around the world. For their final meal, they make and adapt their chosen recipe.

Year 9 - Festival Food. ‘Challenge and Achieve‘ is the motto for Year 9’s Food Technology lessons.  A basic recipe and demo is provided but students have more autonomy to determine their cooking. The project is based around hand-held dishes that could be sold at a festival and students again, design and make their own final food dish at the end of the rotation.

Years 10 and 11 (GCSE)

 

The GCSE is made up of two components; written and practical.

1: Principals of Food Preparation and Nutrition    A written examination paper on food preparation and nutrition worth 50% of the qualification.

2: Food Preparation and Nutrition in Action. An assessment of practical skills and evaluation, this section is split into two sections:

2.1: Food Science Investigation. 15% of total qualification.

2.2: Plan, Prepare, Cook and Present Three Dishes.  Students will be assessed on a 3 hr practical exam and a folio of supporting evidence. 35% of the total qualification.

GCSE Food Technology is a practical and theoretical course for students who enjoy cooking and would like to expand their cooking skills. We have vibrant and enthusiastic cohort of students following GCSE Food Technology in both years 10 and 11. Many students chose this GCSE as a path into cooking as a career, for others the science element is important for further study or the ‘hands on’ learning of life skills. It is a vigorous, challenging and enjoyable subject to study at GCSE. 

Some aspects of the course:

  • Food preparation and cooking skills using hand and industrial techniques.
  • Adapting recipes for a nutritious diet.
  • Explore food trends and develop new food products.
  • Food Safety – working hygienically and safely
  • Investigate the properties of ingredients and how these can be used in a dish.
  • Gain an awareness of ethical and social issues around food; food scarcity and provenance.
  • Develop a critical and analytical approach to problem solving. 

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