Our curriculum offer seeks to follow the National Curriculum prioritising emotional wellbeing alongside academic achievements in order to meet the individual needs of our pupils, this is exemplified by the encouragement of cooking nutritious food that enables and embeds the skills needed for a healthy lifestyle. It gives pupils a greater connection to the wider world around them and a greater understanding of the multicultural and multi-faith society that they live in. It provides them with the skills that enable them to go into industry, ready.
Also, the curriculum is strategically planned to scaffold the skills required to make successful progress, demonstrated through pupils in KS3 needing to have a basic understanding of nutrition, through both the food and science curriculum. Pupils should understand the principles of food hygiene. In Year 9, pupils complete the ASDAN food wise qualification which includes sections on food hygiene and nutrition. Pupils in KS3 should cook and prepare a range of foods from different cultures and are encouraged to try and cook food they may be unfamiliar with. In Year 10, pupils in GCSE Food and Preparation, cook a range of foods which focus on specific skills, this enables them to cook food that shows a range of skills in the coursework for Year 11. All theory in Year 10 and 11 is developed to increase pupil knowledge for a GCSE exam.
We strive to enthuse and prepare our young people for the wider world, to develop the skills imperative to our pupils’ ability to cope in the wider world and their ability to sustain employment. This is incorporated through developing practical cooking skills. In Manchester, one of the greatest areas of employment and jobs is in the larger catering industry. Therefore, the skills learnt in cooking can be used to increase the employment potential of our young people. Several pupils in every Year 11 cohort at Castlefield, have gone on to catering college and a future profession in the industry. Several pupils at Wythenshawe campus have gone on to further study and straight into the catering industry.
A knowledge-engaged curriculum is promoted and facilitated through cooking a range of foods with skills increasing in difficulty. Visits to food production sites, the school canteen and restaurant kitchens further develop the curriculum.
Our ambition for all pupils, is to be given opportunities that will offer them the best understanding of how to be successful in 21st Century Britain; we prioritise communication and literacy skills in every lesson using groups work, peer assessment, self-assessment. Written elements of GCSE/ BTEC are embedded in the curriculum. Key skills underpin the ASDAN Food Wise challenges and Functional Skills in English and maths, which are related to cooking, are developed.
Cultural capital is provided through a programme of off-site visits and experiences: School canteen work experience, external work experience, factory visits and visits to restaurant kitchens, all support the curriculum. Whilst Parent and Pupil Cook Days, event days, charity days and cooking for the homeless, develop and refine pupils’ practical skills and develop an awareness of community.
We strive to ensure our young people are developing the skills and knowledge they need, to make and implement informed and aspirational career decisions throughout their working lives. We do so through work experience in the school canteens, catering industry (liaise with Mike Solomon), drop down days, careers fairs and college open days, which work alongside our careers programme. Several pupils from Castlefield and Wythenshawe Campus have gone on to study Catering or into industry or apprenticeships.
We pride ourselves on our high expectations of what our young people can achieve, this is celebrated through achievements in BTEC, GCSE and ASDAN qualifications and through displaying work and sharing achievements through the Federation Website and Newsletters.
Curriculum Map for Food Technology
