homeec

Home Economics

Mrs A McLoughlin

Head of Department

Miss B Gallagher

Subject Teacher

Mrs P Maguire

Technician

INTRODUCTION

If you love food, cooking, and the idea of making things run smoothly in a kitchen or restaurant, then studying home economics is your ticket to a fun and rewarding future! Imagine learning to cook delicious meals, master restaurant management, and even create a budget for a whole meal plan—all while making sure everything is healthy and tasty. Whether you’re into baking, preparing fancy dishes, or planning menus for events, home economics lets you explore it all. Plus, it’s not just about cooking—it’s about understanding how food impacts our health, how to manage your money in the kitchen, and how to keep a busy kitchen running like a well-oiled machine.

By studying home economics, you’ll gain skills that can help you in the kitchen and beyond. You’ll learn how to cook, plan meals, and create budgets, making you a pro at managing both time and money. If you're interested in catering or running your own restaurant one day, home economics gives you the practical knowledge to make it happen. You'll also get great experience in healthy eating, figuring out how to make meals that taste amazing but are good for you too. Plus, you’ll build teamwork and leadership skills by learning how to manage people and resources, making sure everything runs smoothly. Whether you want to be a chef, a caterer, or a restaurant manager, studying home economics is a fun way to turn your love for food into a career!

FACILITIES

Our facilities include a fully equipped practical room, a well resourced prep room and a theory room with 18 Chromebooks for student use in lessons for researching and writing up coursework.

We have the latest hand held and electric kitchen equipment and appliances. This allows students to develop a range of practical skills & experience, and gives them a taste of what working in the food and hospitality industry can involve.

KEY STAGE 3

All students in Key Stage 3 receive three periods of Home Economics a week. Our differentiated schemes of work encourage pupils to develop practical skills in addition to an understanding of Home Economics concepts. We have also built in further opportunities for developing pupils' thinking skills & personal capabilities, group work and independent working skills.

Tasks are matched to pupils’ abilities, with extension tasks to challenge more able students and support for pupils with special educational needs.

GCSE

Subjects offered:

GCSE Food & Nutrition

Occupational studies - Business & Services: Contemporary Cuisine and Patisserie & Baking

BTEC Level 1/2 Hospitality

BTEC Level 1/2 Children’s Play, Learning & Development

These courses enable young people to develop the skills and capabilities needed in associated careers. Their strong practical emphasis makes them ideal choices for those students who prefer a ‘hands on’, applied approach.

A-LEVEL

Our AS/A2 Health & Social Care course is highly popular, and students are achieving excellent results. We have organised a number of speakers and visits including: WHSCT Health Promotion department, Dementia NI, Queen’s University, General Practitioner, social worker, NI Hospice, AMH New Horizons, Health Visitor. Many of our A level students go on to study related subjects or pursue careers in a related field.

FURTHER EDUCATION & CAREERS

Our subject options help students develop a versatile skill set that opens up a wide range of career opportunities in multiple industries. Their studies equip them with a strong foundation in food science, nutrition, wellness and service management. It hones practical skills in communication, leadership and customer service.

With hospitality they learn the skills required for customer service roles, event planning and operations management. This can lead to positions as hotel or restaurant managers, waiting staff, catering coordinators, concierge or receptionists. Geared with the knowledge of working in a fast-paced environments, how to manage complex logistics and working as part of a team, are all highly valued abilities and great transferable skills to have across many sectors.