Assistant Cook

The Witherslack Group; Loose; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full school holidays

Life insurance

Wellbeing tools and support

Medical cover

Employee discounts

Job summary

The Witherslack Group is hiring an Assistant Cook for Hilden Park School in Maidstone. You will be at the heart of the school, preparing and serving nutritious meals to pupils, staff and visitors.

You will follow strict food hygiene rules and safety practices, while helping plan varied menus that meet dietary needs and promote healthy eating. A supportive team environment awaits.

Qualifications

• Experience catering in a professional setting.
• Basic Food Hygiene and Safety Certificate preferred.
• Hardworking, friendly and dependable.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve nutritious meals for young people, staff and visitors.
• Follow food hygiene rules and health and safety practices.
• Plan meals taking into account dietary requirements.

Skills

Catering experience

Food Hygiene certificate

Reliable

Job description

Assistant Cook

2026-09-10T00:00:00

Location: Maidstone, Kent, GB, ME15 6

Any

2026-10-10T02:00:04.507

Salary: £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.

About Hilden Park School

One of the best environments in SENDHilden 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 serves 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

• 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


• Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance


• Medical cover: claim back costs for things like opticians or dentist appointments and enjoy high-street discounts


• Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities


• 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 hardworking, 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 proud to be recognized as an inclusive employer and are committed to making our recruitment and workplace practices inclusive and accessible. 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 an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.

For a full job description and person specification, please click here.

To view our ex-offenders policy please click here.

To view our Child Protection Policy, please visit the 'Parents and Carers' section of this School/Learning centre. You can find all our Schools here.

#INDH

#s1-Gen