KS4 Hospitality and Catering

WJEC Level 1/2 Vocational Award in Hospitality and Catering

Updated for September 2022

WJEC Level 1/2 Vocational Awards (Technical Awards) is an opportunity to study a vocational subject as part of a broad programme of study.

As part of the course students cook each week, learning high level practical skills. We run bake off and technical challenges regularly throughout the course and also run the infamous Pop-up Restaurant with the MFL department. The course is predominantly practical in its teaching and will require you to learn, develop and practice food preparation, cooking and presentation. Ingredients are provided and a parental contribution is requested to cover the cost of ingredients, this ensures that students do not miss out on developing practical skills as the ingredients are at school ready. We encourage students to bring their own container to lessons so parents can see what they have been cooking and food must be collected at the end of the day.  

It is very important that parents have an input in the recipes that their child is making so that food is not wasted. A recipe book is provided for the students, but this is only a guide and if the key skills and methods are followed recipes may be adapted, if a recipe is to be adapted it is the ​student's responsibility to organise this. I will provide for special dietary requirements where I am aware of them, this includes vegetarian diets. 

This is a practical subject and so the teaching methods reflect this. There is a strong emphasis on safety and hygiene in the kitchen throughout the two years. Each student is required to wear a catering uniform that is supplied by school in each lesson. Students are required to complete the internationally recognized Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate in Food Safety also. The students assess each practical and identify areas to improve. Verbal feedback is given during practical sessions to enable the students to make progress. They will study nutrition, the ‘Eatwell Guide', food origins, shopping habits, commodities, sustainability, catering industry as well as much more.

Students are also given the opportunity to gain an insight into the industry, to learn about the Hospitality sector in action and in context. The course offers an opportunity for you to develop your knowledge and extend your skills in a vocational context. You will learn about all aspects of the catering industry from job opportunities to Health and Safety. As the course is designed for those wanting a career in the industry, theory lessons focus on the different elements of the hospitality industry, although the main focus is Catering. Students will be learning about the different sections of the industry, about employment rights, the EHO, food safety, and how provision meats H&S requirements.

Unit 1: The Hospitality and Catering Industry (External Assessment)

Written examination: 1 hour 20 minutes

*40% of qualification;  *80 marks

Questions requiring short and extended answers, based around applied situations. Learners will be required to use stimulus material to respond to questions. Assessment will be completed in year 11.

Unit 2: Hospitality and Catering in Action (Internal Assessment)

Non-Examined Assessment (NEA): approximately 12 hours

*60% of qualification;  *120 marks

An assignment brief will be provided by WJEC which will include a scenario and several tasks. Assessment will include a practical assessment involving the preparation of two dishes with accompaniments suitable to the given brief and will be completed in year 10, this assessment will be time limited and subject to exam conditions. Within the assessment will be a 3 hour practical assessment, students will be expected to cook and present 2 dishes and accompaniments.

Course Grading; Level 1 Pass, L1 Merit, L1 Distinction, L1 Distinction*. Level 2 Pass, L2 Merit, L2 Distinction, L2 Distinction*

WJEC Hospitality and Catering : Catering