Food and Nutrition

In Year 6, students enjoy half of a term dedicated to the ‘Introduction to Food and Nutrition’. We cook a range of nutritious snacks, and we think about forming healthy habits, such as choosing balanced, colourful plates of food.

Our Year 7 and 8 courses aim to introduce students to a wide range of skills, equipment, ingredients and to develop an understanding of nutrition and food provenance. The dishes students create reflect healthy eating guidelines and allow them to demonstrate a growing independence in this life skill. Global issues such as sustainability are also explored alongside practical sessions.

Our Year 9 course has been designed to build on the cooking skills and knowledge learned in Lower School but with more independent planning and a more global view of food and its impact on the environment. Students will focus on topics concerning nutrition and health and will plan their practical lessons according to a specific nutritional brief.  They will learn how to adapt recipes to improve the nutritional quality or for a specific dietary need. They will also plan dishes that celebrate seasonal fruits and vegetables or particular cultures.  

Students who choose to take GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition receive two double lessons per week. It is an exciting and creative course, which focuses on practical cooking skills to ensure students develop a thorough understanding of nutrition, the relationship between diet and health, food provenance and the working characteristics of food materials. At its heart, this qualification focuses on nurturing students’ practical cookery skills to give them a strong understanding of nutrition. 50% of the course grade is based on practical assessments, and 50% is based on a written paper in Year 11.