For our Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE practical examination, we had to plan and cook three dishes that were for a school canteen and had an international theme.

This practical makes up 35% of our exam and allows us to apply our knowledge and skills learnt over the last two years into practice. We had to have very good time management and ensure our three recipes preparation, cook time and plating skills fit into 3 hours with a 45-minute preparation window. We had to learn the skills of how to manage time correctly by dovetailing the three recipes along with the responsibility of making sure we followed all health and safety in the kitchen and making sure each step was done correctly.

We had a huge amount of support leading up to the exam from Mr. Compton, which gave us the confidence to not get overwhelmed and remain calm throughout the exam while documenting all the processes for our NEA 2 document that makes up our grade.

We all felt a massive sense of relief once our exam was over, and we were proud of our achievements.

Andrew Rixon [Year 11]