Food & Nutrition

The GCSE in Food and Nutrition will equip learners with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating.

Unit 1

Principles of Food and Nutrition

Written examination: 40% of qualification. The examination paper is 1 hour 30 minutes and contains two sections both containing compulsory questions.

Unit 2

Food and Nutrition in Action

Two controlled tasks worth 60% of the GCSE

Year 10

10 hours will be allocated for the Food Investigation Assessment as sufficient to cover all aspects of the assessment

Year 11

15 hours are allocated for this assessment including a 3 hour practical session to prepare, cook and present a menu. This allows 12 hours for the completion of the research, planning, testing and trialling and evaluation to be taken in sessions at the discretion of the centre.

Practical Lessons

There are two practical cooking lessons every three weeks, learners are to continue to pay £10 per term for ingredients.

These practical lessons are essential as students learn the skills they need to complete their practical exam. They also support the theory and written work.

Enrichment Opportunities

The Food and Nutrition GCSE course provides various enrichment opportunities, including field trips to external food agencies, such as restaurants and manufacturing facilities. Additionally, we invite industry professionals to the school to conduct workshops for students, enhancing their knowledge of career paths within the sector, along with insights into ingredient characteristics and functionality.

These visits also contribute to the development of students’ presentation skills, ultimately preparing them for their examinations.

Homework

Homework can take a variety of forms including written tasks, revision exercises, online tasks and preparation for coursework or practical examinations. The aim of homework is to supplement the learning that takes place in the classroom and instil independent learning, a crucial lifelong skill. Staff aim to give ample time to complete homework tasks so learners should plan their own time carefully in order to meet deadlines. The frequency of homework can vary depending on the number of lessons offered over a fortnight.

The majority of subject areas make use of Google Classroom to communicate any homework requirements to the learners. I would encourage learners and parents/carers to check Google Classrooms regularly.

Parents/Carers should endeavour to provide a quiet space for their children to complete homework tasks. Where this is not possible, the school does provide such places for learners to access in their lunchtime or afterschool hours. Please encourage learners to discuss this with their tutors or progress leaders in the first instance.

Feedback

All teachers will provide verbal feedback. Feedback lessons will follow examination questions to allow students to improve their work in DIRT based on the guidance given.

Assessment

Current performance of an individual, assessments also inform learners and staff which areas they need to develop. At Ysgol y Grango, staff continuously assess a learner’s progress through a variety of methods. This could include informal assessment, such as quizzes or observations, or formal assessments, such as written tests or coursework.

Ysgol y Grango use an online system called Go4Schools to track and monitor individual learners. Learners and parents/carers can also access information such as reports and subject progress through their own Go4schools login.

Throughout Key stage 4, learners will sit various external assessments. The timing of these assessments varies depending on the subject. Some of these assessment timings are controlled by the school but many are put in place by the examination board. As such it is important that learners are present for these assessments as missing elements of a course can significantly affect the overall grade for a learner.

There will be at least four formal assessments each year. (Progress pit stops after each commodity). Examination questions completed in class at some point during lessons will be awarded marks (as required by each question) and a target on how it could be improved if needed.