S3 Practical Cookery: Reporting Window 2

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:

• Awareness of key hygiene guidelines

• Demonstrating good organisation to work efficiently

• Pastry – making and rolling/lining

• Meringue making

• Following recipes independently

• A variety of cooking techniques

• Weighing and measuring

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

• Gingerbread biscuits

• Lamb and pea wrap

• Belgian biscuits

• Apple Pie Samosas

• Rough Puff Pastry/ Sausage Rolls

• Chicken curry

Along with developing the skills outlined above and preparing dishes pupils have also completed the REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene course. This provides pupils with the opportunity to gain an externally assessed qualification that is essential for anyone working in the catering industry, even on a part-time basis.

Between now and the end of term pupils will be working in pairs to complete a project on diet through the lifespan.  This looks at our changing dietary needs at four key life stages: pregnancy, babies and toddlers, teenagers, elderly.

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.