FOOD PREPARATION & NUTRITION

Is this subject right for me?

Are you interested in food? Do you enjoy learning new skills and using these skills to make dishes? You should want to try new foods, learn about where they are from, how different foods are processed and WHY ingredients react in a particular way. Nutrition is an important aspect of the course as you will further your understanding of the importance of a balanced diet for different people at different stages in their life. 

What do I need to know or be able to do before taking this course?

Organisation is a key feature of this course as you will need to organise ingredients for a wider range of dishes, including some of your own choice. Food science is a strong element of the course (for the exam and NEA 1), time management and working within time constraints. 

What will I learn?

GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition is an exciting and creative course, it focuses on practical cooking skills to ensure you develop a thorough understanding of nutrition, food provenance and the working characteristics of food ingredients.

At its heart, this qualification focuses on nurturing your practical cookery skills to give you a strong understanding of nutrition.

Food preparation skills are integrated into five core topics:

1. Food, nutrition and health

2. Food science

3. Food safety

4. Food choice

5. Food provenance

Where could it lead?

The food industry is one of the largest employers in the country. Career options include: food product development, food technologist, food scientist, dietician, catering, chef, cake decorator, food selector, food retailing, food stylist as well as TV and magazine work. You will also have the ability to confidently feed yourself and others in later life.

People are always going to eat, so you could be part of a growth industry!

There is also scope for careers via apprenticeships pathways.

At Key Stage 5, students can continue their studies through a Level 3 Diploma in Food Science and Nutrition

Assessment

50% Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes

50% Non-Exam Assessment (NEA 1 and NEA 2): 30 hours total (Both completed in Year 11)

• • NEA 1: Food Investigation Task (15%). Students will be given a context by the exam board (1 September) that asks them to investigate the working characteristics, and functional and chemical properties of ingredients. Multiple food investigations (scientific experiments) will be carried out to illustrate this. An electronic report (1,500 - 2,000 words) that includes photographic evidence of the investigations will be produced.

  • NEA 2: Food Preparation Task (35%). Students will be given a choice of contexts by the exam board (1 November) that usually relates to a life stage, a dietary requirement or a culinary tradition. They will need to research this context and demonstrate their technical practical skills with dishes they select themselves. One element of the NEA is to prepare, cook and present three dishes within a single three hour period. All of this work will be recorded and evaluated in an electronic report that includes photographic evidence (20 pages maximum).

Exam Board: AQA

Further Information

For further information on this course, please visit the Design & Technology Google Site: https://sites.google.com/rosebery.surrey.sch.uk/dtrosebery/gcse-options