Food | smithills-school

FOOD TECHNOLOGY

Every kid in every school no matter their background, deserves to learn the basics about food - where it comes from, how to cook it and how it affects their bodies. These life skills are as important as reading and writing, but they've been lost over the past few generations. We need to bring them back and bring up our kids to be streetwise about food.

Jamie Oliver

Subject Intent:

Teaching a broad and balanced curriculum that is tailored to the diverse cultural heritage of our school community creates well-rounded, socially aware citizens of our global community.

Our curriculum is designed to promote academic excellence through a structured spiral journey which builds upon prior learning to explore the many issues which affect our lives today and will so in the future. Topics reference previous knowledge to link and make connections throughout this journey. An emphasis on leadership allows pupils to reflect upon current issues and consider the actions they may take.

We built the curriculum with the intent that pupils will:

experience a broad, deep and knowledge rich curriculum which both satisfies and nourishes curiosity.
extend their KS2 knowledge and deepen their culinary awareness of the world around them focusing on a range food, ingredients and cooking styles and techniques
be literate and numerate in order to show their in-depth understanding of food preparation. They will be able to communicate, in detail, their knowledge and opinions in order to demonstrate their understanding.
have high expectations for their behaviour and achievement through engaging experiences within the subject. Our pupils will demonstrate respect and courtesy when working with each other, tools and equipment.
develop their cultural, moral, social, mental and physical development through allowing them to make greater sense of the world they live in, the food around them, and how food allows us all to interact integrate with each other and the surroundings. We intend to provide our pupils with real work problems where solution-based outcomes are needed.
be prepared for life beyond the school by building curious, independent and inquisitive individuals who have an appreciation and understanding for the world around them. We intend to equip our pupils with the knowledge and skills our society needs to address modern day problems, deepening understanding of contemporary modern-day challenges.
In Food Technology we focus on the wellbeing and progress of every child and where all members of our community are of equal worth. All pupils share a common entitlement to a broad and balanced Food technology curriculum which meets their social and learning needs.

Subject Implementation:

The curriculum builds from year 7 to 11 focusing on the cumulative development of key knowledge based upon broad concepts. In this respect we deliver clear and coherent step-by-step sequences that build knowledge across the year and between key stages.
The broader concepts are revisited; however, knowledge is built on foundations from previous study. Whilst reinforcement and retention of previously learnt knowledge is addressed relentlessly, building a deeper and more coherent understanding is key to preparation for further study.
Routine expectations that pupils show resilience in each and every lesson are supported through independent learning resources, with a central focus on a range of engaging material, relevant and contemporary examples and demonstrations.
Throughout both key stages pupils build a knowledge of a range of diverse cuisines that allow us to interact with the food and ingredients around us, taught with a deepening understanding of the culinary process. As they progress, they deepen their understanding of these processes in order to explain how these the diverse world we live in. Schemes of learning specifically address the diets, healthy eating, eating restrictions of people and groups from a broad range of ages as well as food from other countries
Pupils are encouraged to read in class and aloud in class across both key stages. Pupils build a knowledge of the features of different types of text through the design and research process, independent text resources are created with a central focus of making them engaging and relevant to allows pupils to develop their cultural capital and their understanding of the culinary process
Rigorous, reliable and accessible assessment tracks understanding and allows bespoke planning to occur as a result. There are regular formal assessments, weekly low stakes quizzing and an end of year exam. On-ongoing assessment occurs through teacher monitoring of classwork, practical work and discussions with pupils. Outcomes of these areas are analysed and discussed within the department and interventions and extra support implemented where appropriate. Assessment outcomes are compared to targets to monitor progress. Specific groups such as SEN, DP, MA are closely monitored and intervention, where necessary, is planned in order to reduce gaps.
We use a blended approach to pupils’ education; this allows pupils to develop independence and ownership of their studies and shows that learning doesn’t just take place in the classroom. Knowledge organisers support teaching and learning along with Microsoft TEAMs being used to set work, allow for learning conversations between staff and pupils and provide a platform for feedback where appropriate.

Subject Enrichment:

In the Food Technology department, we value learning that occurs both within the classroom and beyond it. Our pupils have access to frequent, continuous and progressive experiences in the school classrooms, kitchens and educational visits further afield. These experiences are used as a tool for teaching, learning and delivering the curriculum.

Enrichment includes:

Visit to professional kitchens studying the work chefs and other cuisines, used to aid assignment-based work when back is school.
Extra-curricular seasonal lessons and other cuisines used to develop new skills as well as building on skills used in assignment-based work.
Seasonal food competitions, throughout the year, teaching new skills to a broad range of pupils…….
Food for events…….

Subject Impact:

Ensure that there is a systematic curriculum which builds upon the core Food technology principles for pupils from year 7 to year 11. Pupils revisit key concepts and ideas in different contexts in different areas of FT in order to allow rapid subsequent progression. Knowledge is sequenced in a way that builds breadth and depth.
Develop pupils that are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to know where food comes from, how to prepare and cook it and how it can nurture and affects their bodies.
Develop pupils with an ability to critically think about Food and nutrition and give them the confidence, skills and understanding of how it affects us all and the community.
Provide pupils with a range of vocabulary to identify features, human and physical processes used around them. Such core knowledge provides the building blocks of deeper explanation and understanding, providing entry points to further study, training or employment.
Through the study of Food and nutrition our pupils increase the range and accuracy of investigative skills, advancing their ability to select and apply these with increasing independence.

Knowledge and Skills

Year 7: