Home Economics
Welcome to the Home Economics Department!
In the Home Economics Department, our aim is to provide a curriculum that will motivate pupils to reflect, create and enquire.
The knowledge and skills gained within home economics make a considerable contribution to young people’s personal and social development.
Our key focus in the department is to offer active learning opportunities for all pupils through a range of enjoyable practical activities that will be both challenging and enjoyable.
In turn, this will:
Encourage independence, self-reflection and instil the value of Home Economics as part of the wider curriculum
Develop confidence and increase achievement potential
Inspire an interest in foods and food preparation
Educate pupils about sustainability, the environment and where our food comes from
Equip all pupils with the skill to make informed choices
S1 & S2 Home Economics
S1 – S2 Food and Textile Technology
Pupils attend the department in large mixed ability groups in the first 2 years of secondary for 2 periods per week. Each year’s curriculum divides into four units of work lasting approximately 10 weeks in duration.
Our focus during this stage is to introduce pupils to a wide range of materials and learning experiences to develop skills and confidence.
In food lessons, pupils are encouraged to think about and learn the implications of Healthy Eating. In textile & craft lessons, pupils are encouraged to develop creative ideas while learning techniques and processes. Safe working practices are key in all practical activities.
Note: Please alert us if your child has known allergens or food insensitivities.
The S1/S2 course helps pupils to gain an understanding of the commercial and manufacturing aspects of the subject, should they choose to return in the senior school.
S1 Units of work
Smart Start in foods: Hygiene, safety, tools & equipment, weighing and measuring, using the cooker, working with recipes
Ready Steady Cook: Staple foods, making sense of labels, convenience foods, recipe adaptation, ‘design a breakfast’.
Get Ready to Sew: Equipment, using the sewing machine, basic sewing techniques, making a simple textile items.
Unique Dolls/Cushions: Using patterns & templates, building on sewing skills and processes, decorative techniques for fabrics.
S2 Units of Work
Towards a Healthier Lifestyle: Nutrition, The Eat Well Guide, Factors Affecting Food Choice, Achieving health and well being
Kitchen Technology: Working with Labour Saving Equipment, What’s new? Packaging, Labelling.
Storage Solutions - pencil case: Design & Make task; fastenings; fabric choice; Working to a specification; sewing notions.
Doorstop/bags/cushions: Design & Make task 2
Homework
Homework is given out regularly to support and reinforce unit work and a copy of tasks is posted on Google Classroom.
Homework should be submitted on the due date and be neatly presented. Each year group will attempt an extended project, which will require pupils to carry out an investigation or research at home.
S3 Foods
Pupils attend the department for 3 periods per week, one double and one single. The double period is usually the practical experience.
Focus of teaching in S3
To give pupils the experience of working with and learning about a range of different foods;
To inspire pupils to consider the food industry as a viable option as a career;
To create awareness of where our food comes from and to develop an understanding of sustainability;
To raise awareness of nutrition and making informed choices;
To foster awareness of the link between diet & health.
Consider this course option if you are keen to study hospitality in S4.
Further information can be found in the ‘course choices’ page in the school website
N4 & 5 Hospitality ~ Practical Cookery
Why study Hospitality?
Scotland’s food and drink sector has an annual turnover of £13.5bn which is a huge industry.
By taking this course, you will acquire a range of knowledge and skills which will be of considerable value to you throughout life, but can also involve you in this hugely employment sector.
The course is designed for those who are interested in cooking and who enjoy being creative with food. You may wish to use the skills gained here to entertain or feed your family at home, start your own business, help in the wider community or ultimately, in employment in the Hospitality industry.
Course content:
Understanding and using ingredients
Cookery skills, techniques and processes
Organisational skills for cooking
More in depth details of the course content can be found on the course choices pages of the school website
Possible career paths?
Hospitality trade: Chef/ front of house/ customer service/ running a restaurant.
Health Sector: Hospitals provide the opportunity to develop specialist menus working alongside dieticians and Nutritionists which help people manage illness or to speed recovery.
Industry: Chefs are widely needed in the industry to develop new products and to research recipes and ingredients. Research can involve travelling the world to experience the foods from other cultures or working with biochemists to cook with new technology.
Media: Many chefs write cookery books or newspaper columns which inspire people to cook at home, or they reach consumers through TV and Radio.
Practical Cake Craft - S5/6
Level: National 5
Course Content: Cake Baking / Cake Finishing
The UK Bakery market is worth £3.5 billion and is one of the largest markets in the food industry. The Hospitality industry in Scotland is vibrant and growing, employs a significant proportion of our workforce and cake production is a part of this sector.
This course can be seen as a gateway to the hospitality industry.
The course includes practical lessons which will allow pupils to develop a range of practical baking skills and techniques using appropriate tools & equipment.
Pupils will also develop a knowledge and understanding of
cake design and the trends in cake production
organisational skills in both time and resource management
the importance of food safety and hygiene in relation to producing a product of commercial standards
organisational skills needed to research, plan, prepare & evaluate products
Assessment
Practical Assignment worth 100 marks in which pupils follow a design brief to plan, research, resource, manufacture and evaluate a completed celebration cake. The planning and evaluating elements of this are assessed externally by the SQA.
Written Assessment marked externally by the SQA in the form of a written exam paper worth 25 marks
Further information can be found in the ‘course choices’ page in the school website
Each year the pupils take part in events in school and will contribute cakes or biscuits which they have designed and decorated.
MacMillan Coffee Morning
Children in Need
Christmas Market
Lunches/Careers Fair
Inspiration for practical work can be taken from a variety of sources
Youtube video clips
Cake decorating books and magazines
Facebook and social media
Professionals
Specialist Cake Decorating Shops and online suppliers