Cooking

Being able to cook is a life skill. At Danesgate we provide a learning environment which enables pupils to acquire a range of food skills, increasing in complexity and accuracy, to cook a range of dishes, safely and hygienically, and to apply their knowledge of nutrition and food provenance.

Our vision for our pupils is that they will:

• develop their knowledge and understanding of ingredients and healthy eating.
• acquire and demonstrate food preparation and cooking techniques.
• acquire and demonstrate the principles of food hygiene and safety.
• apply their knowledge to make informed choices.

Cooking is taught across the whole school. We deliver a bespoke, practical based course, designed to contribute to the individual timetables created for pupils both in groups and on personalised programs.

 

Learners are introduced to basic cooking skills by following recipes for simple dishes and learning how to use kitchen equipment safely. All recipes and practical activities are underpinned with knowledge about sourcing food, nutrition, hygiene and food safety where relevant.

The practical scheme follows a progressive learning framework which supports learning around the key learning areas. Practical skills development progresses throughout the course consolidating prior learning and extending to include new concepts, knowledge and skills. Practical skill assessment takes place every lesson using a range of strategies such as self-evaluation, teacher feedback and verbal discussion.

Pupil progress is formally tracked termly recording working at grades and approach to learning grades. Each pupil in KS3 is registered with the AQA Unit Award Scheme. This allows pupils to have their cooking achievements formally recognised. Pupils are rewarded with a certificate each time they successfully complete a unit of learning. They can build up a portfolio of certificates to evidence their Practical cooking skills, knowledge and experience.

Most recipes are sourced and adapted from the British Nutrition Foundation ‘Food – a fact of life’ programme. These can be found at www.foodafactoflife.org.uk