S3 Practical Cookery: Reporting Window 1

S3 Practical Cookery provides pupils with the opportunity to consolidate their skills from S1 and S2 along with focusing on more advanced skills through a range of practical and classroom based activities.  Examples of these skills include:

•  Working safely in the kitchen

• Awareness of key hygiene guidelines

• Demonstrating good organisation to work efficiently

• Pastry – making and rolling/lining

• Meringue making

• Following recipes

• Weighing and measuring

• Working independently to complete recipes from start to finish

The above skills have enabled pupils to produce the following dishes:

•  Apple meringue pie

• Melting moment biscuits

• Popcorn chicken

• Pasta Bolognese

• Swiss Roll

• Chicken Fajitas

Along with developing the skills outlined above and preparing dishes pupils have also been working on 2 units of work.  ‘Cookery skills & techniques’ focuses on refining the skills required to prepare food and ‘Elementary Food Hygiene’ sees pupils working through a Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland Course and successful completion of the course will provide pupils with an external certificate/qualification in food hygiene.  Both of these units combine practical and classroom based activities to enhance learning.

The majority of work covered in Practical Cookery is based around CfE Level 4 Outcomes and Benchmarks. The majority of pupils at this stage of S3 are working at Fourth C or above. This does not mean that pupils performing below this level are not making progress - all pupils are making progress but some require more support with CfE Level 4 content than others. 

Working Level and Working Grade descriptions for S3 Practical Cookery:

Fourth A: Making excellent progress at CfE Level 4, performing well against all the outcomes covered. Is able to apply the benchmarks in a practical and classroom based setting along with using the key skills to prepare a range of different dishes.  When topics allow for extension, copes really well with the increased challenge.

Fourth B: Making good progress at CfE Level 4, performing well against most of the outcomes covered. Sometimes applies the benchmarks in a practical and classroom based setting along with using the key skills to prepare a range of different dishes.  When topics allow for extension, copes well with the increased challenge.

Fourth C: Making reasonable progress at this level, performing well against many of the outcomes covered while finding others more challenging. Occasionally applies the benchmarks in a practical and classroom based setting along with using the key skills to prepare a range of different dishes.

Fourth D: Making some progress at this level, performing well against a few of the outcomes covered while finding the majority challenging.  Often struggles to apply the benchmarks in a practical and classroom based setting and requires the key skills broken down when preparing a range of different dishes.  Benefits from further consolidation of the level below.

Third A: While continuing to be exposed to CfE Level 4 content in class, finds the majority of the work very challenging and requires most tasks to be broken down into smaller, simplified versions in order to make progress and build confidence.