Kitchen Porter

Ark; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 8,000 - 9,000; Full time

Job summary

Ark Charter Academy is seeking a Kitchen Porter to join their catering team in Southsea, Portsmouth. This role involves maintaining high cleanliness standards, supporting meal preparation, and ensuring a safe kitchen environment. Ideal for those passionate about contributing to a vibrant school community, this position offers a supportive team atmosphere and development opportunities.

Benefits

Salaries 2.5% higher than main pay scale

10 inset days for staff wellbeing

Development opportunities for future leaders

Generous pension scheme

Up to £3,000 relocation costs

Access to Ark rewards

Interest-free loans available

Gym discounts

Access to Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Reliable, hardworking, and a strong work ethic.
• Ability to work in a busy kitchen environment.
• Willingness to learn and participate in training.

Responsibilities

• Clean kitchen equipment and surfaces, assist with food prep.
• Support meal service during busy periods.
• Maintain hygiene and safety standards.

Skills

Reliability

Teamwork

Attention to cleanliness

Education

Basic understanding of food safety

Job description

About The Role

Ark Charter Academy

Kitchen Porter

Location: Southsea, Portsmouth

Salary: Band 3 (FTE £23,723 – £24,790, Pro Rata £8,502.40 - £8,884.81)

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: 15 hours per week, Term Time Only

Start date: 1^st September 2025

Interview date: As soon as suitable candidates apply

Are you a hardworking, reliable, and ready to play a vital role behind-the-scenes in supporting a thriving school community?

We are looking for a Kitchen Porter to join our catering team. You will help ensure the smooth and safe running of our school kitchen by maintaining high standards of cleanliness, supporting food preparation, and assisting with meal service.

About the role:

As a Kitchen Porter, you will play an essential role in the daily operation of our school kitchen. Working closely with the Catering Manager and wider catering team, your work will help ensure that pupils and staff receive nutritious meals in a clean, safe, and welcoming environment.

Your day-to-day tasks will involve cleaning kitchen equipment and surfaces, helping with food prep, supporting meal service during busy periods, and ensuring hygiene and safety standards are consistently met. You will also assist with receiving deliveries and managing kitchen waste responsibly.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys working as part of a team, takes pride in maintaining high standards, and wants to contribute to a positive school environment where every student can flourish.

Our ideal candidate will be:

• Reliable and hardworking, with a strong work ethic and a positive attitude.
• Organised and efficient, able to work quickly and carefully in a busy kitchen environment.
• A team player, happy to support colleagues and follow instructions from the Catering Manager.
• Committed to high standards of cleanliness and hygiene, with a basic understanding of food safety (training can be provided).
• Friendly and professional, with the ability to interact respectfully with staff, pupils and visitors.
• Willing to learn, open to training and development opportunities within the role.
• Flexible and proactive, ready to adapt the daily needs of the kitchen and school environment.
• Aligned with the school values, including a commitment to safeguarding and supporting the wellbeing of all pupils.

Benefits

• Salaries 2.5% higher than main pay scale.
• 10 inset days (of which at least one is dedicated to staff wellbeing)
• A behaviour policy that ensures disruption-free learning
• Development opportunities for future leaders
• Generous pension scheme.
• Up to £3,000 relocation costs to move to the south coast (dependent on the role)
• Access to Ark rewards – a scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers
• Interest-free loans – up to £5,000 available for season ticket or to buy a bicycle.
• Gym discounts – offering up to 40%.
• Access to Employee Assistance Programme – providing free, confidential counselling, legal advice and a range of different support.

Find out more about the benefits of working for Ark atarkonline.org/careers/why-work-with-us/.

About Us

Ark Charter Academy is a happy and vibrant school located in the heart of Portsmouth. We believe that every young person should feel a sense of belonging to our school community and enjoy their learning.

We inspire and support our students so they can become the very best they can in every single way. With love and care, we develop motivation both inside and outside the classroom, encouraging an appetite for learning in a safe and stimulating Christian environment. We want our students to become the leaders and game-changers of the future.To achieve this we offer an academic curriculum that strives to expose all pupils to the richness of education, allowing them to experience a diversity of subjects during their time with us.

Our teachers and support staff work hard every day to inspire each and every student to develop skills which will help them to achieve their full potential. We pride ourselves in recognising hard work and rewarding it accordingly, providing opportunities for professional and personal growth in school and across the wider Ark network.

Visit charteracademy.org.uk/jobs to learn more about us and see our current vacancies.

Diversity and inclusion:

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on thislink.

Safeguarding statement:

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click thislink.

Please note we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this role may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. We strongly encourage to submit your application at your earliest convenience.