Food Preparation & Nutrition at NOA
Food & Nutrition and the skills to prepare students for a healthy future are at the heart of the ethos here in the food curriculum at NOA. The staff within the department are passionate about food and this shines through to our students, who in turn develop a passion for food.
With the rising levels of obesity in the UK, the Food Preparation and Nutrition department pride ourselves in educating students to appreciate the importance of nutrition and the health implications of not following guidelines. In an era where high calorific foods are increasingly more available, it is imperative our students are informed and able to produce their own food. In order to fully achieve this, we look to involve parents/carers and provide the recipes for all dishes to be used at home. Our long-term plan is to instil a genuine passion for food and open avenues such as local apprenticeships for those who are interested in studying the subject at a higher level.
Throughout their time studying Food Preparation & Nutrition at NOA, our students are treated as individuals and are provided with the skills and knowledge to prepare and cook a wide variety of nutritional dishes, which ensures they are able to replicate these for themselves and families outside of the school environment.
This is achieved by a combination of practical and theory learning, in which freedom to adapt and improve recipes is encouraged. Students will draw upon skills from other subjects such as Mathematics and Science to leave with detailed knowledge on the function of ingredients. Students are assessed both on the development of a practical skillset combined with a theoretical element which focusses on the industry as a whole.
The KS3 curriculum is designed to explore prior learning, offer firsthand learning experiences, allow the students to develop personal skills, build resilience and become creative, critical thinkers by introducing them to a range of national and world cuisines and providing opportunities to attend extra-curricular events such as baking club and our BiteBack 2023- Whole Food School Campaign.
Our KS4 content is both nutrition and industry focused, providing our students with the ability to explore the industry and gain an insight into the potential roles available post-16 education.
At KS5 students delve deeper into the science behind nutrients and look at the nutritional needs of demographic groups, whilst undertaking experiments on the function of ingredients used in dishes and evaluating outcomes.
As well as providing students with core cooking skills, we also encourage them to be adventurous and creative in their approach to producing dishes. Students are exposed to the current food trends, expanding their cultural capital and respect of the wider world. We firmly believe that a healthy, nutritional diet underpins many aspects of day-to-day life; therefore our mission is to ensure that students develop a passion for food.