Kitchen Assistant

Kedleston Group; Sefton; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 18,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational organization in Sefton is seeking a committed Kitchen Assistant to support meal prep and hygiene in a dynamic school kitchen. The ideal candidate will work within a dedicated team to provide nutritious meals for students. This role is perfect for those who are enthusiastic about contributing to the wellbeing of young people and have a reliable attitude. The position offers a competitive salary and a supportive work environment focused on collaboration and development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Comprehensive induction programme

Continued professional development

Pension contributions

Friendly team environment

£500 refer-a-friend bonus

OFSTED bonuses

Life insurance

Cycle to work scheme

Employee assistance and counselling service

Qualifications

• Enthusiastic and willing to contribute to a warm, professional kitchen team.
• Keen to develop skills and work collaboratively.
• Ambitious for young people and committed to supporting their wellbeing.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the preparation, cooking, and serving of meals.
• Maintain high standards of hygiene, safety, and cleanliness.
• Work as part of a team to ensure smooth kitchen operations.
• Follow food safety procedures at all times.
• Contribute to building positive working relationships.

Skills

Teamwork

Positive attitude

Reliability

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

Job description

At Kedleston Group, our vision is simple, every provision we operate will be recognised as ‘outstanding’ in every way.

We will never be the biggest, but we will lead, and others will follow.

Kitchen Assistant

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience (SCP 4-5) £17,618 - £17,901

Start Date: Nov/Dec 2025

Thank you for your interest in this role. This is an exciting time to be joining Olsen House School.

We are looking for a committed, enthusiastic and hard‑working colleague to join our catering team and contribute to the smooth, efficient running of our school kitchen. The department is well‑resourced, with excellent facilities to support high‑quality food preparation and service. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in supporting our school community and providing nutritious meals for our students.

The successful candidate will be:

• Ambitious for young people and committed to supporting their wellbeing
• Reliable, positive and able to work efficiently in a fast‑paced environment
• Keen to continually develop their skills, with a collaborative approach
• Enthusiastic and able to contribute to a warm, professional kitchen team

You will be required to:

• Assist in the preparation, cooking and serving of meals to students and staff
• Maintain high standards of food hygiene, safety and cleanliness
• Work as part of a team to ensure the kitchen runs smoothly and efficiently
• Follow school and statutory food safety procedures at all times
• Help with general kitchen duties, including cleaning, tidying and stock rotation
• Build positive working relationships with colleagues and support the ethos of the school

Further information can be found in the job description and person specification.

Closing date for applications: 12pm, Monday 1st December 2025 Hours: 30 hours per week (term time only)

Why work for us?

• a competitive salary
• a comprehensive induction programme so you can hit the ground running
• continued professional development and training
• Pension contributions
• a friendly, passionate team committed to getting the best outcomes for our young people

Benefits include:

• £500 refer‑a‑friend bonus
• OFSTED bonuses
• life insurance
• cycle to work scheme and laptop loans
• discounts on cinema trips, electronics, fashion, home and garden, travel, groceries, gifts, utilities, health and fitness
• birthday treats
• long service and employee of the month awards
• employee assistance and counselling service, wellbeing support and advice

Olsen House is a very special place indeed. We cater for some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in society. All our pupils have an Education Health and Care plan, which describes additional need in Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Many are on the autism spectrum and a considerable proportion have several comorbid additional needs. Many of our young people can present with behaviours of concern and it takes a very special person to support them. We serve children and families from the Merseyside area and beyond. Our success is based on establishing exceptionally powerful relationships, helping pupils to develop pro‑social skills that enable them to navigate society more successfully. We operate without sanctions, and we use reward to achieve a calm learning environment for all, modifying behaviour over the long term. Our emphasis is always to support pupils make choices that are positive for everyone.

Kedleston Group Limited is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its children and young people and we expect all staff to share this commitment. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. You will be expected to engage in annual safeguarding training, be familiar with key policies and ensure you know the steps to take should you be made aware of a safeguarding or child protection concern. You will remain vigilant and act swiftly if you have concerns about a child and be an appropriate role model for both children and colleagues at all times.

The successful candidate is required to provide references and will be expected to undertake an enhanced DBS check. We will ask you to complete a criminal self‑declaration form, and we will conduct online searches for information that is publicly available. We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming application from all sections of the community. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES:

We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a preferred supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you! Any unsolicited CV’s will be sent at the recruitment agency’s own risk and will be interpreted as ‘gifts’ and we have no liability to you for any fee or otherwise. We reserve the right to engage with candidates directly having not, in any way, entered into your terms and conditions for this vacancy. By submitting an unsolicited CV to us, or to any member of our staff, you accept these terms as the default position. If we require your assistance with any vacancy we will contact you.