Eduqas
Qualification Overview
This qualification equips pupils with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating. It encourages pupils to cook, enables them to make informed decisions about food and nutrition and allows them to acquire knowledge to be able to feed themselves and others affordably and nutritiously, now and later in life.
Approach to Learning
In the first year of the course, the pupils study a different food commodity each half term. Commodities include meat, fish, fruit and vegetables and dairy. Each week, the pupils will learn about science and theory behind each commodity through a range of multi sensory teaching activities. As well as the theoretical side, there will be a practical cooking session each week. At the end of each half term, the pupils will be assessed on cooking a dish of their choice to show off the commodity that they have been covering. The second year covers the two practical assessments and revising for their end of year exam.
A Closer Look
The qualification is divided into three themes that are covered through two practical based assessments and an end of year examination:
A Food Investigation assessment that allows the pupils to plan and carry out a series of experiments into a chosen scientific cooking process. Examples from
previous years include where pupils have investigated which sugar makes the best sponge cakes and what raising agents work best in scones.
A Food Preparation assessment, this includes a 3-hour practical session which will allow the pupils to showcase the skills that they have been taught. Pupils will carry out research into the chosen topic that will help them identify the three dishes that they would like to prepare and cook. The pupils will then trial and practise these dishes many times, before cooking them for their assessment.
A written examination in Year 11. An exam that includes a short answer and a longer answer sections that cover a range of question types to assess scientific processes, nutrition and diet, cooking methods and food safety.
Progression
Successful completion of this course would lead nicely into our BTEC Level 3 in Hospitality. Alternatively, pupils could go on to study hospitality full time at a college or undertake an apprenticeship in professional cookery or food service.