Food Technology has three members of  staff :
Annette Taylor	Food Technology teacher
Mary Brodey	Teacher Assistant
Heather Westbury	Technician

Food Technology is housed in two specialist Food rooms. Small groups of students share each work area with a cooker, sink, equipment cupboard and working surface. Certain lessons are taught in computer rooms elsewhere in the school.

Introduction

In Food Technology, students start by learning fundamental techniques for food preparation and hygiene and safety. They then move on to design and make a variety of food products firstly for themselves, and then for other people, considering user requirements, nutrition, and cost.

KS3

In year 7, students follow an introductory course entitled “Packed lunches for ourselves”. During this time they become familiar with working in the Food Technology rooms, and learn some basic food preparation skills, as well as a consideration of nutrition and hygiene and safety. In Year 8 they move on to consider designing and making food products for other users and therefore become involved in more complex considerations and decisions within the design and make process. A range of focused practical lessons have been chosen to develop a wide range of techniques, skills, processes and knowledge of ingredients and cultural variation, and give students opportunity to evaluate their design choices, manufacture process and outcomes. Product analysis is used to facilitate research and encourage students to recognize the industrial dimension of Design and Technology.
Those students who opt to study Food in Year 9 will continue to build on the skills learned , and will carry out further practical tasks, and well as learning how to produce written work relating to the cost, nutrition, work schedule and intended purpose of the dishes made. This prepares them for the GCSE course in Years 10 and 11.

KS4

In Years 10 and 11, students work towards their GCSE exam. The specification requires students to demonstrate fully their design and technology capability. They need to combine skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make quality products.
Students are expected to analyse and evaluate products and processes. They should develop and demonstrate techniques and recognise the moral, cultural and environmental issues inherent in design and technology.

During the course students will be expected to complete a design and make task. The task is set by the examination board and challenges students to:

1. identify a need and write a design brief. 
2. research information and produce a specification.
3. present a range of imaginative and skilful ideas.
4. review ideas against the specification to inform developments.
5. propose a final idea.
6. plan the production process, to include industrial applications.
7. manufacture and photograph the production of the product under test conditions.
8. demonstrate selection and use of tools and equipment and practical skills.
9. check and test the product using a range of techniques to evaluate its success within the market.
10. suggest further modifications as appropriate.

This work is submitted to the exam board in the form of a coursework folder, which constitutes 60% of the final grade for the exam. There is also a theory paper, which accounts for the remaining 40% of the marks.

Photographs of projects 

Coursework deadlines

In 2009 the coursework deadline was 2nd March.

Links to revision sites

www.bbc.net.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/foodtech/   

www.samlearning.com