Food and Cookery - Level 1 / 2 Technical Award  (NCFE CACHE)

The Level 1/2 Technical Award in Food and Cookery is designed for learners who want an introduction to food and cookery that includes a vocational and project-based element.

The qualification will appeal to learners who wish to progress onto further study or pursue a career in the food industry. The course has been designed to develop knowledge and understanding related to a range of topics including hygiene and safety, food provenance, food groups and key nutrients (see all topics below).

In this qualification, you will also develop food preparation and cooking skills as well as transferable skills of problem-solving, organisation and time management, planning and communication.

Course content

The course is split into 7 content areas covering all topics required by the specification:

Content area 1 - Health and safety relating to food, nutrition and the cooking environment

Content area 2 - Food legislation and food provenance

Content area 3 - Food groups, key nutrients and a balanced diet (This is the largest area of study)

Content area 4 - Factors affecting food choice

Content area 5 - Food preparation, cooking skills and techniques

Content area 6 - Recipe amendment, development and evaluation

Content area 7 - Menu and action planning for completed dishes

Learners will be given the opportunity to cook throughout. It is vital that learners are well prepared and have developed a range of practical skills.

This practical element of the course is not optional and should be carefully considered. Although staff will try to suit practicals to classes, an explicit list of skills and dishes will be taught to pass on practical knowledge required of the course.

Assessment

Assessment

40% of marks are gained through an external examination, taken at the end of Year 11

60% of marks are gained through completing one internal assessment task – Including a practical examined element. Again in Year 11

Examined assessment (EA) (40%)

Written examination: 

• • 80 marks
• • 1 hour 30 minutes
• • A Mixture of multiple-choice, short-answer and extended response questions

Non-exam assessment (NEA) (60%)

• • 96 marks 
• • The completion time for the NEA is 16 hours 30 minutes plus 2 hours’ preparation and research time 
• • The NEA will assess the learner’s ability to effectively draw together their knowledge, understanding and skills from across the whole vocational area
• • This unit is based around a given brief in which Students will need to complete all the assessment criteria: this will from their coursework element, along with a practical assessment

How will students be graded?

L1 Pass, L1 Merit, L1 Distinction,

L2 Pass, L2 Merit, L2 Distinction, L2 Distinction*

Progression

This course offers progression to Level 3 qualifications and is an excellent starting point for students interested in further study or a career in the food industry. It particularly links well with our Level 3 Food Science and Nutrition offer.