Assistant Cook

WG060 Witherslack Group Ltd; Hildenborough; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training

Holiday accrual

Flexible benefits

Wellbeing support

Medical cover

Excellent facilities

Recommend a friend £1000 bonus

Inclusive culture

Job summary

Witherslack Group Ltd is seeking a school cook to work at our Hildenborough site. You’ll prepare and serve tasty, nutritious meals for pupils, staff and visitors, supporting varied menus and dietary needs. The role emphasises food hygiene and health and safety in a busy school environment.

The post offers a competitive salary (£26,694) and excellent benefits. You’ll join a dedicated team in a SEND environment, contributing to positive pupil experiences and school life.

Qualifications

• Experience catering in a professional setting.
• Basic Food Hygiene and Safety Certificate required.
• Hard working, friendly and dependable.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve nutritious meals for pupils, staff and visitors.
• Follow food hygiene rules and health and safety requirements.
• Plan meals considering dietary needs.
• Support the school's catering program and flexibility.

Skills

Catering in professional setting

Education

Basic Food Hygiene and Safety Certificate

Job description

£26,694 + Excellent Benefits Huge Small Victories

Being a cook in our school means being part of something big. You’ll be working at the heart of the school, preparing and serving tasty, nutritious food to our young people, staff and visitors Get out what you put in

You’ll be expected to follow food hygiene rules and keep health and safety in mind, but the key is to create varied menus that encourage our young people to try new food.

You’ll help plan meals, taking into account any specific dietary requirements.

One of the best environments in SEND Hilden Park school is a purpose built, brand new, state of the art school, catering primarily for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s and Speech, Language and Communication needs.

The school provides education for up to 72 children aged 8 to 16.

This new exciting opportunity serving Tonbridge and the wider communities; you can be at the heart of its development.

Our aim is to ensure that every pupil has an outstanding educational experience with individual pupil progress and care at the heart of what is offered.

What we do for you

We know you’re going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the education sector. With us, you’ll bring learning to life and make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get:

• Training: A full induction and on the job training
• Holiday: You’ll work hard at WG, so you’ll be rewarded with full school holidays
• Flexible benefits: meaning you can increase/decrease benefits such as life insurance – check out our benefits here
• Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance
• Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high‑street discounts
• Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities – check out our schools here
• A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time
• Bring your whole‑self to work

Our young people come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds and with different needs – and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage and inspire our young people to be themselves.

The kind of person we’re looking for will:

• Have experience catering in a professional setting, but if you’re a competent home cook we’d still like to hear from you
• Ideally have a basic Food Hygiene and Safety Certificate
• Be hard working, friendly and dependable

Interested in joining us? At Witherslack Group, inclusion is part of who we are.

We’re committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued and that they truly belong. As a specialist provider of education and care for children and young people with special educational needs, we understand the importance of embracing individuality and championing difference‑ especially when it comes to neurodiversity. We celebrate diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and the unique strengths that each person brings to our community.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities.

We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.

If you need any adjustments to support you through the recruitment process or in the workplace, we’ll be there every step of the way.

By building a diverse and inclusive team, we’re better able to support the children, young people and families we serve and ensure every member of our team can thrive, grow, and be their authentic self.

The Witherslack Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost) and an online search.

We are proud to be recognised as an inclusive employer and are committed to making our recruitment and workplace practices inclusive and accessible.

We are the highest Ofsted-rated provider in the country for special education and care. Our teams are fulfilled by the idea of making even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things.

Mission

We are the leading provider of specialist education and care for children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs, communication difficulties (autistic spectrum conditions; speech, language and communication needs), ADHD and complex learning needs.