Food Science & Nutrition Level 3
Course Overview
The Level 3 Food Science and Nutrition diploma is an academic, creative and innovative course that encourages students to take a broad view of food science and nutrition.
This is an Applied General qualification and is designed primarily to support learners progressing to university. Students will have the opportunity to learn through the acquisition of knowledge about the relationship between the human body and food as well as practical cooking and preparing food. The qualification has been designed around the concept of a ‘plan, do, review’ approach to learning. The course includes a high practical input and students will be required to develop and enhance their ICT skills.
Course Components
Year 12 Unit (Certificate)
- Unit 1: Meeting Nutritional Needs of Specific Groups. (Mandatory – Exam and coursework)
The unit focuses on the understanding of the science of food safety, nutrition and nutritional needs in a wide range of contexts, and through on-going practical work, to gain practical skills to produce quality food items to meet the needs of individuals.
Year 13 Unit (Diploma)
- Unit 2: Ensuring Food is Safe to Eat (Mandatory – Case study exam)
The unit focuses on an understanding of hazards and risks in relation to the storage, preparation and cooking of food in different environments and the control measures to minimise these risks.
- Unit 3: Experimenting to Solve Food Production Problems (Mandatory – Coursework project)
The unit involves the study of the properties of food in order to carry out experiments to solve food production problems.
Key Info
Minimum Entry Requirements
Five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including:
- GCSE grade 4 in Food Preparation and Nutrition is advantageous
- A GCSE grade 4 in Science to cope with the level of scientific understanding
Assessment
- The course is assessed through a combination of written examinations, projects and case studies to cater for different learning styles. The grading is reported on a four point scale: Distinction*, Distinction, Merit, Pass.
- Exam Board; Wjec
Subject Lead
Miss H Carpenter
Why Choose this Course?
This course is ideal for students who are creative and enjoy cooking, although you do not need to be Mary Berry or Michel Roux Jnr. GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition is not essential, although the course builds on previous knowledge. It would help if students had some scientific background, particularly chemistry as the course covers the structure of each nutrient and the chemical changes during cooking processes. An interest in food and food establishments is essential.
Skills You Gain
You will gain a wealth of knowledge about the food and nutrition industry. You will have the opportunity to learn about the relationship between the human body and food as well as practical skills for cooking and preparing food. The practical skills will deal with high level preparation, cooking and presentation skills.
You will solve problems relating to serving food safely, develop the ability to think independently, carry out and analyse case studies, present work and make plans to enhance your time management.
After Northgate
Food Science and Nutrition is not a catering qualification, although it can lead directly to further study in many areas linked to food. The Food Industry continues to expand and is one of the largest employers in the UK. It is recognised by universities as it is awarded UCAS points. Together with other relevant qualifications in Biology, Chemistry, Sociology and Maths and/or Level 3 qualifications in Hospitality or Science, learners will gain the required knowledge to be able to use the qualification to support entry to higher education courses such as:
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"I enjoy Food Science and Nutrition because the workload is manageable. There is a sense of creativity and we have constant support and guidance from the teachers. Lots of the theory is supported with practical work which has been a great way to learn."