Level 3 Food Science and Nutrition qualification allows students to gain a wealth of knowledge about the food and nutrition industry. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the relationship between the human body and food as well as advanced practical skills for cooking and preparing food. The qualification has been designed around the concept of a ‘plan, do, review’ approach to learning. There is a strong emphasis on practical work, making this an ideal choice for students who prefer to learn by doing. The qualification mirrors many work activities in the food and nutrition industry and facilitates learning in a range of contexts.

An understanding of food science and nutrition is relevant to many industries and job roles: care providers, nutritionists, sports coaches and fitness instructors. Hotels and restaurants, food manufacturers and government agencies also use this understanding to develop menus, food products and policies that that support healthy eating initiatives. Many employment opportunities within the field of food science and nutrition will be available to you if you study this qualification.

 

Course Content and Examinations

Exam Board: WJEC

Unit 1: Meeting Nutritional Needs of Specific Groups (Compulsory) 

Internally assessed project: The purpose of the internal assessment is for learners to develop an understanding of the nutritional needs of specific target groups then plan and cook complex dishes to meet their nutritional needs.  

External exam: 90 minute paper plus 15 minutes reading time

 Three sections on each paper:   

Section A: short answer questions  

Section B: extended answer questions  

Section C: relates to a case study 

 Unit 2: Ensuring Food is Safe to Eat (Compulsory)

It is an eight-hour timed, supervised assessment which will involve the learner in bringing together and making connections between the knowledge, understanding and skills learned throughout the unit and applying these by responding to  information provided in a scenario. The scenario will relate to a food safety situation. It will require learners to analyse the information and make judgements regarding the potential food safety risk .

External written exam.

 Unit 3: Experimenting to Solve Food Production Problems  - optional choice between Unit 3 or 4

The aim of this unit is for learners to use their understanding of the properties of food in order to plan and carry out experiments. The results of the experiments would be used to propose options to solve food production problems.

This is an internally assessed project

 Unit 4: Current Issues in Food Science & Nutrition - optional choice between Unit 3 or 4

Through this unit, you will develop the skills needed to plan, carry out and present a research project on current issues linked to

 

issues related to food science and nutrition. This could be from the perspective of a consumer, food manufacturer, caterer and/or policymaking perspective.

This is an internally assessed project.

 

Head of subject: Mrs O Clarke-James

Entry Requirements

Level 2 Merit or grade 5 in GCSE Food Science & Nutrition

Are you interested in: Nutrition, Food Science, practical skills, Medicine?

Leading to a career in: Nutritionist, Care Industry, Environmental health, Teaching, Social Work, Medicine, Nutritional Science, Food Retail and Manufacture

This subject goes well with: P.E., Geography, Chemistry, Biology, BTEC Science

Student Views

“The practical elements of the course are enjoyable and a change to the rest of my subjects. These skills will help me when I go to university”