Cookery at Park View
Helping pupils build confidence, independence and healthy habits
At Park View, we believe cooking is an essential life skill. Our Cooking Skills curriculum supports pupils from Year 7 to Year 11 to develop the confidence, knowledge and independence they need to prepare healthy meals, understand nutrition and make positive choices about food.
Across five years, pupils learn practical cooking skills, safe kitchen practice, healthy eating, budgeting and food science — all designed to help them lead healthier lives and cook confidently at home.
📘 Year 7 – Introduction to Cooking
Pupils learn the basics of:
- Kitchen safety, cleaning and hygiene
- Safe food storage and understanding food labels
- Preparing fresh fruit and vegetables
- Following simple recipes
- Understanding where food comes from (plant vs animal)
- How seasons affect the food we eat
Focus: Building confidence, safe practice and simple healthy choices.
📘 Year 8 – Building Skills & Healthy Choices
Pupils develop:
- Skills using the hob, oven and grill
- Understanding of food groups, portion sizes and hydration
- Knowledge of climate change and its impact on food production
- Awareness of cultural foods and food customs
- Safe food preservation techniques
Focus: Making informed choices and cooking a wider range of dishes.
📘 Year 9 – Independence & Informed Decisions
Pupils explore:
- Food poisoning risks and safe food handling
- Nutrition, digestion and how diet affects health
- Reading nutrition labels and allergy information
- How food choices affect physical, social and mental wellbeing
- Menu planning, budgeting and costing
- Regional cuisines and environmental impact
Focus: Becoming independent, informed cooks who can plan and prepare meals confidently.
📘 Years 10 & 11 – GCSE Catering (EDUQAS)
For pupils who choose to specialise, KS4 offers a recognised qualification.
Pupils learn:
- Advanced cooking techniques
- Food science and the working properties of ingredients
- How to investigate, test and evaluate recipes
- How to present dishes professionally
- How to complete practical assessments to a high standard
Example task: Investigating how different sugars affect the taste and texture of biscuits.
Focus: High‑level skills, independence and preparation for further study or life beyond school.
🌟 What This Journey Achieves
By the end of Year 11, pupils will have:
- The confidence to cook independently
- A strong understanding of nutrition and healthy eating
- The ability to plan meals and budget effectively
- Practical skills they can use throughout adult life
- A qualification that recognises their achievements
Cooking is a skill for life — and we are proud to help our pupils build it.
