Overview

This 12-week scheme develops GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition SEND students’ skills through the AQA NEA task: Plan, prepare, cook and present a range of dishes to encourage teenagers to consume more fruit and vegetables in their diet. Present three dishes. It systematically supports all AO strands (AO1-4) with scaffolded research, design, skill-building, and evaluation tasks specifically tailored for SEND learners, underpinned by the National Curriculum for England’s Food Preparation and Nutrition programme of study.

Class: 20 SEND students, GCSE level
Duration: 12 weeks, 60-min lessons
National Curriculum Links:

• Key Stage 4 Food Preparation and Nutrition, NC PoS (DfE)
• Develop knowledge of nutrition, cooking techniques, and food provenance
• Practical cooking and preparation skills
• Planning, preparing, cooking, and presenting dishes
• Reflecting and evaluating to improve practice

Weekly Breakdown

Week 1: Identity & Baseline – Who Am I as a Food User?

WALT: Understand my personal food preferences and sensory responses to fruit and vegetables.
Success Criteria:

• Complete a personal design profile listing safe and avoided fruit/veg
• Identify sensory barriers (taste, texture, appearance)
• Explain reasons behind preferences clearly

Activities:

• Introduce the task brief and NEA overview
• Sensory preferences survey (written/dictated option) with teacher support
• Group discussion on favourite and avoided fruit/veg with visual aids
• Create a food user profile worksheet (dyslexia-friendly font & coloured overlays available)

Differentiation:

• Sentence starters and word banks for writing responses
• Peer support and verbal recording options
• Use of photographs or real fruit/veg for sensory exploration

Extension:

• Research how other teens in the UK eat fruit and vegetables using simple reports/data

Week 2: Nutritional Legitimacy – Nutrition that Supports Fruit & Veg

WALT: Link fruit and vegetables to key nutrients needed by teenagers.
Success Criteria:

• Identify vitamins A, C, fibre and potassium in chosen fruit/veg
• Explain why these nutrients are important for teen health
• Connect nutrients to personal diet choices

Activities:

• Small group research on vitamins and minerals in fruit and veg (dyslexia-friendly info sheets)
• Matching activity—fruit/veg to nutrient and benefit (e.g. carrots → vitamin A → eye health)
• Students write or voice record “I chose this because...” statements for their foods

Differentiation:

• Use infographic posters with visuals and minimal text
• Provide simplified nutrient explanations with real-life examples
• Support sentence completion with vocabulary prompts

Extension:

• Create a creative poster showing how eating fruit/veg supports an active teenager's lifestyle

Week 3: Turning Fear into Design – Addressing Barriers

WALT: View food dislikes as design problems to solve.
Success Criteria:

• Identify sensory barrier types (texture, taste, smell) for disliked fruit/veg
• Propose practical food preparation or cooking solutions
• Select target fruit/veg for inclusion in future dishes based on solutions

Activities:

• Brainstorm common sensory barriers with real fruit/veg samples & tasting if possible
• Demonstrate cooking techniques that alter barriers: blending, roasting, hiding
• Worksheet: Match disliked fruit/veg to solutions (e.g., too crunchy broccoli → roast or hide)

Differentiation:

• Step-by-step visuals for barrier-solution matching
• Use tactile examples and cooking demos to assist sensory understanding
• Small group work with adult assistance for complex reasoning

Extension:

• Innovate new ways to disguise fruit/veg and share ideas with class

Week 4: Fruit & Veg in Real Food

WALT: Recognise how fruit and vegetables naturally fit into meals.
Success Criteria:

• Identify examples of fruit/veg in different meal types
• Explain how they contribute to the dish’s flavour and nutrition
• Draw or label a meal incorporating fruit/veg

Activities:

• Interactive slideshow: roast dinner, pasta, soup, desserts, smoothies with fruit/veg
• Sorting activity: Match dishes to the type of fruit/veg used and why
• Class practical: Prepare a simple fruit smoothie or veggie soup together

Differentiation:

• Use large visual recipes and simplified instructions
• Offer pre-chopped ingredients or adult support during practical
• Use symbol-based recipe cards

Extension:

• Research traditional British meals with hidden or visible fruit/veg and present findings

Week 5: Decision Making – Choosing Problem-Solving Dishes

WALT: Select dishes based on solving teenage fruit/veg intake problems.
Success Criteria:

• Choose 3 dishes that incorporate fruit/veg effectively
• Justify how each dish addresses sensory or nutritional barriers
• Complete a rationale linking ingredients to teen needs

Activities:

• Review findings from Weeks 1–4
• Provide list of recipe ideas with clear fruit/veg inclusion
• Draft explanations for chosen dishes in clear, simple language or verbally recorded

Differentiation:

• Use sentence starters: “I chose this dish because...”
• Pair students for peer feedback
• Offer model examples of rationale

Extension:

• Create mood boards with photos and words representing chosen dishes and ingredients

Weeks 6–8: Practical Skill Evidence – Cooking Techniques

WALT: Demonstrate knife skills, heat control, hygiene, and cooking methods.
Success Criteria:

• Prepare and cook 3 practice dishes featuring fruit/veg
• Show correct knife grip and safe chopping (photographed)
• Apply at least two cooking methods (boiling, roasting, blending)
• Present dishes attractively and taste them

Activities:

• Week 6: Skill dish 1 (e.g., roasted vegetable salad)
• Week 7: Skill dish 2 (e.g., fruit crumble dessert)
• Week 8: Skill dish 3 (e.g., blended vegetable soup)
• Record photos and evaluations after each dish

Differentiation:

• Adapt tasks: offer pre-prepared ingredients for students with fine motor challenges
• Use video clips showing techniques repeated
• Buddy system for paired support

Extension:

• Experiment with seasoning variants and present feedback on sensory changes

Week 9: Executive Function Support – Planning & Organisation

WALT: Plan effectively to manage time, equipment, and sequence in cooking.
Success Criteria:

• Write detailed time plans specifying order of tasks
• Complete equipment and ingredient lists
• Identify key food safety steps

Activities:

• Model complete time plan and equipment checklist for one dish
• Group activity to plan final assessment menu cooking sequence
• Create printed checklist or ‘step cards’ to use during cooking

Differentiation:

• Provide template planners with prompts
• Use visual task cards with icons
• One-to-one support during planning

Extension:

• Explore digital tools/apps for cooking organisation and time management

Week 10: Final Practical Performance Prep

WALT: Apply skills and plans to practise final assessment dishes.
Success Criteria:

• Prepare at least one full dish independently or with minimal support
• Follow hygiene and safety rules throughout
• Present the dish visually and evaluate

Activities:

• Dry run of final dishes in class conditions
• Practice setting up workspace efficiently
• Peer and teacher feedback with focus on sensory and nutritional quality

Differentiation:

• Allow flexible cooking methods or recipes if needed
• Scaffold tasting vocabulary with sensory word banks
• Use video self-assessment as alternative to written

Extension:

• Refine plating or presentation skills using creative garnishing techniques

Week 11: Final Practical – Complete 3 Dish Menu

WALT: Cook and present 3 dishes demonstrating skills and design solutions.
Success Criteria:

• Time manage cooking three dishes within 3 hours
• Demonstrate skills (safety, cooking methods, presentation) consistently
• Produce photographic evidence with name authentication

Activities:

• Supervised practical 3 dish cook-up (AQA NEA timed session)
• Photograph dishes clearly with written student ID visible
• Oral feedback session post-cooking

Differentiation:

• Extra adult support for organisation/timing as needed
• Encouragement of peer teamwork for efficiency
• Break tasks into micro-tasks where attention is challenging

Extension:

• Reflect on potential adaptations for family or friends’ preferences

Week 12: Evaluation & Reflection

WALT: Critically evaluate dishes on taste, texture, nutrition, and brief fulfilment.
Success Criteria:

• Complete structured evaluations of each dish (written or oral)
• Link outcomes to original brief and user profile
• Suggest realistic improvements for next time

Activities:

• Use dyslexia-friendly evaluation templates (with sentence starters)
• Group sharing of what worked/didn’t and why
• Final revision quiz on nutrients and cooking skills

Differentiation:

• Verbal or pictorial evaluation options
• Peer support for recording evaluations
• Use of rubrics to guide marking

Extension:

• Create a short video “chef’s review” explaining each dish to camera

Cross-Curricular Links & Enrichment

• Science: Nutritional content and impacts on health
• Maths: Weighing/measuring ingredients, time management
• English: Research skills, writing clear justifications and evaluations
• PSHE: Healthy lifestyle choices and personal responsibility
• ICT: Use of digital cameras, word processors or audio recording for portfolio

Final Notes for Teachers

• Ensure all activities are scaffolded for SEND needs with multi-modal supports (visual, verbal, practical).
• Use positive reinforcement focusing on personal achievement and progress.
• Prioritise practical, real-world tasks that empower students to improve their own diets.
• Maintain a portfolio log for each student linked explicitly to AQA AO criteria to track progress and readiness for final NEA.
• Use dyslexia-friendly fonts (e.g., OpenDyslexic), coloured overlays, and clear layouts for all materials.

This structured 12-week plan provides a rich, inclusive framework that builds confidence, practical skills, and reflective thinking—empowering SEND GCSE students to succeed in AQA Food Preparation & Nutrition.