Professional learning paper: Significant Aspects of Learning
Assessing progress and achievement in Health and
Wellbeing – Food and Health
Preface
This paper is one element of a suite of resources which support assessment of progress and
achievement. You are recommended to read this paper in conjunction with the following:
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Monitoring and tracking progress and achievement in the broad general education:
http://bit.ly/edscotapasal
Assessing progress and achievement overarching paper
Food and Health progression framework
This resource supplements two closely related sets of documents:
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the Principles and Practice paper and Experiences and Outcomes related to Health and
Wellbeing across learning: responsibilities of all; these can be found on the Health and
Wellbeing across learning homepage at
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/learningacrossthecurriculum/re
sponsibilityofall/healthandwellbeing/index.asp
the Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice paper and Experiences and Outcomes
which include specific material related to Food and Health; these can be found on the Health
and Wellbeing homepage at
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/curriculumareas/healthandwell
being/index.asp
Introduction
The Principles and Practice paper Health and Wellbeing across learning: responsibilities of all
summarises the educational rationale underpinning the entitlement of all children and young people
to enjoy and benefit from the experience of learning in the context of Health and Wellbeing – Food
and Health.
Learning in health and wellbeing ensures that children and young people develop the knowledge
and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional,
social and physical wellbeing now and in the future. Learning through health and wellbeing
enables children and young people to:
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make informed decisions in order to improve their mental, emotional, social and physical
wellbeing
experience challenge and enjoyment
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Professional learning paper
Assessing progress and achievement
in Health and Wellbeing – Food and Health
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experience positive aspects of healthy living and activity for themselves
apply their mental, emotional, social and physical skills to pursue a healthy lifestyle
make a successful move to the next stage of education or work
establish a pattern of health and wellbeing which will be sustained into adult life, and which
will help to promote the health and wellbeing of the next generation of Scottish children.
The more specific Principles and Practice Paper Health and Wellbeing adds:
In health and wellbeing, assessment has to take account of the breadth and purpose of the wide
range of learning experienced by children and young people within this curriculum area. It will
focus on children and young people’s knowledge and understanding, skills and attributes in
relation to … food and health...
Teachers and learners can gather evidence of progress as part of day-to-day learning inside and
outside the classroom and, as appropriate, through specific assessment tasks. From the early
years through to the senior stages, children and young people’s progress will be seen in how well
they are developing and applying their knowledge, understanding and skills in, for example, key
features of healthy living and relationships, and in approaches to personal planning, assessing
risk and decision making.
This paper builds on these statements through using significant aspects of learning to support
practitioners in carrying out dependable valid, reliable and challenging assessment of progress and
achievement in Food and Health. Through this children and young people will be supported in
developing the knowledge and understanding, skills, attributes and capabilities required to live
healthily now and in the future. This paper provides:
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a description of the significant aspects of learning within Food and Health
an outline of what breadth, challenge and application look like within Food and Health
information on planning for progression through curriculum levels, using breadth, challenge
and application.
What are significant aspects of learning?
Significant aspects of learning have been identified for each curriculum area. Each significant aspect
of learning brings together a coherent body of knowledge and understanding and related skills, as
outlined in the Principles and Practice paper and detailed in the Experiences and Outcomes. Each
significant aspect of learning
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is common to all levels from early to fourth
can provide sound evidence of learning in accord with the principles of Building the
Curriculum 5: A Framework for Assessment
supports the practice of holistic (‘best fit’) assessment
can be effectively used to inform assessment of progression within a level and achievement
of a level
can be used to plan further progression within a level and from one level to the next.
Using significant aspects of learning makes assessing progress and achievement more dependable
and more manageable. This structure:
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Professional learning paper
Assessing progress and achievement
in Health and Wellbeing – Food and Health
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supports practitioners in planning and integrating learning, teaching and assessment
ensures that learners and practitioners can draw on a range of meaningful, robust, valid and
reliable evidence from all four contexts of learning
affords learners space to demonstrate the breadth of their learning, effective responses to
challenging learning experiences and the ability to apply what they have learned in new and
unfamiliar situations
allows learners to progress by different routes and pathways through the experiences and
outcomes
helps practitioners avoid fragmented approaches to assessment which prevent learners
from demonstrating the full range of their knowledge, understanding and skills
removes the need to rely on evidence derived from single brief learning experiences or end
of unit tests
affords practitioners opportunities to plan and assess within a curricular area the
development of the skills, attributes and capabilities required for learning, life and work,
including the development of literacy, numeracy and digital competencies
supports practitioners in making holistic (‘best fit’) judgements about the achievement of a
level either in an individual significant aspect of learning or, drawing on evidence from
across the relevant significant aspects of learning, in a curriculum area.
The use of significant aspects of learning will inform:
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moderation activities based on holistic judgements supported by dependable evidence
monitoring and tracking progress in learning
quality assurance approaches
the use of assessment to inform improvement at all levels of the education system.
The significant aspects of learning have changed to new headings with bulleted detail.
Fashion and Textile Technologies, from the Technologies curriculum area
has been added to this paper as a significant aspect of learning as it covers food
contexts for learning.
Significant aspects of learning in Health and Wellbeing – Food and Health
Taken together, the Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice Paper and the Health and
Wellbeing Experiences and Outcomes make clear the importance of Food and Health and the
distinct contribution it makes to developing learners’ health and wellbeing. Practitioners and
learners together will focus on developing the significant aspects of learning in, through and about
food and health across the three lines of development – Nutrition; Safe and hygienic practices; Food
and the consumer – in addition to food and textile contexts within the technologies. There are six
significant aspects of learning:
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The Food Experience
Developing Healthy Food Choices
Nutritional Needs
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Professional learning paper
Assessing progress and achievement
in Health and Wellbeing – Food and Health
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Keeping Safe and Hygienic
The Journey of Food
Food and Textile Technologies
Within The Food Experience learners will develop their knowledge and understanding, skills,
attributes and capabilities relating to:
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Tasting, selecting and evaluating
The social context
Religious and cultural influences
Preparing food appropriate to learning
Within Developing Healthy Food Choices learners will develop their knowledge and understanding,
skills, attributes and capabilities relating to:
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Linking food and health
Decision making
Preparing food appropriate to learning
Within Nutritional Needs learners will develop their knowledge and understanding, skills, attributes
and capabilities relating to:
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Varied diet
Individual needs
Stages of life
Preparing food appropriate to learning
Within Keeping Safe & Hygienic learners will develop their knowledge and understanding, skills,
attributes and capabilities relating to:
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Principles of food safety and hygiene
Minimising risk
Preparing food safely and hygienically
Within The Journey of Food learners will develop their knowledge and understanding, skills,
attributes and capabilities relating to:
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From farm to fork
Sustainability
Influences on consumer choices
Preparing food appropriate to learning
Within Food and Textile Technologies learners will develop their knowledge and understanding,
skills, attributes and capabilities relating to:
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Creativity
Design
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Professional learning paper
Assessing progress and achievement
in Health and Wellbeing – Food and Health
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Dexterity
Problem solving
Developing appropriate items
What do breadth, challenge and application look like in Food and Health1?
Breadth
Opportunities for breadth are provided for learners as they progress through the lines of
development related to food/textile activities. Learners can draw on their own experiences in the
classroom environment and in different settings and contexts in the establishment and beyond to
stimulate an interest in food/textile related activities.
Within the classroom environment, learners can extend their breadth of understanding and
demonstrate an increasing range of practical food/textile skills by producing a variety of products.
Learners can reinforce and enhance their learning through participating in practical activities in
different settings, at home, in after-school clubs, residential stays and part-time employment.
Participating in a variety of opportunities where they can extend their range of practical skills and
knowledge and understanding of significant aspects of learning helps learners to acquire knowledge,
skills and attributes to make healthy food choices and helps to establish lifelong healthy eating
habits.
Challenge
Opportunities for challenge can be offered to learners through, for example, practical food / textile
activities, interdisciplinary learning or in the lunch hall. Within such opportunities for challenge
learners demonstrate increasing levels of independence and will require reduced levels of support,
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The Education Scotland web pages Food and Health provide further support related to developing breadth,
challenge and application in learning in food and Health.
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Professional learning paper
Assessing progress and achievement
in Health and Wellbeing – Food and Health
including peer or teacher support in, for example, practical cookery or recipe design. Learners are
challenged and supported to take more responsibility for and demonstrate growing creativity in
their work in food and health and food and textile technologies.
Learners demonstrate achievement through increasing confidence in taking the initiative in applying
their learning of practical organisational and problem solving skills in a range of learning contexts.
Learners can be provided with challenge which allows them to demonstrate achievement and
progression through being afforded opportunities to link their learning to the real world of
food/textiles including changes industry, sustainability, affordability and media influence.
Application
The knowledge and understanding, the practical skills and the attributes and capabilities which
learners are developing can be applied in a wide range of situations and for a range of purposes.
Children and young people can make links between their learning in Food and Health and Food and
Textile Technologies within class and their learning at home or in a community setting and to share
this with their peers.
Learners can apply their knowledge and skills in a wide range of contexts including individual, family
and community health issues, celebrations, religious festivals, cultural and community events,
charitable causes, major sporting events, environmental, global and ethical issues, citizenship,
enterprise and the world of work. Such opportunities provide authentic real life contexts for learners
to demonstrate their achievement and progress in the knowledge and skills of Food and Health and
Food and Textile Technologies and give scope for personalisation and choice and enhanced
motivation.
Practitioners can provide opportunities for children and young people to develop an awareness and
increasing understanding of the role of a range of types of industry provision in society and the
economy. As a result, learners should better understand how learning in Food and Health and Food
and Textile Technologies develops important transferable skills for learning, life and work. These
skills include being able to: analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others; solving
problems of increasing complexity; collaborate effectively; think and act creatively.
This section has changed to articulate with the new significant aspects of learning.
Planning for progression using breadth, challenge and application
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The Food Experience
At early level children try and describe range of foods. As they move into first level, learners extend
the range of foods they eat in a variety of contexts and understand preferences. At second level,
learners begin to understand sensory characteristics and plan and prepare a variety of foods. At
third level learners evaluate foods using sensory descriptors and create more complex items
demonstrating manual dexterity. At fourth level learners understand the impact of properties of
ingredients / textile on the characteristics and functionality of the end product. They have developed
specialist skills to create a range of items.
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Professional learning paper
Assessing progress and achievement
in Health and Wellbeing – Food and Health
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Developing Healthy Food Choices
At early level, children select healthy foods independently and make the link between food and
health. At first level learners know that a range of foods are required for a healthy diet and
demonstrate this through preparing appropriate foods. At second level they develop a healthy
eating plan, explain its content and prepare foods that form part of the plan. At third level young
people demonstrate their understanding of current healthy eating advice through preparing
appropriate foods. During practical activities they can explain the links between ingredients chosen
and nutritional health. At fourth level young people plan, prepare and evaluate dishes to meet a
variety of nutritional and health needs in a range of contexts.
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Nutritional Needs
At early level learners can select foods for a diet which promotes good health. At first level learners
recognise that the need for food changes as we grow and develop. At second level, learners can
understand why different individuals’ needs for food may change throughout life and why they may
have restrictions on what they eat. At third level young people can demonstrate how diet related
conditions may affect the nutritional needs of individuals. At fourth level young people can plan
prepare and adapt dishes to meet the needs of individuals with specific dietary requirements or
conditions.
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Keeping Safe & Hygienic
At early level children understand the importance of and carry out daily hygiene routines. At first
level children apply knowledge of hygiene routines independently. At second level learners can
identify and understand the importance of safe and hygienic practices. At third level young people
can explain the importance of food safety from purchase to consumption and apply this to practical
situations. At fourth level, young people can explore food safety risks and apply this knowledge
when preparing foods.
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The Journey of Food
At early level children prepare and taste foods and understand that it comes from plants and
animals. At first level children develop an understanding of the basic journey food takes from farm
to fork and have an understanding of how advertising may influence their food choice. At second
level children understand why a range of factors impact on food choice including seasonality, global
issues, labelling and advertising. At third level young people can evaluate the environmental impact
of food production. They can also use the information on food packaging to make informed choices
when preparing and cooking foods. At fourth level young people can investigate a range of factors
which influence food choice and evaluate their impact. They can also explain consumer rights and
responsibilities and where to get help.
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Food and Textile Technologies 2
At early level learners develop ideas and solve simple problems through discussion using a food or
textiles context. At first level learners can develop and use simple problem solving and evaluative
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The experiences and outcomes to be used for planning learning in this significant aspect of learning can be
found within the Technologies curriculum area.
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Professional learning paper
Assessing progress and achievement
in Health and Wellbeing – Food and Health
strategies to meet design challenges with a food or textiles focus. At second level learners develop
these strategies further to meet design challenges with food or textiles focus. At third level young
people can use creativity to plan, develop, make and evaluate food or textile items which meet the
needs at home or in the world of work. At fourth level young people can design, plan, produce and
evaluate increasingly complex food or textile items which satisfy the needs of the user. In addition,
young people can apply and evaluate the use of design and colour in food or textile items.
Minor changes have been made to the paragraph below.
Further specific information related to assessment in Food and Health3
Learners’ experiences within food and health must encompass regular opportunities for working
practically with food and cooking activities. Assessment evidence should emphasise and reflect the
practical, experiential nature of the curricular area. It will be gathered across a range of activity
contexts. Evidence of learning may focus on observations of learners working in a practical situation,
portfolios of evidence which chart learners’ progress, and annotated observations or assessment
records for individual learners as they work with food and engage in cooking activities.
Next Steps
Practitioners are encouraged to use this paper with the other elements of the professional learning
resource to inform reflection on practice and plan for improvement as they support learners’
progress and achievement in learning. The professional resource, including this paper, can be used
to stimulate, inform and support professional dialogue during quality assurance and moderation
activities.
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The Education Scotland webpages Food and Health provide further support related to developing learning
and assessment activities in Food and Health.
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Professional learning paper
Assessing progress and achievement
in Health and Wellbeing – Food and Health