Safefood for life – Level 2 Food Safety in catering award
Safefood for life – Level 2 Food Safety in catering award
In Ballyclare High School, we have been offering this online course to our 6th form students since September 2009, and it is delivered as part of our Thursday afternoon enrichment programme. We run 4 sessions during the school year in 7 week blocks, with @30-40 students from Years 13 and 14 annually achieving the qualification.
The course is beneficial for our students’ general food safety knowledge for everyday life and well as preparing them for work within the food industry. Students studying A level Nutrition and Food Science (formerly Home Economics) and Biology also find it beneficial in supplementing their knowledge where it relates to specific areas of their A level courses.
We would certainly recommend the resource to other teachers. It is suitable for all types of post-primary schools and could even be delivered to younger age groups, including Key stage 4. In the past we have even used some of the teaching materials with our Year 10 pupils. It is equally popular with males and females.
We think the Level 2 Chartered Institute of Environmental Health accreditation is a very important aspect of this course since the qualification is recognised throughout the UK, should the student decide to travel further afield.
The Hospitality/ Food and drink industry in N Ireland is a major employer, constantly looking for part-time staff in a wide range of areas.
We explain to our students that this qualification is ideal for those looking for a part-time job before or during university in hotels, supermarkets, fast food outlets, cafes, delis, bistros, restaurants, bars etc etc. A number of our 6th formers have obtained work in these areas.
It’s also useful for those helping out with school events such as fund raising bbqs(hockey/rugby) Scripture Union bbq/weekends, cake sales etc
It is at the very least another qualification to add to their CV.