Food is a vital part of our daily lives and is essential for life. As our students become adults and have busy lives, it is easy to choose food which has been ready prepared. However, it is more nutritious and often cheaper to cook simple, delicious food. At St Michael’s Church of England High School, students will develop their knowledge and understanding of nutrition, healthy eating, food choices, food preparation, hygiene, cooking techniques and sensory characteristics within their food lessons. Throughout KS3, students will:
- develop an understanding that religions, customs and beliefs influence food choice
- know about conditions that may be caused by intolerance or allergy to food
- understand the meaning of ‘cuisine’ in terms of the food related to the traditional eating habits of certain countries
- learn about the cuisine of other countries as well as British traditional cuisine
- understand how to taste food products using your senses accurately
- know about a range of sensory testing methods
- know which information is legally required for a food label
- explain how this information will help the consumer
- understand the ways in which nutritional labelling can be presented
- provide reasoned suggestions for food choice based on a range of factors
We aim to deliver lessons that are:
- relevant to our students, engaging and allow them to be active whilst learning in a positive environment
- give our students vital life skills that enable them to feed themselves and others affordably and nutritiously, now and later in life (Relevant)
- encourage the development of high skills and resilience in a safe environment, allowing students to demonstrate commitment and act on feedback (Engaging)
- empower students to enable them to follow a recipe and substitute ingredients and cooking methods as appropriate, demonstrating an understanding of food choices e.g. veganism, allergies and healthy eating (Relevant and Learning)
- develop an understanding that will allow students to become discriminating consumers of food products, enabling them to participate in society in an active and informed manner (Active)
- engage with students to encourage them to understand the environmental factors which affect the inequalities in food distribution on a global scale and give them an understanding of the need to minimise ‘food waste’ starting with their own practice (Engaging)
- allow students to explore a number of multicultural perspectives concerning food. Students will enhance their understanding, appreciation and acceptance of people from a variety of cultural backgrounds through the preparation of food from different countries (Active)
- encourage our students to develop an awareness and acceptance of diversity within our community (Relevant, Engaging, Active, Learning)
Our hope is that through Food Technology, students are provided with a context through which to explore the richness, pleasure and variety that food adds to life:
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience”
“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
The national curriculum for Design Technology Key Stage 3 aims to ensure that all pupils:
- understand and apply the principles of nutrition and health
- cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes so that they are able to feed themselves and others a healthy and varied diet
- become competent in a range of cooking techniques (for example, selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils and electrical equipment; applying heat in different ways; using awareness of taste, texture and smell to decide how to season dishes and combine ingredients; adapting and using their own recipes)
- understand the source, seasonality and characteristics of a broad range of ingredients
