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Rooks Heath School

Rooks Heath School

Strive to be your best

Food Technology

Overview 

The Food Technology curriculum introduces students to the essential life skills of cooking and nutrition, building confidence in practical food preparation and culinary independence. Following a progressive framework, students develop mandatory technical skills in knife work, cooker control, and recipe adaptation. Lessons focus on hands-on making, nutritional analysis, food science, and safety. Students can expect engaging, practical lessons that build towards independent meal planning and cooking. 

Curriculum Intent 

The department aims to: 

  • Develop confident cooks who can safely prepare a range of dishes. 

  • Build strong foundations in food safety, nutrition, and commodity knowledge. 

  • Foster appreciation for seasonal ingredients, local provenance, and global food cultures. 

  • Encourage independence and problem-solving when modifying recipes for specific dietary needs. 

  • Equip students with essential life skills for physical health and well-being. 

Key knowledge includes: 

  • Core nutrition principles including the Eatwell Guide, macronutrients, and micronutrients. 

  • Food safety science covering cross-contamination, bacteria growth, and temperature control. 

  • Food provenance encompassing food miles, sustainability, and British vs. international cuisines. 

Key skills include: 

  • Executing knife techniques using the claw and bridge grips with absolute precision. 

  • Regulating cooker heat effectively across hob, grill, and oven methods. 

  • Weighing and measuring ingredients accurately using electronic scales and liquid jugs. 

  • Analysing nutritional content to evaluate and improve the health profile of dishes. 

Curriculum Implementation 

Teaching Approach 

  • Structured practical progression to systematically build manual dexterity and kitchen safety. 

  • Live teacher demonstrations to model exact technical skills before student execution. 

  • Scaffolded recipe cards with tiered extension tasks for advanced students. 

  • Regular retrieval practice of food hygiene rules and core nutritional facts. 

  • Collaborative kitchen work to build time-management, teamwork, and organizational skills. 

Sequencing of Learning 

  • Year 7: Focuses on basic knife skills, weighing, hob safety, and fruit and vegetable commodities. 

  • Year 8: Introduces staple foods, raising agents, dough handling, and high-heat cooking methods. 

  • Year 9: Progresses to complex proteins, multi-structural dishes, and adapting recipes for diverse dietary needs. 

  • Revisited concepts: Safety and nutrition are reinforced and deepened during every practical module. 

Assessment 

Curriculum Impact 

Success is measured through: 

  • Student progress across practical dexterity, organizational skills, and theoretical understanding. 

  • Increasing independence in setting up units, managing cooking times, and washing up. 

  • Spontaneous application of food hygiene and safety rules during practical lessons. 

  • Assessment outcomes and progress data from theoretical and practical testing. 

  • Student voice indicating high levels of engagement, enjoyment, and culinary confidence 

Examples of impact: 

  • Students independently creating balanced, multi-ingredient Savory meals from scratch. 

  • Demonstration of advanced skills like sauce gelatinisation and dough shaping by Year 9. 

  • Confident justification of ingredient modifications for health, budget, or ethical reasons. 

Curriculum Structure 

Key Stage 3 

Year Topics / Units Key Knowledge & Skills 
7 Foundations of Food & Safety: Kitchen hygiene, knife skills, the Eatwell Guide, fruit and vegetable preparation.  Safe execution of bridge and claw cuts. 
Correct use of hobs for boiling and simmering. 
Understanding the 5 core food groups. 
Basic washing and sanitising routines. 
8

 

Foundation of Raising agents, Nutrition Macronutrients and sustainability environmental impact of food  

 Using ovens and grills safely. 
Rubbing-in and dough-handling methods. 
Understanding how heat alters food structure. 
Applying the 4 Cs of food hygiene. 
9 Complex Cooking & Sustainability: Protein safety, food miles, international cuisine, dietary modifications.   Safe handling and cooking of high-risk proteins. 
Creating complex sauces using gelatinisation. 
Adapting dishes for allergies or ethical choices. 
Managing independent multi-stage recipes

Textbooks: