The Food and Nutrition department are passionate about ensuring that all students leave Samuel Ward Academy with the skills and knowledge to produce healthy and delicious food. We have put together curriculums at all stages that ensure that students are able to develop key culinary skills alongside robust knowledge of nutrition, safety and ethical issues so that students are able to achieve in all areas of the food curriculum. 

The Food department at Samuel Ward Academy is a well-resourced department that has the highest expectations of all students; we pride ourselves in our outstanding results at both GCSE and A-level and the rigorous nature with which we approach the both practical and theory aspects of the subject. We have excellent facilities in 2 dedicated kitchens and have very good access to ICT facilities to ensure that all students are able to be successful in Non-examined assessments. Our subject specialists have excellent experience and qualifications, which allows us to create imaginative and inspiring curriculum that meets all aspects of the more rigorous qualifications.

Going forward we will no longer be running Catering or Food Technology for KS4. We will only continue running Food Technology for Year 13 in KS5 for the Food Technology A-Level as there will be a new course from next year for the new Year 12 - Food Science and Nutrition Level 3 Diploma.


Food Preperation & Nutrition

This new GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition is an exciting and creative course which focuses on practical cooking skills to ensure students develop a thorough understanding of nutrition, food provenance and the working characteristics of food materials. At its heart, this qualification focuses on nurturing students' practical cookery skills to give them a strong understanding of nutrition. Food preparation skills are integrated into five core topics: 

  • Food, nutrition and health 
  • Food science 
  • Food safety 
  • Food choice 
  • Food provenance

Upon completion of this course, students will be qualified to go on to further study, or embark on an apprenticeship or full time career in the catering or food industries.

The three year GCSE Course is split into 3 section, year 1 – knowledge and skill building, year 2 – Application of knowledge and skills and exam practice, Year 3 – Non Examined assessment and Revision.