Aims of the course:

This course encourages the pupils to cook food from scratch and make life choices that benefit their health and well-being. It will build on the cooking skills learnt in KS3 and give pupils the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy cooking meals at home. They will gain an understanding of how to plan and cook economical meals and be encouraged to inspire others by passing on the skills and recipes learnt.

Course Requirements

No previous experience of cooking skills is needed for this course. The specification states that basic literacy and numeracy skills are necessary in order to read and understand recipes and measure ingredients however students that have difficulty accessing traditional recipe books will benefit from the style of teaching with eg micro skill demonstrations, picture recipes etc to encourage independence.

Study Programme

Students will be introduced to various basic cooking skills from a range of simple recipes with underpinning knowledge about the nutritional content and benefits of using fresh, seasonal ingredients whenever possible. Topics include include egg dishes, simple soups, pasta dishes etc leading to a simple breakfast; a healthy lunch box and main meals. The emphasis being on safety, hygiene and using fresh, healthy ingredients but there will be opportunities for baking cakes and biscuits when appropriate.

Assessment

This course is assessed by planning and preparing a meal and gathering a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates what they have learnt over the two years. The expectations of the written work and the complexity of the meal completed will be higher for the Level 2 award, but both awards have frameworks and guidelines to help students record their knowledge and understanding.

Facilities

A recently opened, purpose built kitchen offers excellent facilities and a bright well equipped environment to work in.

Visits and Trips

Learning styles will draw on practical experiences and local expertise, including input from visiting speakers or visits to local shops to encourage an understanding of budgeting and safe storage of food etc alongside the life skills offered by such opportunities.