Subjects > Home Economics

Home Economics

Members of the Department

Miss C McElroy
Mrs J O'Kane

The Home Economics Department in St. Dominic’s consists of two new multipurpose rooms, an ICT suite and a prep room. We have two full-time staff: Mrs N. Bradley (Head of Dept.) and Mrs J. O’Kane.

Home Economics provides pupils with opportunities to explore real issues explicitly relevant to real-life contexts. These experiences lead to the development of transferable skills. Of particular value is the contribution of the subject to the development of skills such as decision making and working with others.

Home Economics develops pupils as individuals by:

• helping them to explore their health in a practical context, enhancing their potential to live a healthy lifestyle and make responsible choices about their diet and food.

Home Economics develops pupils as contributors to society by:

• giving them a sense of themselves as social beings and how they relate to one another; making them aware of values and lifestyles that are different from their own and helping them to make reasoned judgements in family relationships.

Home Economics develops pupils as contributors to the economy by:

• giving them an awareness of themselves as consumers in a changing economy to help them become discerning and effective when making judgements in relation to the environment and personal finances.

KS3 HOME ECONOMICS
All KS3 pupils study Home Economics for two thirty-five minute periods per week. Three key concepts are studied:

• Healthy Eating
• Home and Family
• Independent Living

It is an academic subject with a strong practical component and pupils have the opportunity to cook approximately once a fortnight.

All Year 10 Pupils are entered for the Royal Society for Public Health.

GCSE
Pupils study Home Economics.

GCSE HOME ECONOMICS - COURSE CONTENT

• DIET and HEALTH

Issues covered include the Food Standards Agency ‘Eat Well Plate’, the nutrients, food labelling, nutritional needs at key stages of the life cycle, dietary disorders, energy balance and weight management, food intolerance and food allergies, sports nutrition, vegetarian diets, convenience foods, nano foods, superfoods, functional and fortified foods, food hygiene, creativity and food.

• CONSUMER AWARENESS

Issues covered include being an effective consumer, the Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994, factors that influence shopping, marketing, budgeting, methods of paying for goods and services, debt management, sources of consumer information, consumer organizations.

ASSESSMENT

One written examination - 1½ hours (40% marks)
Two coursework tasks:

Diet and Health – Coursework – 1750 words max. (40% marks)

This involves planning at least 3 dishes related to one of the following titles, cooking them and then evaluating the task.
Titles:

• The diet of the Mediterranean offers many benefits to health.
• Adolescents have been criticised for their fast food diet and its implications for their health.
• The ‘8 Tips for Eating Well’ (Foods Standards Agency) are guidelines to encourage healthy food choices.
• –Consumer Awareness –Coursework –3000 words max. (20% marks)

This involves identifying the issues related to one of the following titles; researching the title using secondary sources; planning and carrying out a primary investigation related to the title; drawing conclusions and then evaluating all aspects of the task.
Titles:

• Investigate the use of the internet as a method of shopping for families.
• Examine the impact of ethical and environmental issues on food choices.
• Investigate issues consumers face when using credit as a method of payment for goods and services.

AS/A2 CEA
The A Level Home Economics course is divided into 4 units:

AS 1 - Nutrition for Optimal Health
The nutrients and nutritional considerations throughout the life span.
AS 2 - Priority Health Issues
Current research in relation to diet and health, mental health and sexual health.

A2 1 - Consumer Issues
The main consumer issues in today’s society.
A2 2 - Research-based assignment
The title is chosen by the candidate and based on any aspect of the course. (4000 words max.)

Students can complete AS 1 and AS 2 for the AS Level and complete the two additional units for the full A2 Level.

Assessment consists of one I½ hour examination for both AS 1 and AS 2 and one 2 hour examination for A2 1.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES WITH HOME ECONOMICS include: Teaching, dietetics, Health and Social Services, childcare, marketing, media, hospitality and tourism, consumer advice,  health promotion, food technology/new product development, and environmental health