Food Preparation and Nutrition
Food Preparation and Nutrition at St Thomas More CVA aims to build students by equipping them with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating. Our curriculum will encourage students to cook independently, developing vital life skills that enable them to feed themselves and others affordably and nutritiously, now and later in life. The curriculum will also enable students to make informed decisions about a wide range of further learning opportunities and career pathways.
The Food Preparation and Nutrition schemes of work are designed to develop essential life skills and understand nutrition and food science. Students are given the opportunity to practise their skills with a range of healthy dishes to become confident in the kitchen during Key Stage 3.
During their time in Food and Nutrition students:
- Demonstrate effective and safe cooking skills by planning, preparing and cooking using a variety of food commodities, cooking techniques and equipment.
- Understand the relationship between diet, nutrition and health, including the physiological and psychological effects of poor diet and health.
- Develop knowledge and understanding of food science through practical scientific investigations.
- Understand the economic, environmental, ethical, and socio-cultural influences on food availability, seasonality, food miles, special diets, production processes, and diet and health choices.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of functional and nutritional properties, sensory qualities and microbiological food safety considerations when preparing, processing, storing, cooking and serving food.
- Understand and explore a range of ingredients and processes from different culinary traditions (traditional British and international), to inspire new ideas or modify existing recipes.
Food is a compulsory subject at Key Stage 3 and an essential need in life. By participating in Food and Nutrition students not only gain a wide range of life skills, but also broaden their taste preferences and exposure to new flavours. The Food Preparation and Nutrition curriculum promotes enjoyment and immediate outcomes where pupils can celebrate their successes. They learn how to produce nutritional meals for themselves and their families whilst gaining an understanding of where food has come from and how transportation can impact on the environment. Students also explore the many moral issues relating to food production. Pupils learn to work as part of a team and develop the skills of multi-tasking. They understand the importance of good personal hygiene and how to store food correctly to reduce the risk of food borne diseases.
