Catering Manager

Aqueduct Primary Academy; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Annual Leave

Professional Development

Flexible & Family-Friendly

Exclusive Discounts

Well-being Support

Job summary

Aqueduct Primary Academy is seeking a Catering Manager to lead our school catering service, ensuring high‑quality meals, efficient kitchen operations, and exceptional pupil experience.

You will drive menu planning, nutrition, and service standards while maintaining hygiene and safety across the team in a busy school lunch period.

Qualifications

• Experience in a similar role in school catering or similar setting.
• Ability to work with staff, pupils and parents.
• Strong commitment to healthy, high-quality nutrition.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the catering service operations and catering staff.
• Plan, prepare and present meals to required standards within the budget.
• Maintain high standards of hygiene, health and safety.
• Develop and implement menus using fresh, local produce.
• Engage with pupils and families to support a positive lunchtime experience.

Skills

Hardworking

Relationship building

Cooking

Teamwork

Child-focused

Job description

Aqueduct Primary Academy are looking for a Catering Manager who can whip up a mean mac & cheese, serve up smiles and maybe even master the art of the perfect consistency for custard.

No cape required—but experience in a similar role is a must. So bring your sense of humour, a love for children, and the ability to navigate a lunch rush like a pro. If you can handle the heat of the kitchen (and a few picky eaters), we want you on our team!

Apply now and become the unsung hero of our school’s lunch hour. Providing children with their fuel for school.

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Catering Manager at Aqueduct Primary Academy.

About the Role

Responsible for the operational efficiency of the catering service, planning, preparation, and presentation of food to the required standard within the budget limitations as agreed with the school management. Maintenance of the highest standards of personnel management, hygiene and health and safety.

Are you?

• Hard‑working, honest, dependable, and self‑motivated?
• Capable of establishing good working relationships with staff, pupils, and parents?
• An exceptional cook, passionate about healthy, high‑quality nutrition, with experience in a similar role?
• Committed to teamwork?
• Child‑centered and solution focused?

Our children deserve the best and as a Catering Manager at Aqueduct Primary Academy you will be a part of our innovative approach to school catering - REAch2EAT. You will have a passion for cooking and providing high quality meals using fresh, local produce as well as delivering exceptional service to our children.

Food served in school forms a part of our healthy school’s ethos, and exceptional nutrition supports our drive for exceptional opportunities for learning. The successful applicant can expect to work as part of a committed school team as well as a wider support network of our REAch2EAT Catering Team.

We can offer you

• A firm commitment to you and your professional development
• Friendly, supportive, enthusiastic, and hardworking colleagues, staff and governors
• An inspiring learning community
• Encouragement to develop new ideas and the opportunity to make a real difference.
• Opportunities to further develop your career within our Multi Academy Trust, REAch2, the largest primary-only academy trust in the country.
• A support network within REAch2EAT including our Catering Lead
• And, most importantly, AMAZING children just waiting to meet you.

For further information about the role come and visit our school! To book your visit or for an informal discussion, please contact the school office. School visits are encouraged but are by appointment only.

Why Work with REAch2 Academy Trust?

Join REAch2 Academy Trust, one of the UK's largest primary academy trusts, with a mission to unlock the potential of every child, regardless of their background. Here’s why joining our team can be an exciting and fulfilling career choice:

• Excellence & Development: We prioritise high standards and offer extensive professional development and career growth opportunities.

• Supportive & Collaborative: Be part of a strong, collaborative community of over 60 schools where every voice is valued, and best practices are shared.

• Well-being Focus: We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer robust well-being support for all staff.

• Diversity & Inclusion: We celebrate diversity and believe that varied perspectives strengthen our schools.

• Innovation & Impact: Bring creativity to the classroom and make a real difference in children’s lives.

• Making a difference: Working with REAch2 means contributing to something bigger than yourself. You’ll be helping to shape the lives of young learners, making a meaningful impact on communities and future generations.

Join us to grow your career, collaborate with passionate educators, and make a lasting impact on future generations.

Benefits

We offer a range of benefits to support your career and well-being:

• Generous Annual Leave: healthy work-life balance.

• Professional Development: Access diverse CPD and training opportunities to grow your skills.

• Flexible & Family-Friendly: We are committed to supporting flexible working and requests will be considered on an individual basis, including options such as part time, term-time, home working, and other options that work for both the employee and the Trust.

• Exclusive Discounts: Benefit from Blue Light Card offers and employee perks.

• Well-being Support: Receive comprehensive well-being and employee assistance for you and your family.

Join REAch2 for a rewarding career with great benefits!

Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment and Data Protection

At REAch2 we recognise that those who work in an academy are in a unique position in their care of children. The responsibility for all staff to safeguard pupils and promote their welfare, as stated in Section 175 of the Education Act (2002) is one that is central to our ethos, our policies and our actions. All children are deserving of the highest levels of care and safeguarding, regardless of their individual characteristics or circumstances, and we are committed to applying our policies to ensure effective levels of safeguarding and care are afforded to all our pupils.

We will seek to recruit the best applicant for the job based on the abilities, qualifications, experience as measured against the job description and person specification. The recruitment and selection of staff will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be requested for all successful candidates, including a Children’s Barred List check if the role meets the criteria for regulated activity.

For more information about our safer recruitment processes, please click here for our Safer Recruitment Policy.

All information is stored securely, and any information supplied by unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed through a confidential waste system six months after the decision has been communicated, in accordance with our information and records retention policy.

The Trust ensures all applicant data is stored and processed appropriately. For further details on how your information will be managed during the recruitment process please refer to our Privacy Notice for Job Applications.