Chef Supervisor

Ark; Hastings; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Higher salary

Training days

Weekly staff training

Coaching for teachers

Protected planning time

Professional development NPQML/NPQSL

Network collaboration

Job summary

Ark Alexandra Academy in Hastings is recruiting a Chef Supervisor to lead the school catering team during term time, with a 38.5-hour week and two extra weeks in holidays. The role includes preparing meals, supervising staff, and maintaining kitchen cleanliness, under the direction of the Operations Manager.

Salary ranges from £24,741 to £28,598 pro rata, with the opportunity for progression on Ark's outside London scale.

Qualifications

• Experience in a busy kitchen.
• Health & safety and/or food hygiene qualification (not essential).
• Ability to lead a catering team and maintain high standards.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, cook and present food meeting school standards.
• Supervise catering team and ensure kitchen cleanliness.
• Ensure high standard of catering service across kitchen and dining areas.

Skills

Kitchen experience

Resilient

Ownership of tasks

Health & safety qualification

Team player

Flexible attitude

Calm under pressure

Education

Health & safety qualification

Food hygiene qualification

Tools

None

Job description

About The Role

Chef Supervisor

Start date: As soon as possible

Location: Ark Alexandra Academy, Hastings, East Sussex

Salary: Ark Outside London Support Scale 5, points 5 - 12: £25,583 to £28,598 (pro rata)

Actual Starting Salary: £24,741.32 Pay is spread evenly over 12 months.

Hours: 7.00am – 3.45pm Mon to Fri (this includes a 1 hour or 2 x 30- minute unpaid breaks each day) 38.5 hours per week, term time only plus 2 extra weeks to be worked in the school holidays.

Contract: Permanent

Closing date: 11:59pm on 27 September 2026

The school reserves the right to close this advert early and interviews may take place before the advertised closing date.

Due to a change in circumstances, the opportunity has become available again to join our hard-working, dedicated catering team in our growing academy. As Chef Supervisor you will be based at one of our two campuses under the direction of our Operations Manager. This is a term time only position, which means you will only work 39 weeks of the year, plus two extra weeks in the school holidays as directed by your manager. Pay is spread evenly over the year so you would never have a month without money.

As the Chef Supervisor you will prepare, cook, and present food which meets the school standards and according to the Operations Manager direction. You will also be responsible for supervising the catering team and ensure high levels of food preparation and kitchen cleanliness is maintained across all kitchen and dining areas as well as ensuring a high standard of catering service is provided.

Our standards are high and meals are prepared daily from fresh ingredients. We need someone who can work quickly and safely, be part of a team and has the confidence to interact with staff and students.

As the ideal candidate you will:

• Have experience of working in a busy kitchen
• Have a resilient character and a strong personal drive
• Be able to take ownership of tasks and complete to a high standard
• Have a health & safety and/or food hygiene qualification but it’s not essential
• Be a team player that can work collaboratively as well as using your own initiative
• Be flexible in covering other team members when required, even if it’s on the other campus
• Be calm and professional under pressure with the ability to adapt to challenges and opportunities with a solution-oriented perspective
• Have a flexible attitude towards work

Benefits

• Salary higher than the national pay scales
• Twice as many training days as standard and network-wide events with Ark colleagues, held by the best minds in education
• Weekly staff training designed to meet the needs of the school
• Coaching for every teacher
• Protected co-planning time
• Access to the high-quality, professional development, including nationally recognised qualifications such as the NPQML and NPQSL
• Opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the network

Find out more about the benefits of working for Ark at https://arkonline.org/careers/why-work-with-us/.

About Us

We are committed to creating one of the top performing schools in the UK, right here in Hastings.

Ark Alexandra Academy is a popular secondary operating a ‘One School, Two Campus’ model since September 2024, offering unique opportunities for professional growth and development for our staff, and a more bespoke and supportive learning environment for our students.

The school is on a rapid journey of improvement, driven by a traditional, evidence-based approach and a culture of high expectations, which was reflected in a significant uplift in GCSE results for 2026.

We uphold traditional values of discipline, courtesy and respect, and are a strict no mobile phone school, ensuring a calm and purposeful learning environment where students are ready to learn.

As part of the Ark network, Ark Alexandra Academy has access to the dedicated support of a highly successful MAT with a well-regarded CPD offer for leaders and teachers at all levels and a developing programme for support staff. In addition, the school is part of the Hastings DfE Education Investment Area giving an increased focus on the region, potential funding, and genuine opportunities for collaboration between schools.

Join us on this exciting journey to transform education in Hastings.

Visit arkalexandra.org/jobs to learn more about us and see our current vacancies.

Diversity and inclusion

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link.

Safeguarding statement

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link.

Please note we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this role may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.