Cook

The Witherslack Group; Horton-cum-Studley; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full school holidays

Life insurance

Wellbeing tools

Medical cover

Refer-a-friend bonus

Job summary

The Witherslack Group is hiring a Cook at one of our schools in Wheatley, Oxfordshire. You will prepare and serve nutritious meals for students, staff and visitors, lead a small kitchen team, and develop menus that meet food hygiene and nutritional standards.

This temporary role offers term-time holidays and a supportive benefits package. You should have a Level 3 Food Safety qualification and be organized with strong budgeting and bulk-ordering experience.

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification in Food Safety in Catering (or equivalent).
• Be organized and have the ability to plan menus.
• Experience budgeting for each meal and ordering in bulk.

Responsibilities

• Cook and supervise a skilled team, plan nutritious menus for students.
• Ensure the school meets food hygiene regulations and nutritional standards.
• Build strong relationships with staff and students through good service.

Education

Level 3 Food Safety in Catering (or equivalent)

Job description

Cook

Job Reference: 2983236999-2

Date Posted: 22 September 2026

Recruiter: Witherslack Group

Location: Wheatley, Oxfordshire

Salary: £25,614 to £26,427

Sector: Hospitality & Tourism

Job Type: Temporary

Job Description

£25,614 - £26,427 + Excellent benefits

32.5 hours a week, Monday to Friday. This is made up of a 28.2-hour working week (37 hours FTE) plus an additional 4.3 hours (5.6 hours FTE) to enable you to take paid absence for all school holidays.

If we have too many applicants we have the right to close this advert earlier than its close date.

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.

You'll supervise a skilled team and plan nutritious menus for our young people. You'll also need to make sure that the school meets food hygiene regulations and nutritional standards. Being a cook in charge at our schools means you'll get to build fantastic relationships with all of our staff and young people, by doing what you do best.

Our idea is that every student who comes to us will soar. No matter what their past, this will be the school where they lift off and rise to the heights we know they can achieve. Even the school's logo, a bird soaring high, illustrates the aspiration for every pupil. Upon joining, each young person is encouraged to aim high and begin their journey to both academic and personal achievement. The school's extensive grounds, highly resourced classrooms, and vocational centre offer the perfect environment for young people to enjoy. This was recently recognised by Ofsted with a rating of Good.

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: so you can claim back the cost of things like opticians or dentist appointments and a host of 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 a Level 3 qualification in Food Safety in Catering (or equivalent)
• Be organised and have the ability to plan menus
• Have experience budgeting for each meal and ordering in bulk

Equality and Diversity

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. We are proud to be recognised 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.