The department is situated on the ground floor of the building. It consists of 2 practical rooms with a food preparation area at the back of the larger room.
An additional classroom/computer room has been allocated to the department, primarily for the teaching of the Health and Social Care courses but also for the KS4 Food students to use for completion of coursework.
The department is well equipped for teaching full classes the practical aspects of the course and it is hoped the area will be further developed to accommodate the teaching of the theoretical aspects of the course with the inclusion of easier access to ICT facilities.
Within the department there are 4 full time members of staff and 2 technicians. There are 2 further members of staff who contribute to the teaching in the department.
The list below shows the members of the department, indicates who is responsible for the different courses within the department and who teaches on each of the different courses.
Gail Bedford — Technician (full time)
Norma Dawson — Technician (part time)
Each year all students in years 7–9 receive 13 x 45 minute lessons where they cover the theory of nutrition and 13 x 90 minute lessons, where the practical element of the course is taught. Thus they receive a good grounding in both the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. The theoretical element covers the basics of human nutrition and the wise selection of foods and dietary adaptations to promote good health both at school and beyond. Food safety, food hygiene and food production are also studied. The practical element supports this but also aims to develop real enjoyment and creativity in addition to organisational skills, analytical skills and confidence building. A wide range of techniques is taught and a variety of equipment and ingredients used. Introducing new foods to students and encouraging more adventurous tastes are an integral part of our teaching as is costing and decision making.
At Key Stage 4 the following courses are offered as optional subjects
This course is designed to provide opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their design and technology capabilities and to show how they can combine skills with their knowledge and understanding in order to design and make quality products.
Food is a material with unique properties, it has specific characteristics, which must be considered and understood before products can be successfully designed and made. Pupils are required to apply their knowledge of food science when developing products. Much of this work is related to the food industry and product development. This is a popular option with both boys and girls. We currently run two groups with 20–24 students in each group. This course is always fully subscribed.
The students on this course are not required to complete a written examination. This course is aimed at those students who are unlikely to achieve at GCSE. It is a unit-based specification, where students are required to complete four of the units provided. Pupils are taught in smaller groups of approximately 10-12 which enables each student to get much more individual attention, which in turn helps them to develop their practical skills to a higher standard.
the First Certificate is equivalent to 2 GCSE's and the Diploma is equivalent to 4 GCSE's.�
Exam Board: AQA
The course is a natural progression for students who have already successfully completed a GCSE in Food Technology. The course is designed to encourage candidates to take a broad view of technology and design, to develop their capacity to design and make products and to appreciate the complex relations between design, materials, manufacture and marketing. This subject was offered for the first time in September 2006, 3 students enrolled for the course. It is hoped this number will increase as the course becomes more established.
This is a two year course with the AS level completed at the end of year 12 and A2 at the end of year 13. Some students have shown an interest in only completing the AS Level, in either Year 12 or 13. This is quite acceptable.
Exam Board: EdExcel
The BTEC First Diploma is equivalent to four GCSEs. This 6 unit course is vocational as it aims to develop practical skills as much as intellectual skills.
The units covered provide students with an introduction to the health and care services, enabling them to investigate a range of areas of study. The course aims to provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills required for further employment in health and care, and to stimulate interest in and enjoyment of working within these sectors. This is a two year course at Key Stage 4 and is a portfolio based course with no final exam.