AS/A2 NUTRITION & FOOD SCIENCE (CCEA)

Subject content

There are two units at AS level. 

 

Unit AS 1: Principles of Nutrition

In this unit, students learn about macronutrients and micronutrients and other dietary constituents. They also study nutritional requirements and current dietary recommendations for each life stage. The assessment for this unit is a written examination that includes both short answer and extended writing questions.

Unit AS 2: Diet, Lifestyle and Health

In this unit, students investigate current research on diet, lifestyle and health.

Assessment is a written examination that includes both short answer and extended

writing questions.

 

Subject content

There are two units studied at A2 level.

Students following the A2 Level course study two units A2 1 and A2 2. The content of each of these units is set out below.

Unit A2 1: Option A: Food Security and Sustainability

In this unit, students examine consumer behaviour when making food purchasing

decisions and consider the issues and implications of consumer food choice.

Topics studied include:

·         Food security

·         Food poverty

·         Food sustainability

·         Food waste

·         Changing consumer behaviour

 

Unit A2 2: Research Project

In this unit, students submit a report on a research project of their own choice.  The report should not exceed 4,000 words. Students must take their research area from AS1, AS2 or A21.  The project gives students opportunities to demonstrate appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills demanded by the research process.

In the project, students:

• Identify and discuss issues associated with the chosen research area;
• select and interpret appropriate and relevant information;
• analyse information and judge its relevance to the chosen research area;
• plan and conduct primary research;
• present and interpret findings from research they have undertaken;
• draw conclusions using reasoned arguments; and
• make recommendations for future study.

This unit includes an element of synoptic assessment. Students demonstrate an understanding of the connections between the different elements of the subject. The assignment should draw together the knowledge, understanding and skills they have acquired in the different parts of the course.

CONTENT	LEARNING OUTCOMES Students should be able to…
Focus of the research project	Students should be able to: • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the issues associated with their project title; • analyse and critically evaluate the information and outcomes; • present their research findings in a report format.

 

Assessment of AS/A Level Nutrition and Food Science

 

Assessment objectives

The specification’s assessment objectives are listed below.
Students should be able to demonstrate:

• knowledge and understanding of the specified content (AO1);
• the ability to apply knowledge, understanding and skills in a variety of situations and to analyse problems, issues and situations using appropriate skills (AO2); and
• the ability to gather, organise and select information, evaluate acquired knowledge and understanding, and present and justify an argument (AO3).

 

Synoptic assessment at A2

The A2 assessment units include some synoptic assessment, which encourages

candidates to develop their understanding of the subject as a whole. In A Level

Nutrition and Food Science synoptic assessment involves:

• building on material from the AS units;
• bringing together and making connections between areas of knowledge and skills that they have explored throughout the course;
• selecting and presenting work for examination that demonstrates their strengths in each area;
• following their own lines of enquiry and recording and observing from primary sources; and
• responding to one or more of the following: - a stimulus or scenario; and/or a brief or problem.

 

Higher order thinking skills

The A2 assessment units provide opportunities to demonstrate higher order thinking

skills by incorporating:

• a range of question types to address different skills, for example open-ended

questions;

• more demanding evaluative tasks; and
• questions that require candidates to make more connections between sections of

the specification.

 

Quality of written communication

In AS and A Level Nutrition and Food Science, candidates must demonstrate their quality of written communication.

They need to:

• ensure that text is legible and that spelling, punctuation and grammar are

   accurate so that meaning is clear;

• select and use a form and style of writing appropriate to the purpose and the

   complexity of the subject matter; and

• organise information clearly and coherently, using specialist vocabulary where

   appropriate.

Quality of written communication is assessed in responses to questions that require

extended writing and the research project.

 

SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

The table below summarises the structures of the AS and A Level courses.

Unit Assessment	Format	Duration	Weightings
AS 1: Principles of Nutrition	External written examination Students answer all short questions on Section A and two extended writing questions from a choice of three in Section B.	1 hour 30 minutes	50% of AS 20% of A Level
AS 2: Diet, Lifestyle and Health	External written examination Students answer all short questions on Section A and three extended writing questions from a choice of four in Section B.	1 hour 30 minutes	50% of AS 20% of A Level
A2 1: Option 1: Food Security and Sustainability Or Option 2: Food Safety and Quality	External written examination Students answer a compulsory structured question from Section A and three extended writing questions from a choice of four in Section B.	2 hours 30 minutes	30% of A Level
A2 2: Research Project	Internal assessment Students complete a 4000 word research-based project. Teachers mark the projects and CCEA moderate the results.	Term 1 of Year 14	30% of A Level