Food and Nutrition Department- 

Overarching Curriculum Intent 2024-25 

RFSS Curriculum Vision Statement: 

To build an inclusive curriculum which is aspirational for all and empowers our students to make outstanding academic and personal progress.  

Food & Nutrition Curriculum in Context: 

The National Child Measurement Programme, England, found that the percentage of children living with obesity was highest in the North East at 26.6% and the West Midlands at 26.2% in 2021-22 (NHS, November 2022).  Our aim is to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn about healthy eating and practical cooking during their time at RFSS. Schemes of learning focus on savoury cooking and aim to develop practical culinary skills needed for independent living; in line with our school ethos ‘Set for Life’ (Creating a culture and ethos of healthy eating: DfE February 2023). The course makes use of the governments “Eatwell guide” (2016) as a base for healthy eating.  We are passionate about supporting our subgroups; ensuring all students have the opportunity to succeed. As a result of this, our curriculum offer at Key Stage 4 provides two pathways into the food industry, with students having the option to study GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition or Level 2 Hospitality and Catering. The subject naturally develops skills such as independence and problem solving, as well as providing students with key information about having a healthy nutritious diets, hospitality and catering and food science.  

Curriculum Aims: 

Our curriculum aims to: 

• Provide students with the knowledge needed to make healthy, nutritional food choices  

• Provide students with the practical skills needed to cook healthy, nutritional meals  

• Support students’ religious, cultural, moral and/or ethical food choices with carefully selected recipes  

• Provide students with the knowledge needed to reduce food waste 

• Provide opportunities for students to reflect on and refine their work; practical and written  

• Support students with a careers  in the hospitality and catering, nutrition and science sectors. 

• Provide the students an opportunity to be passionate about cooking. 

• Promote British produce and seasonal ingredients.  

Our broad and balanced curriculum concentrates on developing our students’ key knowledge and skills, and enhances their understanding of the world around them.  

We do this by: 

• Sequencing learning so students can revisit key learning about nutrition, hospitality and catering throughout each Key Stage 

• Selecting recipes that are nutritional and can easily be adapted to suit a range of nutritional, cultural and ethical needs 

• Introducing students to a range of medium and high-level skills, to promote challenge for all 

• Empowering students to make creative adaptions to dishes; which in turn limits food waste.  

• Encouraging students to critically analyse their work in relation to nutrition, technical skill and food provenance 

Our curriculum is focused on the development of communication, character and cultural capital of each individual student, so they become: 

• Independent learners, who understand how to prepare and cook healthy, nutritious meals  

• Curious learners, who seek to problem solve. 

• Reflective learners, with a desire to improve and refine their work 

• Learners who are socially aware and understand the cultural diversity around them 

• Adaptive learners who can overcome challenges and manager their time 

Curriculum Outcome: 

As a result of our curriculum, students will leave RFSS with the knowledge and skills necessary to live independently; able to make healthy food choices and cook nutritious and skillful meals.