Cook

WG060 Witherslack Group Ltd; Waterstock; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Training induction

Paid school holidays

Flexible benefits

Wellbeing tools

Medical cover

Staff facilities

Refer a friend bonus £1,000

Inclusive workplace

Job summary

The Witherslack Group is seeking a cook in our school environment to prepare and serve nutritious meals for young people, staff and visitors. You’ll supervise a skilled catering team, plan menus and ensure compliance with food hygiene regulations and nutritional standards.

This role supports a work week aligned with school terms, with a salary in the mid-£20k range and excellent benefits. You’ll play a key part in a SEND-focused setting.

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification in Food Safety in Catering is required.
• Ability to plan nutritious menus.
• Experience budgeting for each meal and ordering in bulk.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve nutritious meals for young people, staff and visitors.
• Supervise a skilled catering team.
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene regulations and nutritional standards.

Skills

Menu planning

Budgeting

Food safety knowledge

Education

Level 3 qualification in Food Safety in Catering

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 it's close date.

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 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. One of the best environments in SEND. “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 and 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 offers the perfect environment for young people to enjoy – and this was recently recognised by Ofsted with a rating of Good.

What we do for you

We know you’re going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the education sector. With us, you’ll get to bring learning to life and make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get:

• 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 – check out our benefits here
• Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance
• Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts
• Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities – check out our schools here
• 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

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 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.

Mission

We are the leading provider of specialist education and care for children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs, communication difficulties (autistic spectrum conditions; speech, language and communication needs), ADHD and complex learning needs. Our teams are fulfilled by the idea of making even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things. There’s lots of ups and downs, and to some of our young people, just sitting through a lesson can be a big win. We call these huge small victories and whilst they may seem small on the surface, they add up to make a big difference. We live and learn with children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs, communication difficulties (such as Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, or speech, language and communication needs), ADHD or complex learning needs. We have the most joined‑up model in SEN, the best environments and we are proud of what we do.