Food Technology Intent statement

• In Food Technology, our intention at Maplefields is to give our pupils the opportunity to:
• Be introduced and build on an essential life skill through the art of cooking using the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet.  Pupils will not only just learn how to cook but will go on to develop and enhance their skills and knowledge throughout the food programme possibly culminating in a full NVQ Level 1 in Food Preparation and Cooking if they choose the subject in year Ten.
• The students will develop self-esteem through the accomplishment of various dishes from around the world and by understanding seasonality, know what food types are available during the year. They will develop the confidence to experiment through a variety of recipes that will incorporate using the correct equipment and cooking methods to create the various dishes. 
• Promote a sense of independence through the mastery of cooking in a variety of ways, that will demonstrate their understanding of the principles of nutrition and health.
• To develop communication skills and positive relationships through working as a team within the kitchens. Enabling pupils to research into origins of dishes and food commodities and to understand the various cultural backgrounds to dishes.
• To further build self-esteem and confidence through structure and routine within a kitchen building up a repertoire of dishes to a level of competency to be able to feed themselves and others with some pupils going onto gaining a full NVQ in Hospitality.

Incorporating cross-curricular skills such as science when working with chemically raised products, mathematics when measuring or upscaling recipes, English when researching and writing out recipes and PHSE when discussing healthy eating/lifestyles or cultural backgrounds to dishes.

KS1

Students will be introduced to types of food and their uses.

Introduced to an awareness of the basic methods of cooking food

They will identify where types of food come from and develop cooking skills of basic dishes.

Lower KS2

The students will be introduced to personal and kitchen hygiene rules

Develop knowledge in healthy eating

Continue to develop the knowledge of cooking methods

They will study food commodities

They will continue to enhance their repertoire of dishes

Upper KS2

The students will continue to develop and enhance their knowledge in personal hygiene

Develop knowledge in healthy eating

Continue to develop the knowledge of cooking methods and the basic utensils and equipment required for the task.

They will continue to study more of the food commodities that we use in everyday life

They will be given the chance to improve their repertoire of dishes

Year 7

By moving up to Secondary school, the students will study more in depth, personal and kitchen hygiene rules.

They will increase their understanding for the reason of kitchen safety

Continue with healthy eating

They will begin to understand why the correct use of kitchen equipment and utensils is necessary and continue to develop the knowledge of cooking methods

They will cover further examples of food commodities.

They will further enhance the repertoire with more complex dishes

Year 8 & 9

Students will further their knowledge in personal and kitchen hygiene

They will enhance their awareness of kitchen safety and the range of kitchen appliances.

Further practical exercises will be carried out to further their understanding of healthy eating and why it is so important

A larger range of cooking methods will be introduced across an increasing range of dishes.

More study will be carried out into food commodities from around the world

This stage will also see and cover an increasing range of more complex dishes

KS4

Following previous learning of personal and kitchen hygiene students will be given more in-depth detail culminating in an exam to test their underpinning knowledge of the subject

They will study how to work in a safe and clean environment and learn the principles of working within a team.

Along with understanding healthy eating they will look at the nutrients that are in food and their uses

They will continue to develop the knowledge and skills of the various cooking methods appropriate for the types of foods.

Develop a greater understanding of the source of the ingredients they actually use

Consumer awareness

They will continue to enhance their repertoire with more complex dishes and undertake up to 11 units covering the preparation of vegetables, meat and poultry, pasta dishes, rice dishes and egg dishes which will lead towards NVQ Level 1 in Food Preparation and Cooking ready for a career in the Hospitality industry.

KS5

During this stage of their education, for those students who didn’t choose the Food Tech route during their options for KS4, will prepare for independence by developing their cooking skills in a domestic kitchen following health and safety procedures, using different food preparation methods and cooking meals in line with requirements to contribute to own healthy living.