Welcome to the Food Technology department, where we develop our students’ minds and skills towards culinary excellence through a series of fun activities and learning.

Students may join in Year 7 with a variety of levels of skill, but our common aim is that, by the time they leave in year eleven, every student will have fully developed these important life skills to provide them with confidence in cooking and independence in the kitchen, as well as good nutritional knowledge.

In Year 7 students are introduced to a world of healthy eating and how to cook a variety of balanced savoury and sweet meals. In Year 8 we build on knowledge and ability to start to design their own creative products, whilst teaching them essential skills such as how to make their own bread. In Year 9 student’s progress to making their own meals using a variety of techniques and skills so that even if they do not take GCSE, they will be able to support themselves (or a family) with well-balanced meals through a range of dishes.

If the students choose to progress to GCSE – an excellent choice for both career path as well as developing those important life skills – then Food Technology becomes Food Preparation and Nutrition. In GCSE students embed and extend their nutritional knowledge whilst gaining high-level skills. Here we are training them to be professional chefs, so expectations are high and, by the end of the course, they are well equipped to work in the hospitality and catering industry, or even to run their own business.

It sounds like hard work in our department – and it is, for we have incredibly high standards and expect the same from our students, whom never disappoint. But hard work is also lots of fun and the students thoroughly enjoy not only the practical lessons, but also shaping future lessons through their own feedback and evaluation.

Please visit the Year 9 Option information section to read about the Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE at Key Stage 4.