GCSE Food and Nutrition

In this section

GCSE Food & Nutrition at Kimbolton

GCSE Food and Nutrition (F&N) at Kimbolton School offers a comprehensive and hands-on approach to understanding food science, nutrition, and healthy eating. Through engaging practical activities and theoretical learning, you’ll develop skills to prepare nutritious meals, explore the global food industry, and make informed dietary choices that will benefit you for life.

About the course

This course equips you with essential knowledge and skills to cook and understand the principles of food science, nutrition, and healthy eating. You’ll explore the relationship between diet and health, learn about food provenance and security, and study the science behind cooking. Key topics include:

Dietary needs of different population groups.
Food sourcing, processing, and the impact of technological advancements.
Practical cooking skills such as portioning a chicken, filleting fish, and making pastry, bread dough, and pasta.

Lessons take place in modern, purpose-built kitchens equipped with state-of-the-art resources and a computer suite for non-examined assessment work.

OCR Food & Nutrition syllabus

Assessment

The GCSE Food and Nutrition course is assessed as follows:

Food investigation non-examined assessment (15%): Conduct a practical investigation to explore the science behind cooking, focusing on the properties of ingredients and their role in recipes.
Food preparation task non-examined assessment (35%): Plan, prepare, and present a menu of dishes. This task evaluates your creativity, time management, and ability to meet dietary requirements.
Written examination (50%): Test your knowledge of food science, nutrition, food provenance, and practical cooking techniques through a mix of structured and essay-style questions.

Beyond the classroom

The Great Kimbolton Bake Off: Showcase your culinary creativity during Open Day.
Barcelona trip: Join a joint educational trip with the Spanish Department to explore food and culture.

“A Food Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC) report in 2024 found unhealthy food habits are costing the UK around £268bn every year.”

You will enjoy Food & Nutrition if you…

You enjoy practical cooking activities and want to develop advanced skills.
You’re curious about the science of food and its nutritional impact.
You want to learn how to adapt recipes and understand why food changes when cooked.
You aim to make informed, healthy choices and reduce food waste.

“F&N is the most useful subject. We plan our own recipes, cook, analyse, and evaluate. We learn about food safety and nutritional analysis. If you’re interested in food, how it impacts your body, and the science behind it, you’ll find F&N fascinating.”

Erica
F&N student