Catering Assistant

Link Academy Trust; Ashburton; On-site; GBP 16,000 - 17,000; Part time

Job summary

Link Academy Trust is seeking a Catering Assistant to provide flexible cover across its academies. The role is a floating position, mainly in the southern group around Totnes and Newton Abbot, with travel to other sites as needed.

You will support the catering team with food preparation, serving, and maintaining hygiene standards, while adapting to varied daily tasks and locations within the Trust.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a similar role in school or commercial environment.
• Food Hygiene L2/L3 certificate.
• Ability to build good relationships with children and staff.
• Willingness to work as part of a team and maintain sense of humour.
• Ability to use initiative and work under pressure with tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve meals for pupils and staff including main dish, dessert and drinks.
• Assist with laying up tables and serving counters, then clean and tidy after lunchtime.
• Comply with Health & Safety and Food Hygiene regulations.
• Temperature testing of food.
• Clear up and remove waste food, packaging and other kitchen waste.
• Move furniture in dining area as required.

Skills

Driving licence

Team player

Initiative

Flexibility

Time management

Education

Food Hygiene L2/L3 certificate

Job description

Catering Assistant

30hrs per week, 5 days a week, 39 weeks per year. NJC Grade C Point 6 @ £13.92 per hour

We are looking to recruit a ‘floating’ role that will provide additional cover across our academies* wherever the need is required, e.g. to cover staff absences.

Although stated as temporary, this role will be to the end of the current academic year, July 2027 , and will then be reviewed for longer employment.

You will work alongside our existing catering team assisting in providing high quality meals for children, staff, visitors and events at our busy school. You will need to have an appreciation for the challenges of working in a busy kitchen and be willing to carry out a variety of roles, including food preparation, storage of food stuff, washing up as well as other activities that may change on a day-to-day basis.

The successful applicant will need to have a full driving licence with Occasional Business Use insurance cover and be extremely flexible and willing to travel to any academy within the Trust at short notice. The period of cover will differ each time and may at times be just a single day or a number of weeks. You may also be asked to cover a Kitchen Manager role at times, so experience of stock ordering and time management is an advantage.

*This particular role will mainly cover the southern group of schools around the Totnes and Newton Abbot area. Please see the home page of our Trust website for locations. In an emergency, you may be asked to provide cover at a school further away and a claim for mileage may be considered in those circumstances.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Preparation and serving of meals as required to include main meal, desert and drinks to pupils and staff
• Assist with the laying up of table and serving counters and then clearing, cleaning and tidying following lunchtime period
• To comply with all aspects of Health & safety and Food Hygiene Act.
• Temperature testing of food
• Clearing up and removal of waste food, packaging and other waste generated by the kitchen and its activities
• Furniture moving in dining area as required

Ideally, you will:

• Have previous experience in a similar role in a school or commercial environment;
• Have Food Hygiene L3 or L2 certificate
• Be able to build good relationships with children and staff and be a friendly and positive presence in our school;
• Be willing to work as part of a team and have a good sense of humour;
• Be able to use your own initiative when required;
• Be able to work under pressure with tight deadlines

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure.