Food Preparation and Nutrition

There are more careers in Food and Nutrition than you might at first think, these range from food preparation across the sciences to human nutrition and health. Click here to see examples of where Food Preparation and Nutrition can take you.

GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition

Contact Information: Mrs A Parker - Curriculum Leader

Course Content

This is an Eduqas GCSE certification course. The course on Food Preparation and Nutrition enables you to make connections between theory and practice so that you are able to apply your understanding of Food Science and Nutrition to practical cooking. You will therefore have lessons which are based upon the theoretical aspects of cooking and lessons based upon the practical aspects of cooking.

Component 1 includes the ‘Principles of Food Preparation and Nutrition’ over the following areas;

1. Food commodities 

2. Principles of nutrition 

3. Diet and good health 

4. The science of food 

5. Where food comes from 

6. Cooking and food preparation

Component 2 includes ‘Food Preparation and Nutrition in Action’ which involves the theoretical and practical aspects of cooking in the form of two sets of coursework. One coursework will be based upon a food science investigation and one will be based upon food preparation. You will be able to select from a choice of two tasks for each coursework.

You will be expected to research recipes, adapt recipes (where appropriate) and provide ingredients on an almost weekly basis.

Skills Developed

You will be given the opportunity to develop your technical skills through practical and experimental work. You will further use these technical skills whilst exploring and consolidating your knowledge and understanding related to food preparation and nutrition. 

A lot of other useful skills are also developed e.g. organisational, logical, analytical and teamwork. It’s not just about cooking!

Assessment

Component 1: Principles of Food Preparation and Nutrition 

Written examination: 1 hour 45 minutes 

50% of qualification 

This component will consist of two sections both containing compulsory questions and will assess the six areas of content as listed above. Section A: questions based on stimulus material. Section B: structured, short and extended response questions to assess content related to food preparation and nutrition.

Component 2: Food Preparation and Nutrition in Action 

Two non-examination assessment courseworks: internally assessed, externally moderated 

Assessment (coursework) 1: Approximately 8 hours 

Assessment (coursework) 2: Approximately 12 hours 

50% of qualification

Assessment (coursework) 1: You will plan and undertake a scientific food investigation which will assess your knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to scientific principles underlying the preparation and cooking of food. 15% of GCSE.

Assessment (coursework) 2: You will prepare, cook and present a menu which assesses your knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to the planning, preparation, cooking and presentation of food. You will present a final menu of three dishes within a single period of three hours, planning in advance how this will be achieved. 35% of GCSE.

The above practical activities for Component 2 are a compulsory element of this course.

Progression Routes

Academic 

Level 3 Certificate in Food Science and Nutrition  

Applied

Apprenticeship

BTEC LEVEL 3 Hospitality

Employment (examples)

Hospitality

Catering

Hotel Management

Food Technologist

Food Manufacturing