Culinary Skills Foundations

Overview

This 45-minute session is Lesson 1 of 3 in the Culinary Skills Mastery unit. It introduces Year 11 students to core culinary techniques with a focus on effective meal planning. The lesson supports the National Curriculum for England's key stages on cooking and nutrition (Design and Technology) and Health and Wellbeing within Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE). The class size is small (3 students), providing opportunities for personalised instruction and hands-on engagement.

---

Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT identify essential culinary skills and understand their role in meal preparation.
• WALT create a comprehensive meal plan including a timeline for equipment collection, ingredient list, and preparation steps.
• WALT apply hygiene and safety rules during food preparation.

These objectives align with the National Curriculum (DfE 2013) Design and Technology programme of study for KS4, particularly:

• Cooking and nutrition – understanding how to prepare savoury dishes, meal planning, food hygiene and safety.
• PSHE (Health and Wellbeing) – recognising the importance of hygiene and safety in food preparation.

---

Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Describe at least three fundamental culinary skills necessary for meal preparation.
• Produce a detailed meal plan including times for equipment collection, list of ingredients with quantities, and preparation methods.
• List and explain at least five hygiene and safety rules relevant to cooking.

---

Resources

• Whiteboard or flipchart with markers
• Example meal plan template (dyslexia-friendly format: clear font, bullet points, colour coding)
• Ingredients cards and equipment images for planning activity
• Student worksheets with WALT and success criteria
• Hand sanitiser, gloves, aprons (real or demonstration)
• Visuals/posters on hygiene and safety rules

---

Lesson Structure

Starter (5 mins)

Activity: Group Discussion – “What makes a good cook?”

• Invite students to share what culinary skills they think are crucial.
• Teacher records responses on board in 3 columns: Skills, Safety, Planning.
• Link responses to WALT and lesson importance relating to National Curriculum themes.

Main Activity 1 (15 mins)

Activity: Introduction to Meal Planning

• Teacher presents elements of meal planning: selecting dishes, ingredients, timeline, equipment.
• Show example meal plan template (dyslexia-friendly with clear headings and bullet points).
• Students brainstorm and create a simple meal plan for a basic meal (e.g., pasta with salad).
• Encourage students to identify equipment needed, estimate times for fetching items, and write clear step-by-step preparation instructions.

Main Activity 2 (15 mins)

Activity: Hygiene and Safety Rules

• Using visuals, teacher introduces and explains key hygiene and safety practices: hand washing, using gloves, avoiding cross-contamination, correct cooking temperatures, safe use of equipment.
• Students match scenarios to correct hygiene or safety rules on worksheet.
• Discussion on why each rule is important with reference to National Curriculum health education and food safety standards.

Plenary (10 mins)

Activity: Peer Review and Reflection

• Students exchange their meal plans and hygiene lists, providing constructive feedback based on success criteria.
• Teacher facilitates discussion on how well they applied skills and what could improve.
• Summarise key takeaways and link back to the learning objectives.

---

Differentiation Strategies

• For students with additional learning needs or dyslexia: use dyslexia-friendly fonts (e.g., Arial, OpenDyslexic), bullet points, colour-coded sections, and allow verbal responses if writing is difficult.
• Provide sentence starters and glossaries for technical vocabulary (e.g., ‘cross-contamination’, ‘mise en place’).
• For students requiring more support, pair them with peers for collaborative planning and discussions.
• Use visual aids and realia (pictures/physical objects) to reinforce understanding.

---

Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Challenge advanced learners to create a meal plan incorporating nutritional balance and cost considerations, linking to KS4 Design and Technology guidance on nutrition.
• Ask students to research common foodborne illnesses and create a poster explaining how to prevent them in the kitchen.
• Encourage development of timed cooking schedules that optimise multitasking during meal preparation.

---

Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of discussion participation, meal plan outputs, and worksheet matching.
• Peer feedback during plenary session provides immediate assessment of understanding.
• Teacher’s notes on students’ ability to incorporate hygiene rules and structure their plans clearly.

---

References to National Curriculum (England, 2013)

• Design and Technology (Cooking and Nutrition) Programme of Study at KS4
  • Understand the importance of nutrition and health; plan, prepare and cook savoury dishes safely using a range of techniques.
• PSHE Health and Wellbeing
  • Recognise how to maintain personal hygiene and safety when preparing and handling food.

---

This lesson plan focuses on empowering each student through hands-on creation and critical thinking while embedding important national curriculum competencies and personalised teaching approaches. It sets a strong foundation for the subsequent lessons in the "Culinary Skills Mastery" unit.