| Key Stage | Qualification | Course Code | Exam Board |
| KS4 | |||
| KS5 | Food and Nutrition Level 3 Diploma |
Years 10 & 11
During Year 9 and 10, lessons will be practical and theory based. You will spend 50% of your time developing your practical preparation and cooking skills, and 50% on developing your knowledge and understanding of theoretical elements, such as nutrition and function on ingredients.
In this course, you will have the opportunity to develop skills in the following areas:
- Food Preparation Skills: Preparing, cooking and presenting high quality meals.
- Food Science: Investigating and applying the scientific principles involved in the preparation of foods, as well as understanding the functions of ingredients.
- Nutrition and Food Choices: Understanding detailed principles of nutrition and healthy eating to make informed decisions for a range of different needs.
- Food Safety: Understanding food hygiene and safety techniques.
- Food Provenance: Learning about where our food comes from and about the huge challenges that we face globally to supply the world with nutritious and safe food.
How will you be assessed?
50% Coursework and 50% Exam
Non-examined assessment tasks (Controlled Assessment)
| Assessment 1 – Food Investigation Task Assesses the scientific principles underlying the preparation and cooking of food. Students will be given a set task in the Autumn term of Year 11. They have 10 hours to plan, research, carry out the investigation, analyse their results and evaluate their work. Past examples include – reducing the amount of sugar in a cake or investigating the best fat to make pastry. | 15% of final marks |
| Assessment 2 – Food Preparation Task Students will be given a set task in the Spring term of Year 11. They will have 20 hours to research, plan and cook, then analyse and evaluate up to 3 practical products related to this task. The practical exam is a 3 hour exam that will enable students to demonstrate their practical skill. Past task examples include street food, vegetarian, international cuisine and afternoon tea. | 35% of final marks |
| The written exam is worth 50% of the final grade and takes place in the summer term of Y11. | 50% of the final grade |
This subject is linked to many careers in food preparation, hospitality and catering, dietetics, food nutrition, food product development, food marketing…the list goes on!
What do the students say?
‘Everyone is very supportive. I have enjoyed cooking a wide range of products and developing my practical skills. The course inspired me to carry out my work experience at Thyme after Thyme and investigate courses to further my food education.’ Morgan
‘In Assessment 2, you get to be really creative with dishes. There is a wide variety of practical tasks which give you confidence and knowledge.’ Caitlin
Sixth Form (Food and Nutrition Level 3 Diploma)
Certificate at the end of Year 12 or 2 year diploma received at the end of Year 13
| Unit | Assessment | ||
| Unit 1: Meeting Nutritional Needs of Specific Groups | Written exam, 1 hour 45 minutes Internal and external 25% of Qualification | ||
| Unit 2: Ensuring Food is Safe to Eat | External 25% of Qualification | ||
| Unit 3: Experimenting to Solve Food Production Problems | Internal 25% of Qualification | ||
| Unit 4: Current Issues in Food Science and Nutrition | Internal 25% of Qualification |
