Food & Nutrition KS3 2021-2022

KS3 Food & Nutrition The KS3 curriculum is designed with the focus of preparing pupils for the GCSE Food Preparation & Nutrition course and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. With that in mind, the same topics, which are taught at KS4, are taught at KS3 but at an intermediate level. Throughout years 7, 8 & 9 pupils learn about Food Nutrition, Food Science, Food Safety, Food Choice and Food Provenance. The pupils through the planned practical sessions are also given the opportunity to develop the 12 practical skills assessed at GCSE. The focus of theory and practical work in each KS3 module looks at a different food group to develop breadth and understanding in preparation of the knowledge required for KS4. In year 7, the focus of is fruit and vegetables, in year 8 the focus of the module is staple foods, and in year 9, the focus of module 1 & 2 is meat, fish, eggs and alternatives.

As pupils work through each module, the content systematically scaffolds the previous year enabling pupils to make connections, but the challenge of theory and practical work increases. This is indicated to pupils through the name and colour code of each module – Year 7 Induction (Red), Year 8 Progression (Orange) and Year 9 Specialism (Green). There are clear links throughout modules so concepts are not taught only once but are sequenced to enable embedding in long-term memory.

Pupils are also given the opportunity to complete mini NEA 1 & 2 tasks in each module. Therefore, at the end of KS3 pupils will have the experience of carrying out three food Science investigations looking at enzymic browning, gluten formation and foam formation. Pupils in these tasks have the opportunity to work in small groups to develop teamwork and supportive skills. Pupils complete two Food practical skills investigations in which they are given the opportunity to develop the skills of cooking cuisine from a different culture or a specific dietary need. The pupils research, plan and carry out these tasks independently, creating independence and confidence in the practical environment.

By the time pupils reach year 10 they will be very familiar with the terminology, format of lessons, the ability to implement the practical skills through different food groups. Thus, having an excellent grounding for the GCSE course.

Year 7: Pupils enjoy the practical aspects of this module. Ingredients are brought in from home, but for investigative and product analysis purposes everything will be provided by the department. We consider health and safety, equipment, dietary initiatives like the ‘Eat well plate’, ‘Dietary guidelines’ and ‘5 a day’, also the functions of ingredients, flowcharts and meal planning. Practical work includes a double decker sandwich, fruit salad, pasta salad, fruit crumble, healthy muffins, scones, and a pizza ‘design and make’ task.

How parents can help Having one hour lessons, time is very precious and pupils can end up losing about 15 minutes if they need to weigh out their ingredients. Please encourage your child do this the evening before as part of the learning experience. We often have situations when pupils unpack their food bag and don’t have a clue what the ingredients in the separate little bags or containers are. However, if this is a problem, there is the option for pupils to come and weigh out at break or lunchtime, depending upon their lesson time. Finally, pupils will need to have a suitable named container/box to safely take their food products home.