Hospitality and Catering

Curriculum INTENT

Our intent is to provide an ambitious and knowledge rich curriculum which enables all students to live physically and mentally healthy lives. Our vision is to create a culture where students develop a love of cooking a range of multicultural, nutritious dishes which stays with them through life. To support students to be socially mobile and prepare them to access and transition to further education and into the workforce.

Curriculum End Points

Hospitality and Catering Department

 The Food Curriculum ensures the following end points are met by the end of Key Stage 3:

•     All students should have the skills, confidence and resilience to undertake preparing and cooking a range of dishes independently and safely
•     All students will have an understanding of how the food they consume will impact their body and mind both now and in the future
•     All students will understand the ingredients have specific functions in recipes where they are beginning to understand food science
•     All students should understand some of the impact of food production on the environment including growing, rearing and processing foods
•     All students should have some understanding of their choices as consumers

The Food Curriculum ensures the following end points are met by the end of Key Stage 4:

• To clearly explain the structure of the Hospitality and Catering Industry and how it operates including the various styles of service and how standards and ratings are used
• To explain the supply and demand of staffing including job roles, personal attributes, qualifications and necessary training needed in the industry
• To explain in detail the various factors which contribute to the success or failure of a Hospitality and Catering establishment including costs, profit, economy, environmental factors, trends in technology, customer service and service provision, political factors, media and competition
• Laws that students need to be aware of including the Food Safety Act (1990), HACCP and the responsibilities of food handlers
• To understand food related causes of ill health, microbes, chemicals and how to read food labels linking to allergies and intolerances
• To know the purpose of the Eatwell Guide and dietary guidelines and be able to discuss the specific nutritional needs of various specific groups
• To analyse and improve menus of various styles, understanding factors to consider when planning a menu
• To know the impact that food choices have on the environment including seasonality, food miles and the carbon footprint of food production
• To explain how to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in the kitchen
• To discuss and improve on sensory characteristics of dishes using various analytical methods
• To be able to write a plan of production for a range of dishes to meet the needs of a specific group
• To understand how to prepare and cook a range of basic, medium and complex cooking skills with an understanding of what each practical skill in a dish equates to
• To be able to present dishes in creative and fun ways which would appeal to a customer

What Will I Study?

Learners study the following 2 Units:

• Unit 1: The Hospitality and Catering Industry. 40% of final grade . Written exam.
• Unit 2: Hospitality and Catering in Action. 60% of the final grade. Combination of practical exam and written coursework. 

This structure has been designed to develop in learners the knowledge and understanding related to a range of hospitality and catering providers; how they operate and what they have to take into account to be successful. There is the opportunity to learn about issues related to nutrition and food safety and how they affect successful hospitality and catering operations. In this qualification, learners will also have the opportunity to develop some food preparation and cooking skills as well as transferable skills of problem solving, organisation and time management, planning and communication. Through the two units, learners will gain an overview of the hospitality and catering industry and the type of job roles that may be available to assist them in making choices about progression.

Our approach enables learners to learn in such a way that they develop:

• Skills required for independent learning and development
• The ability to solve problems
• The skills of project based research, development and presentation
• The  ability to work alongside other professionals, in a professional kitchen environment 

Curriculum in Year 10

 Year 10 is taught through a balance of practical and theoretical knowledge/application, with practical tasks each week. These practicals are staggered into three levels of complexity linking to the Pass/Merit/Distinction/Distinction* criteria. Skills and their complexity are identified for all recipes which makes it clear for students to understand how much progress they are making across knife, preparation and cooking skills.

Curriculum in Year 11

Year 11

Completion of the Unit 2 controlled assessment in Term 1. Revision of taught content of Unit 1 exam ready for the exam in June. Practical skills form part of revision.

What can I do at the end of the course?

Successful completion of this qualification could support entry to qualifications that develop specific skills for work in hospitality and catering such as: 

• Level 1 Certificate in Introduction to Professional Food and Beverage Service Skills 
• Level 2 Certificate in Professional Food and Beverage Service Skills 
• Level or Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Professional Cookery 

Where the WJEC Level 1/2 Award in Hospitality and Catering is achieved together with other relevant Level 1/2 qualifications, such as GCSEs in English and Maths and Science, learners may be able to access Level 3 qualifications relevant to the hospitality and catering sector, such as: 

• WJEC Level 3 Food, Science and Nutrition (certificate and diploma) 
• Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Advanced Professional Cookery 
• Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Food Preparation and Cookery Supervision