Physical Education

Board: AQA Specification: 8585

Course Overview and Content

Why study GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition?

Food Preparation and Nutrition is an exciting and popular course which encompasses many practical cooking skills. It aims to teach you all about food in its widest sense and help you to learn and develop a wide range of food preparation skills. It has been developed to help you understand: What food is composed of, why we need it and how it affects our long-term health. How food can be prepared and cooked skilfully, and safely to produce delicious and nutritious meals for different people and situations. What happens to the ingredients in food when you prepare and cook them. Where food comes from and how it is produced and sold. Which foods are eaten in different cultures throughout the world. How the food choices people make affect the health and well-being of themselves, their families and the people who produce the food. How the food choices people make affect the health and well-being of the global environment and its natural resources. How you can become an informed and thoughtful consumer of food.

Entry requirements

The key stage 3 curriculum at Ashford school has been designed to equip you with the skills required to access and achieve in Food Preparation and Nutrition at GCSE. Our most successful students will be creative, inquisitive and have an interest in nutrition, as well as a sound basic knowledge of Food Science, and the health, safety and hygiene rules, that are implanted when preparing any food. Students must enjoy the subject, have a good level of skill in cooking, and have an interest in the characteristics and properties of our food. Good analytical, design and evaluation skills are also an advantage.

Food preparation skills are developed and integrated into five core topics which include: food nutrition and health, food science, food safety, food choice and food provenance.

The specification consists of two NEA tasks and a written examination, these two elements have an equal weighting of 50% of the overall GCSE each.

NEA Task 1: Food Investigation – Students' understanding of the working characteristics, functional and chemical properties of ingredients.

NEA Task 2: Food Preparation Assessment –Students’ knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to the planning, preparation, cooking and presentation of food and application of nutrition related to the chosen task.

Written Exam: 1 hour 45 Minutes – Multiple choice (20 Marks) Five questions, each with several sub-questions (80 Marks)

30 Marks

70 Marks

100 Marks

Enrichment

Key stage 4 students can attend the ‘Creative cooking’ activity that takes place on a Wednesday each week, this would help students practice and build their skills furthermore. Outside speakers from companies, such as the ‘Head of Food’ from KFC are also available during the course. We are also hoping to offer trips in due course, to local companies such as Plurenden Farm.

Future pathways

Upon completion of this course, students will be qualified to go on to further study or embark on an apprenticeship, or full-time career in the catering or food industries. This course can also act as a pathway or can be the foundation for career opportunities in areas such as: clinical dietic, food and nutrition management, public health nutrition, education and research and more modern food industry jobs, such as food styling, craft brewers, restaurant designers, mycologists, development chefs plus Food PR and communications.