Cook in Charge

Witherslack Group; Shustoke CP; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training

Holiday benefits

Flexible benefits

Wellbeing

Medical cover

Beautiful workplaces

Refer-a-friend £1,000 bonus

Job summary

Witherslack Group is hiring a school cook to join our Coventry-based facilities. You’ll be at the heart of the school, preparing and serving tasty, nutritious meals to pupils, staff and visitors.

You’ll supervise a skilled team and plan menus that meet food hygiene regulations and nutritional standards. You’ll benefit from a supportive environment, full induction and access to our wellbeing and benefits package, with regular school holidays and opportunities to develop in a caring education

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification in Food Safety in Catering (or equivalent).
• Ability to plan menus and organise work.
• Experience budgeting for each meal and bulk ordering.

Responsibilities

• Supervise a skilled team and plan nutritious menus for pupils and staff.
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene regulations and nutritional standards.
• Build strong relationships with staff and young people.

Skills

Organised

Menu planning

Budgeting

Education

Level 3 Food Safety in Catering

Job description

Up to £25,583 + 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

We are proud to announce our plans to expand the Secret Garden school opening in the Autumn of 2026.

This will take the form of a purpose-built, state-of-the-art primary campus and will cater for up to 40 pupils with a wide range of needs, including autism and social, emotional, and mental health needs. This exciting new opportunity will continue to serve Coventry and the wider communities; and will further enhance the first-class service that the Secret Garden has always delivered.

Our aim is to ensure that every pupil will continue to receive an outstanding educational experience, with individual progress, care, and wellbeing at the centre of everything we do.

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.

For a full job description and person specification, please click here

To view our ex-offenders policy please click here.

To view our Child Protection Policy, please visit the 'Parents and Carers' section of this School/Learning centre. You can find all our Schools here.

Special Education / Careers in Care / Careers in Special Education / Working with Children / SEMH / SEN / ASD

#INDH