Home Economics

Welcome to the Home Economics Department

The HE department in Golspie High School aims to provide pupils with valuable life skills and knowledge. The three main aspects of the subjects are food, health and sustainability: topics which concern us all. It is our responsibility to provide pupils with information which will enable them to make good choices for themselves and for others and we encourage pupils at all times to be more aware of the world around them.

S1 – Pupils have a chance to familiarize themselves with the Home Economics environment and learn to operate safely and hygienically in the kitchen at all times. By the end of the year pupils can use the cooker with confidence and have made a variety of simple dishes. They have also been introduced to basic nutrition information, have started to think about the links between diet and health and have looked into how food is produced.

S2 – Pupils are introduced to current dietary advice in more detail and the preparation of foods is closely linked to the aim of improving eating habits. Every effort is made to link with outside agencies for support on this topic and pupils should experience a wide variety of foods and preparation methods. In the second half of the session, pupils will undertake a textile project, learning basic sewing and fabric skills and how to operate a sewing machine.

S3 – Pupils look closely at the link between eating nutritious foods and their physical and mental health. Information about nutrients is again followed up by practical cookery sessions and pupils are encouraged to review their own habits at all times. Pupils are also introduced to a variety of aspects of sustainable living such as waste reduction, resource conservation and other environmental issues. They are encouraged to take their thoughts and ideas on these topics to other subject areas and to their home environment.

Hospitality – This course is open to pupils in S4, S5 and S6 and can be taken at National 4 or National 5 level. The Hospitality course is very hands-on and practical and is aimed at pupils who are thinking about pursuing a career in the hospitality sector. Pupils should have a good grounding of practical skills from earlier years in school and must be prepared to practice practical skills at home. However, pupils also must be able to provide written work for ongoing assessment of the course as well as have good numeracy skills for budgeting and time plans. The course is assessed internally through 3 Units which have to be completed during class time and a practical exam.

Health and Food Technology – This course is open to pupils in S4, S5 and S6 and can be taken at National 4 or National 5 or Higher level. The Health and Food Technology course looks closely at nutrition, health and food product development. Pupils should have a good grounding of these topics from earlier years in school and must be keen to find out more about how to lead a healthy lifestyle in general. The course involves a minimum of practical cookery and most of the ongoing assessment is provided by doing written work. The course is assessed internally through 3 Units which have to be completed during class time and a written exam.