Hospitality and Catering
Key contacts: Mrs C Northey
Welcome to Hospitality and Catering at Ivybridge Community College.
The WJEC GCSE in Hospitality and Catering provides students with a practical and engaging introduction to one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing industries, combining hands-on food preparation with essential knowledge of nutrition, menu planning, food safety, and the wider hospitality sector. Through a balance of written examination and coursework, students plan, prepare, cook, and present dishes in response to a set brief, developing valuable skills in organisation, time management, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. This dynamic and creative course is ideal for students who enjoy practical learning and offers a strong pathway to further study, apprenticeships, and careers across catering, food production, events, hospitality management, nutrition, and tourism.
Course Structure
The qualification is split into two main units.
Unit 1: The Hospitality and Catering Industry (External Assessment)
This written exam tests students’ understanding of how the industry operates, including job roles, types of establishments, health and safety, and the importance of meeting customer needs.
Unit 2: Hospitality and Catering in Action (Internal Assessment)
This is a practical, coursework-based unit where students plan, prepare, cook, and present a range of dishes based on a given brief. It also includes written work on menu planning, nutrition, and evaluation
Skills Developed:
- Food preparation and presentation
- Nutrition and healthy eating
- Time management and organisation
- Understanding food safety and hygiene
- Problem-solving and teamwork
Assessment
- Unit 1: Written Examination (40%)
- Unit 2: Controlled Assessment (60%)
What will you study?
This course opens doors to one of the UK’s largest and fastest-growing industries, offering clear routes into further education, apprenticeships, or employment in areas like catering, event management, hospitality, and tourism. It also helps students develop teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills that are valued in all careers.
1. Learn real-life skills
You’ll gain hands-on experience in planning, preparing, and cooking meals — skills that are useful for everyday life as well as future work. Students gain valuable skills for everyday life, including meal planning, budgeting, and food safety.
2. Explore a growing industry
The hospitality and catering sector is one of the largest employers in the UK and worldwide, offering a huge range of exciting career paths, from chef and event planner to hotel manager or nutritionist.
3. Develop essential employability skills
You’ll build teamwork, communication, organisation, and problem-solving skills — all highly valued by employers.
4. Combine theory and practical work
The course balances written learning about nutrition, customer service, and safety with creative, hands-on cooking tasks.
5. Prepare for future study or careers
It’s a great foundation for further courses in catering, hospitality, food science, or tourism, and can open doors to apprenticeships or college-level qualifications.
Career Opportunities
Studying Hospitality and Catering can lead to a wide range of exciting and rewarding careers in one of the UK’s largest industries. Students can progress to further education, apprenticeships, or direct employment in roles such as.
Food Preparation and Service
- Chef / Commis Chef
- Pastry Chef / Baker
- Kitchen Assistant
- Catering Manager
- Restaurant or Café Supervisor
Hospitality and Events
- Hotel Receptionist or Manager
- Events or Wedding Planner
- Conference or Banqueting Coordinator
- Front of House Manager
Food and Nutrition
- Nutritionist or Dietetic Assistant
- Food Technologist
- Product Development Chef
Tourism and Customer Service
- Travel and Tourism Assistant
- Cruise Ship or Airline Catering Staff
- Customer Service Manager
This qualification also builds transferable skills such as teamwork, organisation, time management, and communication, valuable in any future career.
For more information, please contact the College here: