Kitchen Assistant - Maternity Cover

Outcomes First Group; Halesworth; On-site; GBP 8,300 - 10,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Assurance

Pension scheme

Wellbeing support

Vista benefits platform

Health discounts

Cycle to Work Scheme

Electric Car Purchase Scheme

Critical illness cover

Family Growth Support

Job summary

Outcomes First Group is seeking a part‑time Kitchen Assistant at Bramfield House School in Suffolk to support our catering team on a maternity cover contract until 30 June 2027. The role is 15 hours across three days per week during term time, with duties including meal preparation, hygiene, and service.

You will work closely with the School Cook to deliver nutritious meals, maintain high kitchen standards and safety, and support a positive dining experience for students, staff and visitors.

Qualifications

• Experience in a school/educational catering environment preferred.
• Ability to prepare fresh, home‑cooked meals to a high standard.
• Maintain excellent kitchen cleanliness and safe food handling.
• Knowledge of food hygiene, COSHH and safe working practices.
• Willingness to obtain or hold Level 2 Food Hygiene certification.

Responsibilities

• Assist the School Cook with preparing and serving meals across a three‑day pattern.
• Meet dietary, allergy, medical and cultural requirements in menu planning.
• Maintain portion control, presentation and safe food handling.
• Support deliveries, stock checks and kitchen organisation during busy periods.
• Carry out daily cleaning and hygiene checks; follow HACCP and safety rules.
• Contribute ideas for menus and events; work with the team to keep a welcoming kitchen.
• Ensure a tidy, safe and compliant catering environment for students and staff.

Skills

Catering/kitchen experience

Fresh food prep

Kitchen hygiene

Food safety COSHH

Level 2 Food Hygiene

Organisational skills

Attention to detail

Flexible & reliable

Communication & safeguarding

Willingness to train/extra hours

Education

A Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate

Job description

At OFG we believe increating a better work life balance

Job Title: Kitchen Assistant
Location: Bramfield House School, Suffolk, IP19 9AB
Salary: £9.262.31 per annum (not pro rata)
Hours: 15 hours per week, 3 days a week
Contract: Fixed Term | Term Time Only
Start: November 2026
UK applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship

About the Role

Love Working with Food? Enjoy a Three-Day Week and Make a Difference in a School Kitchen. At Bramfield School, we're looking for an experienced, reliable and enthusiastic Kitchen Assistant to join our catering team on a maternity cover contract until 30 June 2027.

Working 15 hours across three days per week during term time, this is a great opportunity for someone with catering or commercial kitchen experience who wants to continue doing what they enjoy while benefiting from regular, part-time hours.

Working closely with our School Cook, you'll help prepare and serve nutritious, home-cooked meals, maintain excellent standards of food hygiene and cleanliness, and contribute to a positive dining experience for our students, staff and visitors.

You'll be joining a school that supports students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, where your contribution to the daily running of the kitchen will help create a welcoming, safe and supportive environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist the School Cook with preparing and servingfresh, nutritious and balanced meals, including vegetables, salads, sandwiches and desserts
• Support the preparation of meals that meet individualdietary, allergy, medical and cultural requirements
• Maintain high standards of food presentation, portion control and safe food handling
• Help keep the kitchen running efficiently during busy service periods, including checking deliveries, storing food correctly and monitoring stock levels
• Carry out daily kitchen cleaning duties, including washing equipment, crockery and utensils, cleaning preparation areas and completing cleaning schedules
• Followfood hygiene, HACCP, COSHH and health and safety procedures, including temperature checks and accurate record keeping
• Assist with food preparation for school events, meetings and visitors, contributing ideas for menu improvements where appropriate
• Work collaboratively with the School Cook and wider team to maintain a clean, organised and welcoming catering environment

About You

We're looking for someone who takes pride in preparing good food, maintaining high standards and being part of a dependable team.

You'll bring:

• Experience working within a catering or commercial kitchen environment
• Experience preparingfresh, home-cooked food
• Experience maintaining excellent standards of kitchen cleanliness, hygiene and safe food handling
• Good knowledge offood hygiene, COSHH and safe working practices
• A Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate or willingness to obtain one
• Strong organisation and time management skills, with the ability to work efficiently in a busy kitchen
• Good attention to detail and the ability to remain calm under pressure
• A flexible, reliable and professional approach, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Good communication skills and a commitment to safeguarding and promoting student wellbeing
• Willingness to complete mandatory training and work additional hours where reasonably required

Experience within a school or educational setting, a relevant catering qualification, First Aid qualification or driving licence would be an advantage.

About us

Bramfield House School is an independent special educational needs school for boys aged 7 – 16 years who have social, emotional, mental health, communication difficulties and associated challenging behaviours, located in rural Suffolk. The School has a committed and innovative multidisciplinary team, extensive site and excellent facilities to support both learning and extra-curricular activities; we are in a great position to provide our students with the best education possible.

This opportunity is in Halesworth which is within commutable distance of Lowestoft, Diss and surrounding areas.

At Outcomes First Schools, we provide specialist education for learners who need a deeper level of understanding, expertise and support than mainstream education can typically offer. We support students with a wide range of complex, co-occurring and neurodivergent needs, including autism, ADHD, SEMH, speech and communication needs, dyslexia and experiences of trauma or adversity.

We are proud to be a part of OFG Education who in 2025 were officially certified as a 'Great Place to Work' for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place students and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference.We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
• Your Wellbeing Matters - mental health support and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
• Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
• Hundreds of UK and international discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

OFG Education is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, OFG Education does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales

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