Secondary HLTA food technology

In 2008, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) announced that food technology would become a compulsory curriculum entitlement for every 11-14 year old from September 2011. The DCSF has identified a need in the first instance for 750 HLTAs with a food technology specialism to support the key stage 3 curriculum.

Programme Purpose

The programme aims to:

• Support the DCSF national initiative to increase the number of young people aged 11-16 who have the opportunity to learn to cook simple nutritious dishes from basic ingredients
• Help ensure that from September 2011 all key stage 3 students have the opportunity to learn practical cooking skills. This will include ensuring that pupils learn about the food competences, which include diet and nutrition, food safety and wise food shopping
• Support the TDA vision that by 2013 all schools can recruit, develop and deploy effectively the highly-skilled, professional workforce they need to maximise the achievement of every child and young person and improve their well-being by helping schools to develop their existing workforce, and supporting workforce reform.

Funding arrangements

The TDA has provided all local authorities with funds to cover the training and preparation of HLTA candidates. The development of HLTAs with food technology as an area of expertise has been identified as a priority.

Subject guidance

Subject knowledge for food technology has been outlined by the TDA. Candidates are expected to have a working knowledge of those elements that are relevant to their role within school. The subject guidance identifies the core subject knowledge and the core subject pedagogy relevant to the HLTA Standards and the National Curriculum in food technology at key stage 3 to enable effective support for pupils across the whole ability range.