Food and Nutrition
Head of Food and Nutrition: Mrs J Gillett
Food is a vital part of our daily lives and is essential for life. As our students become adults and have busy lives, it is easy to choose food which has been ready prepared. However, it is more nutritious and often cheaper to cook simple, delicious food.
At Priestlands school, our students will develop their knowledge and understanding of nutrition, healthy eating, food preparation, hygiene, cooking techniques and sensory characteristics. We raise their awareness about the world around them and explore a range of ingredients and processes from different culinary traditions (traditional British and international), to inspire new ideas or modify existing recipes.
Finally we encourage them to have an understanding of the economic, environmental, ethical, and socio-cultural influences on food availability and production processes.
Our hope is that students at Priestlands are inspired by design and creativity, innovate with their ideas and both continue to improve the quality of everyday life for ordinary people and continue to help Britain remain celebrated all over the world for it’s creativity and innovation.
The Curriculum intent of the Food department is outlined below.
- Provide students with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to cook and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating.
- Encourage students to cook and instil a love of learning that inspires them to continue to GCSE and beyond.
- Develop vital life skills that enable them to feed themselves and others affordably and nutritiously, now and later in life.
- Raise student awareness about the world around them and explore a range of ingredients and processes from different culinary traditions (traditional British and international), to inspire new ideas or modify existing recipes
- Have an understanding of the economic, environmental, ethical, and socio-cultural influences on food availability and production processes.
The Rotary Young Chef competition is run as a House competition for Year 9 and 10 students initially and the Heads of House and Senior Leadership Team are very willing tasters. The standard of dishes is always incredible which makes the judging a difficult task.
Eight students are then chosen to go through to the next round which is held in school but organised with the help of our local Rotary club and judged by three experienced local chefs.
The event is always well supported by members of the Rotary Club who are very keen tasters.
During activities week we offer cooking activities in school and we also offer a very popular trip to the Waitrose Cookery School in Salisbury. Students have the opportunity to learn how to make desserts such as pistachio and raspberry Macarons, chocolate and orange Macarons, salted caramel choux pastry and Yuzu Eclairs. The students, and staff, always have a fantastic day and learn many tips and tricks of the trade that help them to produce high quality food, good enough to be served in a high end patisserie. Needless to say, feedback from parents is always very positive.
At the end of the summer term we run a House Competition for Year 7 and 8 students. Students who choose to enter stay behind after school to complete a baking challenge within a set time. The Heads of House and members of the Senior Leadership team have the fortunate job of judging the bakes and announcing the winner of the Great Priestlands Bake off.
Funding has been secured to enable us to run a cookery club targeted at the more vulnerable students in our school. It focuses on KS3 providing Year 7 students the opportunity to mix with Year 8 students. Year 9, 10 and 11 students often help out and act as mentors and excellent role models.
The name The IncrEDIBLES represents the ethos of the club because all of these students are super heroes. The ingredients are provided for the students and the aim is to develop their confidence, self-esteem, social and practical skills so that they are able to produce a home cooked meal for their family. A trophy is awarded every week for the star chef.