Why food matters  |  Where does food teaching happen?  |  What is taught?  |  Teaching at KS1  |  Teaching at KS2  |  What support is there?  | 

Principles of primary food technology

Why food matters
Food is a global issue, of everyday importance to people and a necessity in life. We are all consumers, users and makers of food. If children are not educated about food from an early age they will still make food choices, develop preferences and find ways of meeting their food needs, but from a very low baseline of knowledge and understanding. Being out of control in this way makes them powerless, and passive rather than active citizens.

A little basic food education can make a real difference to the quality of people's lives. It empowers them to make choices and provides them with a greater range of options. Not to be educated about food has consequences for the quality of life.

Learning about food should be as practically involving an experience as possible because food presents people with everyday decisions to make and problems to solve. Children need to develop the knowledge, skills and practical capability to meet needs and requirements through appropriate responses to the challenges with which food presents them. As such, food has a role to play in linking aspects of education that relate to health, lifeskills and in preparing young people as informed citizens.

Where does food teaching happen?
Children begin their formal food education in primary schools. Food is a statutory part of the Key Stage 1(5-7 years) and Key Stage 2(7-11 years) curriculum in England, both within Design & Technology (D&T) and Science. In primary schools, food might also be the subject of topic work or provide a focus for literacy, numeracy or health education. Food presents excellent opportunities for work across the curriculum, above and beyond learning about food itself, as well as for teaching and learning through 'hands on' activities. The majority of children's practical experience with food in school is likely to take place within the D&T curriculum area, which focuses on learning 'about' materials, processes and products, as well as learning 'through' hands on experience with them.

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What is taught?

Food teaching at KS1
At Key Stage 1, the main focus of food work within design & technology is:

• developing products to meet simple specifications, eg. a sandwich for a healthy lunchbox
• making products using hand tools and equipment, eg. using knives, mixing bowls
• working safely and hygienically in an organised way, eg. following a simple pictorial plan
• tasting and evaluating familiar foods, egs. fruits and vegetables
• developing technical vocabulary in order to describe food, egs. words to describe its flavour, aroma, texture and appearance

Children should develop knowledge and understanding of:

Food as a material

• classifying foods according to their sensory properties, egs. crisp, sweet, juicy
• recognising the differences and similarities between foods, eg. types of vegetables
• knowing what foods can be used to make particular products, eg. that cereals can be used to make breakfast cereals
• understanding that foods may need to be treated (or processed) in certain ways before they are eaten, egs. washing, peeling, cooking
• adapting and modifying food products, eg. reducing the fat in a recipe by using skimmed milk
• defining the component parts of products, eg. the different ingredients that go into muesli

• recognising and naming basic tools and equipment and knowing what they can be used for, eg. mixing bowl for mixing or combining ingredients
• using basic tools and equipment in a range of ways, egs. spoons for measuring, beating, stirring and mixing

• understanding the need for good personal hygiene when handling food, egs. washing hands before touching food; keeping equipment and utensils clean

• tasting foods and being able to describe likes and dislikes, egs. too sweet or not soft enough;
• developing a sensory vocabulary, egs. words like sweet, chewy, salty, crunchy

By the end of Key Stage 1 it is expected that most children will be able to:

• use a range of materials to design and make simple food products
• select materials, tools and techniques and explain their choices
• measure, assemble, join and combine materials in a variety of ways using basic tools safely
• investigate and evaluate simple products, commenting on the main features

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Food teaching at KS2
At Key Stage 2, the main focus of food work within design & technology is:

• gaining increased experience of designing and making food products with a range of specified characteristics, eg. taking account of nutritional value or flavour
• planning the sequence of actions for food production, eg. as a storyboard or flow chart
• working with increased accuracy and precision, egs. when weighing, slicing, cooking
• evaluating their performance, eg. identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their work
• using sensory tests for specific purposes, eg. distinguishing between flavours and textures
• applying concepts from science and mathematics, egs. science in relation to properties of materials, mathematics in relation to weighing, measuring, sorting and estimating

Children should develop knowledge and understanding of:

Food as a material

• analysing products, egs. examining labels for information, considering the user's needs
• converting raw materials into different food products (primary processing, eg. wheat into flour)
• converting food ingredients into edible products (secondary processing, eg. flour into bread)
• combining foods to change their texture, flavour and consistency, eg. when making muffins from a cake mixture
• adapt and vary ingredients and processes to make a range of products, eg. flavourings and ingredients to make different dips

• name and safely use a wider range of basic tools and equipment, egs. measuring jugs, digital scales, peelers, vegetable knives, cooking rings, hob
• judge the quality of tools and equipment in terms of fitness for purpose, egs. selecting the best knife for chopping or slicing
  

• be aware of personal hygiene and handling skills, egs. wearing protective clothing, tying back hair, not spreading bacteria from the mouth or nose
• be aware of the need to keep food safe during storage and making, eg. keeping food covered and at the appropriate temperature during storage

• use simple sensory tests to detect differences and preferences between foods, eg. to rank foods according to tasters' preferences
• be able to analyse and interpret the results of such tests, eg. most people in the class would not eat this because it is not very tasty
• further develop sensory vocabulary, egs. crunchy, stringent

By the end of Key Stage 2 it is expected that most children will be able to:

• use knowledge and understanding of a range of materials, components and techniques to design and make quality food products
• evaluate work as it develops and, if necessary, suggest alternatives
• produce designs and plans that list stages of making and list tools and materials used
• accurately measure, mark out, cut, join and combine a variety of materials
• work safely and recognise hazards to themselves and others
• evaluate what is or is not working well in a product

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What support is there?
Try some of the following for ideas, inspiration and information:

'Bringing Baking to Life' curriculum materials on this site supporting the topic of bread abd baking.

'National Scheme of Work for Primary D&T' - available from QCA publications, PO Box 235, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 1HF - an exemplar scheme of work for all areas of D&T including food, KS1 and KS2 - www.qca.org.uk

DATA 'Helpsheets' and 'Lesson Plans' - fully support the above QCA exemplar scheme of work - contact DATA on 01789 470007 or www.data.org.uk

The Food Partnership - a scheme whereby accredited secondary food specialists partner with their local primary schools to form a Food Partnership promoting progression and continuity at transfer.

'Nuffield Primary D&T Project' - information and materials at www.nuffieldfoundation.org/primarydandt

British Nutrition Foundation - numerous resources including videos and posters - see www.nutrition.org.uk and www.foodafactoflife.org.uk - a site dedicated to learning and teaching about healthy eating in primary schools

'Teaching Food Safety' CD-ROM - free CD-ROM, developed by BNF - find out more and order on www.nutrition.org.uk

Industry sponsored materials, authored by Ali Farrell - all available free on request to schools through Educational Communications, 11 Lakeside, FREEPOST 59, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4BR:

'From Potato to Packet' - classroom poster and teacher's notes and teaching activities on potato crisp manufacture, systems and control (for 7-11 year olds) - also @ www.esa.org.uk
'Make it! Bake it!' - resource pack for 7-11 year olds, including poster, activity cards and recipe cards to support baking activities and the development of food preparation skills
'The Food File - a resource pack for KS1&2 including information sheets and activity sheets on breakfast cereals, tea, fruit, dairy desserts and sausages

'British Meat Education' - access to downloadable resources and infomation - www.bmesonline.org.uk

'Potatoes for Schools' - fun, interactive site with information, games and quizes - www.potatoesforschools.org.uk

'Soil Association' - information about organic foods, includes virtual farm tours - www.soilassociation.org.uk

'The Veggie Gang' guidance and resource materials to support teaching about vegetables at KS1, authored by Ali Farrell - for details see - www.theveggiegang.co.uk

'Surf4Health' - food, nutrition and health website for children, includes materials authored by Ali Farrell - www.surf4health.info

'Sainsbury's Taste of Success' - www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/tasteofsuccess - online information and activities

Interactive games about food safety and healthy eating - www.food.gov.uk/wales/intergameswales

'Food Hygiene Mission Control' - food safety and hygiene resources for primary and secondary schools - www.food.gov.uk/hygcampaign/hygmissioncontrol/

Designing Activities - materials on this site supporting the development of designing skills in food contexts - supports both the primary and secondary National Strategies.

Worksheets - materials on this site that support learning about food in a practical context.

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