Why study GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition?

Students studying this course will be given an opportunity to develop and broaden their food preparation practical skills to produce high skilled products to suit a variety of needs.  Students will also develop skills in food science, experimenting with ingredients to identify what they are composed of and how these components react during cooking.

What is GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition all about?

Students will study a variety of factors which can influence food choice including: diet and health, food provenance (where food comes from), food science and food safety.  They will develop skills in researching, testing, practical skill, analysing and evaluating in order to produce suitable products for a specific need.  Students will also learn practical life skills they can use throughout their life in order to follow a balanced diet.  Students will start looking in depth at the chemical and functional properties of food and how these can affect what happens during cooking, an area they may not have come across during Key Stage 3 so a good knowledge in Science will benefit your son/daughter.

Food Preparation and Nutrition information video

Exam Board 

AQA spec 8585 

The course is single tier which is broken down into 3 units: 

Paper 1 (Exam): 1 hour 45 minute exam paper 50% 

Task 1 (Non Exam Assessment): Food Investigation task – 15% 

Task 2 (Non Exam Assessment): Food Preparation task – 35%