Cook in Charge

WG060 Witherslack Group Ltd; Hildenborough; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training

Full school holidays

Flexible benefits

Wellbeing support

Medical cover

DBS check covered

Job summary

Witherslack Group is seeking a School Cook to join our catering team, preparing and serving tasty, nutritious meals for young people, staff and visitors while supervising a skilled team and planning menus that meet food hygiene and nutrition standards.

The role includes working at a SEND school serving children aged 8–16, with excellent salary and benefits. Induction, holidays, and supportive environment are provided.

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification in Food Safety in Catering or equivalent.
• Ability to plan menus.
• Experience budgeting and ordering in bulk.

Responsibilities

• Supervise a skilled team and ensure high standards of food safety and hygiene.
• Plan nutritious menus for our young people, staff, and visitors.
• Prepare and serve meals to pupils, staff and visitors while maintaining regulatory standards.

Skills

Budgeting

Menu planning

Team supervision

Education

Level 3 Food Safety in Catering

Job description

£26,694 - £30,150 + Excellent benefits

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 Hilden Park school is a purpose built, brand new, state of the art school, catering primarily for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s and Speech, Language and Communication needs. The school provides education for up to 72 children aged 8 to 16. This new exciting opportunity serving Tonbridge and the wider communities; you can be at the heart of its development. Our aim is to ensure that every pupil has an outstanding educational experience with individual pupil progress and care at the heart of what is offered.

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

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

Diversity and Inclusion

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.

We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost) and an online search.

We are the highest Ofsted-rated provider in the country for special education and care.

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.