Catering and Hospitality Curriculum Support for Parents
This page is designed to help you support your child with Catering and Hospitality at home. Across the year, students develop practical cooking skills, food safety knowledge, nutrition awareness, service skills and confidence in professional kitchen routines.
Each week includes a short overview of what students are learning, why it matters, and helpful YouTube search links so you can explore topics together at home.
Weekly Learning Resources
Jump to: Autumn 1 ⬇ | Autumn 2 ⬇ | Spring 1 ⬇ | Spring 2 ⬇ | Summer 1 and 2 ⬇
Autumn 1: Kitchen Fundamentals and Food Safety
Week 1: Kitchen Induction and Health and Safety
Students learn key kitchen rules, hygiene routines, food safety principles, allergens and how to behave safely in a kitchen environment.
Week 2: Personal Hygiene and Food Contamination
Students explore cross-contamination, bacterial contamination, physical contamination and safe cleaning routines.
Week 3: Knife Skills and Basic Preparation
Students practise safe knife handling, peeling, slicing, chopping and preparing vegetables with control and accuracy.
Week 4: Equipment Use and Kitchen Organisation
Students learn how to use key kitchen equipment safely and how to organise workstations, storage and clean-down routines.
Week 5: Breakfast Service Preparation
Students prepare simple breakfast items, follow recipes and develop timing, organisation and presentation skills.
Week 6: Soup and Starters Production
Students prepare a simple soup or starter, focusing on chopping, boiling, blending, seasoning, texture and presentation.
Autumn 2: Food Production and Service Skills
Week 7: Pasta Dishes and Cooking for Service
Students prepare pasta dishes, practise timing, portion control and cooking for more than one person.
Week 8: Rice and World Foods
Students learn how to cook rice, build flavour with spices and understand cultural influences in food.
Week 9: Potato Dishes and Side Preparation
Students prepare potato-based dishes using methods such as boiling, roasting and mashing, with a focus on consistency and portioning.
Week 10: Street Food and Menu Design
Students explore street food, menu appeal, portioning, presentation and creative food ideas for service.
Week 11: Bakery Basics and Dough Skills
Students learn how dough is made, including mixing, proving, shaping and baking.
Week 12: Sweet Products and End of Unit Assessment
Students prepare a sweet product independently, focusing on accurate weighing, method, organisation and evaluation.
Week 13: Festive Menu Planning and Preparation
Students plan a festive menu, considering ingredients, timings, roles, service suitability and teamwork.
Week 14: Live Christmas Service
Students work in assigned roles to prepare, cook and serve food in a live service setting.
Week 15: Practical Assessment and Reflection
Students reflect on practical performance, teamwork, time management and professional kitchen expectations.
Spring 1: Nutrition, Diet and Hospitality Standards
Week 16: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Students learn about the Eatwell Guide, food groups, balanced diets and healthy meal choices.
Week 17: Special Diets and Allergens
Students explore dietary requirements, allergies, allergens, inclusion and safe meal adaptation.
Week 18: Budgeting and Costing
Students calculate ingredient costs, cost per portion, pricing, profit and waste reduction.
Week 19: Stock Control and Organisation
Students learn about stock rotation, storage, FIFO, organisation, waste reduction and managing kitchen supplies.
Week 20: Front of House Service
Students practise customer service, greeting customers, communication, tone and presenting food for service.
Week 21: Hospitality Standards and Professionalism
Students explore uniform, behaviour, attitude, communication and professional standards in hospitality.
Spring 2: Food Enterprise and Menu Development
Week 22: Menu Planning Skills
Students design balanced menus for a target audience, considering nutrition, dietary needs, variety and practicality.
Week 23: Cultural Foods and Diversity
Students explore global cuisines, cultural traditions, ingredients, flavours and respect for diversity.
Week 24: Healthy Meal Challenge
Students analyse meals and adapt recipes to make healthier alternatives.
Week 25: Pastry Production
Students practise pastry-making techniques, including handling, chilling, shaping and baking.
Week 26: Desserts for Service and Assessment
Students prepare a dessert for service, focusing on presentation, portioning, timing and evaluation.
Week 27: Enterprise Project and Easter Themed Production
Students design a food product for sale or service, applying costing, planning, creativity and evaluation.
Summer 1 and 2: Advanced Food Production, Service and Independent Catering
Week 28: Practical Service Review and Skill Refinement
Students review previous practical work, identify gaps and refine skills such as knife work, timing and presentation.
Week 29: Enterprise Food Project
Students design a food product or menu item, considering cost, profit, appeal, portioning and presentation.
Week 30: Live Service Event
Students take part in a live street food service, working under pressure with clear roles, timing and communication.
Week 31: Menu Planning and Adaptation
Students design and adapt menus for specific events, seasons and audiences.
Week 32: Cold Food and Presentation
Students prepare cold food items such as sandwiches, salads and grab-and-go foods with professional presentation.
- YouTube: Cold food preparation and presentation
- YouTube: Sandwich, salad and grab-and-go presentation
Week 33: Final Assessment Preparation
Students prepare for final practical assessment by revisiting knife skills, cooking, timing, service and presentation.
Week 34: Final Practical Assessment
Students plan, prepare and present dishes independently, demonstrating safety, timing, confidence and professionalism.
Week 35: End of Year Review and Progression
Students reflect on their development, identify strengths and explore progression routes in catering and hospitality.