Food and Nutrition
‘Cooking is about life. It gives us what we need to keep going, and it gives us something to share with other people.’
Joan Bauer (YA novelist)
Our Food and Nutrition lessons help to instil a love of cooking, opening doors to creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill, enabling pupils to feed themselves and others healthily and affordably.
Through our curriculum, pupils:
- begin to understand and apply the principles of nutrition and health;
- will understand the source, seasonality and characteristics of a broad range of ingredients;
- will become competent across a range of cooking techniques.
We teach and assess our curriculum through our curriculum related expectations
| Year 6 | Year 7 | Year 8 |
| I can confidently demonstrate a sound understanding of food safety and hygiene. | I can understand the need to wash hands thoroughly before handling food and give a detailed explanation linking to food poisoning. | I know that food purchased or cooked needs to be stored in different ways to keep it safe. I understand the use of date-marks and storage instructions. |
| I can explain in basic terms what is meant by a healthy diet. | I can identify and explain the importance of a healthy and balanced diet in line with the 8 tips for Healthy Eating. | I can identify a wide range of food hygiene rules and know that different food and drink need to be stored in different places. |
| I can identify some foods which fit into the Eatwell Guide. | I can identify which food and drink fit into which section of the Eatwell Guide and identify some nutrients they provide. | I can make a range of recommendations on how to improve diet. |
| I can identify and use some of the different preparation and cooking methods. | I can independently use a range of techniques, e.g., peeling, chopping, slicing, grating and identify some of the different preparation and cooking methods used. | I can identify a range of raising agents. |
| I can confidently use small pieces of equipment within the food room with little help. | I can identify and describe a range of signs of bacteria growing on food and explain how to prevent enzymic browning of fruit. | I can independently use and identify a range of different preparation and cooking methods |
| I can complete a sensory evaluation with some analysis. | I can identify key information from a food label and explain why it is important. | I can give a detailed explanation of seasonal foods and use them in a range of different recipes. |
| I can confidently define the term seasonality and give examples. | I can give a detailed explanation of seasonal foods with a range of examples for each season in the UK. |
Curriculum Overview
Year 6
| Topic | Skills | |
| 1 | The basics in food safety and hygiene. | Weighing and measuring; washing up; using an oven, hob and grill. |
| 2 | Introduction to the Eatwell Guide Fruit and vegetable preparation. Sensory analysis and taste testing. | Bridge/claw technique; blending; describing the sensory characteristics using the correct sensory descriptors. |
| 3 | Food choice and provenance. | Boiling and simmering; retrieval of core skills taught over the year. |
Year 7
| Topic | Skills | |
| 1 | Recap of food safety and hygiene procedures. Preparing for practical work focusing on core skills. | Recall and discussion; using an oven, hob, grill and knives safely. |
| 2 | Principals of nutrition and diet linking in with practical elements. | Bridge/claw technique; blending; simmering and boiling; adapting recipes. |
| 3 | Show competency in the use of the main equipment in the food and nutrition classroom. | Retrieval of core skills taught over the year. |
Year 8
| Topic | Skills | |
| 1 | Recap of food safety and hygiene procedures. Functions of ingredients. | Recall and discussion; preparing, combining and shaping ingredients. |
| 2 | Cross-contamination and healthy eating. | Different types of frying; combining ingredients successfully; adapting recipes. |
| 3 | Seasonality and meal-planning. | Identifying the correct method of cooking for all recipes. |
Additional Learning Opportunities:
- Year 8 Tunnock’s Teacake Challenge
- Masterchef Competition
Useful Links:
- www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
Last Updated: June 2023