Primary chef and kitchen supervisor

The Grammar School at Leeds; Leeds; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading primary school in Leeds is seeking a passionate Primary Chef and Kitchen Supervisor. This full-time role involves planning, preparing meals, and leading a kitchen team to deliver high-quality nutrition to pupils. If you're excited about making a difference and have relevant culinary qualifications, apply to join a supportive and vibrant school community.

Benefits

Enhanced school holidays

Childcare for colleagues' children during INSET days

Personal pension plan with Aviva

Training and CPD opportunities

Discounted colleague lunches

Access to GP provider and well-being services

Onsite gym and swimming pool

Free car parking available

Generous leave of absence scheme

Opportunity for extracurricular involvement

Qualifications

• Experience in school catering or kitchen management required.
• Great leadership skills and the ability to work with children essential.
• Must maintain high standards of food safety and hygiene.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare, and present high-quality meals for pupils.
• Lead and manage a small team in the school kitchen.
• Ensure compliance with food safety standards and allergen safety.

Skills

Leadership

Catering management

Food hygiene

Education

NVQ Level 3 or City & Guilds 706/1/2

Level 3 Food Hygiene certificate

Job description

Location Alwoodley Gates, Leeds

Hours per week 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday 07:00 - 15:00, during term time, plus 5 INSET days.

This is a Permanent , Full time - term time vacancy.

The Vacancy

Contract: Permanent, term-time only plus five days (with some requirement to work ad-hoc days during holiday periods for events)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday 07:00 – 15:00, during term time, plus 5 INSET days.

Do you have a passion for fresh, nutritious food and love creating meals that bring a smile to young faces?

We’re seeking a passionate and experienced Primary Chef andKitchen Supervisor to lead the kitchen at our thriving Primary School.

Based in our Primary School, you’ll lead a small, committed team in preparing and serving high-quality meals to our youngest pupils, ensuring that each dish meetsour high standards. From daily service to themed events, you'll be at the heart of a vibrant, food-loving school community.

In this hands-on role, you’ll take responsibility for the planning, preparation, and presentation of meals, while ensuring excellent hygiene, allergen safety, and compliance with statutory food standards. You’ll manage kitchen rotas, stock control, and ordering, and will be key to maintaining a safe and welcoming dining environment for our pupils and colleagues alike.

The successful candidate will have relevant catering qualifications (such as NVQ Level 3 or City & Guilds 706/1/2), a Level 3 Food Hygiene certificate, and experience in a similar kitchen management or school catering role. Great leadership skills, a warm and approachable nature, and the ability to work well with both adults and children are essential.

This is a full-time, term-time role, with working hours from 7:00am to 3:00pm, Monday to Friday, plus 5 INSET days. You’ll also need to be flexible for occasional events outside of normal hours.

If you’re looking for a role where you can make a real difference every day and bring energy, care and creativity to the school dining experience we’d love to hear from you!

At GSAL, we are committed to promoting equity and diversity, safeguarding the welfare of children and young people, and providing a safe, supportive environment for learning and development. If you share these values and have a passion for great food we would love for you to apply.

GSAL was awarded North Independent School of the Year 2024 and Independent Secondary School of the Decade in 2021 and continues to be a friendly, fun and supportive environment with high investment in pupil and colleague wellbeing, while insisting upon and maintaining high expectations.

We value our GSAL community and offer a wide range of benefits including:

Enhanced school holidays (approximately 15 weeks taking into account the 5 paid plus days)

Childcare provided for colleagues’ children during school INSET days (from the age of 3 up to age 11)

Personal pension plan with Aviva up to 5% employee contribution and 10% employer (with the facility to pay higher or lower employee contributions)

Training and CPD available including five inset days per academic year

Colleague lunches: three courses for £2.40 available during school lunchtimes plus free tea, coffee and hot chocolate

Access to our GP provider, Health hero

Access to our Employee Assistance Programme well-being app, Vivup, offering telephone counselling, financial and legal advice plus 6-8 face-to-face counselling sessions

Colleague discounts through multiple providers, including Vivup, discounts for teachers and Extras

Beautiful lunch time walking routes around our 100-acre site

Onsite gym and swimming pool available for staff use within set times as well as staff classes such as Pilates, meditation, kettlebells, spinning and bootcamps

Salary sacrifice schemes for cycle to work

Free car parking available on site

Use of the school’s extensive library facility

Generous leave of absence scheme to support our employees when they need it

Opportunity to be involved in extracurricular activities such as the staff pantomime, well-being committee or volunteer for community events

How to apply

Please complete the online GSAL application form. For any enquiries about the role please contact [e-mail]

More information about the role and responsibilities are contained in the candidate information in the attached document in the ‘documents’ section on our website advert.

The closing date for applications is: 08:00, Tuesday 17 June 2025