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Cooking and Nutrition

The big ideas in cooking and nutrition at Atherton High School

• For all students to build knowledge on the principles of nutrition and health and apply to daily food choices.
• For all students to know how to be safe and hygienic when working with foods and in a kitchen.
• Students will develop understanding on the processes of preparing a range of dishes so that they are able to feed themselves and others a healthy and varied diet.
• For all students to become competent in a range of techniques used in food preparation including selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils and electrical equipment; applying heat in different ways; using awareness of the sensory properties of food to make improvements and create their own recipes and instill a love of working with food.
• Students will build knowledge on foods produced in Britain and across the world and how we can effectively support food in relation to impacts on the environment.

How the cooking and nutrition curriculum contributes to the school’s curriculum intent

Our curriculum supports students from all backgrounds, including those who are disadvantaged, so students can access a high quality, knowledge-rich curriculum. Our school community believes strongly in providing disadvantaged pupils with a curriculum that enables them to reach the academic standards of their non-disadvantaged peers. Our goal is to bring our young people into the big conversations of our disciplines, to bring depth to our curriculum so they can understand the world around them.

1. Knowledge – Knowledge is at the heart of every scheme of learning. Students will learn and be able to demonstrate effective and safe cooking processes by planning, preparing and cooking a variety of food commodities whilst using different cooking techniques and equipment. Students will develop knowledge and understanding on the functional properties and chemical characteristics of food as well as a sound knowledge of the nutritional content of food and drinks. Students will know the relationship between diet, nutrition and health, including the physiological effects of a poor diet and health. Students will explore the environmental, ethical and socio-cultural influences on food availability, production processes and the consumer. Students will also be exposed to a broad range of ingredients and processes from different culinary traditions (traditional British and international) to inspire new ideas, evoke creativity and to modify existing recipes.
2. Vocabulary rich – We have selected a challenging list of vocabulary, to enrich learning and deepen subject understanding in cooking and nutrition. Through use of subject specific language students will build a repertoire of terminology relating to methods of cookery, finishes to foods, food processes and specific to the equipment used. Students will learn the vocabulary used within the food industry including the Hospitality and Catering sectors and specific language relating to food legislation.
3. Aspiration – Through a knowledge rich ambitious curriculum students will be challenged to devise their own solutions to problems using investigational techniques and knowledge of the scientific principles of food, along with food choices, food testing and nutrition. The opportunities of vocational experiences will also enable students to strive for post 16 opportunities within the food industry.
4. Character is built through the promotion of resilience to learn from and improve on faults in the method or the end product of practical cookery. Students will build knowledge on the mental and physical effects of a poor diet and be given the tools to make positive changes for themselves and those around them. Students will understand what a working kitchen looks like and the roles and responsibilities within it.
5. Love learning in cooking and nutrition takes the students on a cultural journey of food exploring how our senses work and the impact these can have on our decision making. Students will have opportunities to be creative with their recipes be an active participant in how the food evolves from a list of ingredients into a dish focusing on the different processes taken. The curriculum is progressive which enables students to develop independence and the ability to choose their own pathways within the subject and beyond.

The key concepts woven through the curriculum

• Food provenance
• Diet and health
• Nutrition
• Food commodities
• Food science
• Food safety and hygiene
• Cooking and food preparation

• Year 7 Learning Journey
• Year 8 Learning Journey
• Year 9 Learning Journey
• Yr10 Food Preparation and Nutrition
• Yr10 Hospitality and Catering
• Yr11  Food Preparation and Nutrition

Reading in cooking and nutrition

Reading in cooking and nutrition, food preparation  and hospitality and catering is included to build knowledge and understand processes. We include sections on fruits and vegetables; food and nutrition; breads as a British staple food and other breads from around the world; food provenance and food commodities. We access information from sensory testing of foods, recipes and methods of dishes made and apply them to practical cookery.

Learning beyond the classroom

In food, we explore every opportunity outside of the classroom to support school events and enhance learning. We visit food providers and are involved with in-house catering, for example students cater for the careers convention.

Towards the end of Yr10, vocational students visit a working kitchen to see how operations run. They will talk to the head chef about the in out system, food hygiene and large equipment used to mass produce food. the students are made aware of stock rotations and can see each working area where different foods are produced.

Design & Technology

Intent: The Big Ideas in Design Technology at Atherton High School

The Design Technology intent at Atherton high School is to provide a knowledge rich curriculum, which responds to the needs of the students, the community they live in, and the global challenges future generations will face. We aim to develop technological capability in all our students.  This encompasses understanding of appropriate concepts and processes: the ability to apply knowledge and skills by thinking and acting confidently, imaginatively, and autonomously. Identified projects offer progression and appropriate challenge. We have also designed the curriculum to be cyclical so that students work iteratively through the “design, make, evaluate cycle”, returning to key concepts and core knowledge to gradually build deeper understanding resulting in more successful solutions.

How the Design Technology curriculum contributes to the school’s curriculum intent

Our curriculum supports students from all backgrounds, including those who are disadvantaged, so students can access a high-quality, knowledge-rich curriculum. Our school community believes strongly in providing disadvantaged pupils with a curriculum that enables them to reach the academic standards of their non-disadvantaged peers. Our goal is to bring our young people into the big conversations of our disciplines, to bring depth to our curriculum, so they can understand the world around them.

1. Knowledge – Knowledge is at the heart of every scheme of learning. Students will be taught the key component knowledge explicitly and revisit this knowledge weekly to ensure any knowledge gaps or misconceptions are corrected promptly. Essential knowledge will build throughout the journey of learning to enable all students to develop deeper understanding of key concepts and progress effectively through the curriculum. The four key areas of knowledge which pupils will develop to become a subject expert in design technology are conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, disciplinary knowledge, and language.
2. Vocabulary rich – We have selected a challenging list of vocabulary, to enrich learning and deepen subject knowledge. Students will be taught design technology terminology and its meaning to enable them to speak and write like a specialist when in design technology. Pupils will also be provided with opportunities to read images from selected designers to develop their literacy skills in design technology.
3. Aspiration – We aim to develop technological capability in all our students.  This incorporates understanding of appropriate concepts and processes: the ability of our pupils to apply knowledge and skills by thinking and acting confidently, imaginatively, and autonomously.  The ability to evaluate materials, processes, artefacts, and systems critically and constructively is crucial whilst acknowledging individuality, aspirations and needs by providing a breadth of experience and choice to which our students can relate.
4. Character building –We aim to stimulate intellectual development and enrich the lives of our students by sparking interest in their immediate environment, recognising the needs of others, and appreciating the work of past and present designers and engineers who have created new meaning to better the world we live in.
5. Love of learning –To achieve this objective, we believe our teaching staff need to be knowledgeable and highly motivated, exude creative energy and are a key factor in facilitating an atmosphere in which students can grow in confidence and enjoy learning.

The key concepts woven through the DT Curriculum:

• • User
  • Purpose 
  • Functionality
  • Design Decision
  • Innovation
  • Authenticity

• Year 7 Learning Journey
• Year 8 Learning Journey
• Year 9 Learning Journey
• Year 10 Learning Journey
• Year 11 Learning Journey

Reading in Design Technology

Reading in DT is approached through exposing students to a variety of designers and their work and inferring the designers’ ideas and concepts through subject-specific vocabulary. Students will be encouraged to use correct design technology terminology when designing, making and analysing their own work, the work of peers and the work of a diverse range of iconic designers.

Learning beyond the classroom

Students will have the opportunity to extend their learning beyond the classroom by engaging in a variety of extra-curricular activities that provide additional opportunities for them to practise, consolidate and apply their learning. In addition to this pupil will have the opportunity to visit local t-shirt printing shops to consolidate their learning around textiles and methods of production. Pupils will also visit RHS Bridgewater in order develop a further understanding of designing for a client.