School Catering Manager — Term‑Time + 1 Week

Shorefields; Rayleigh; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Grove Wood Primary School in Rayleigh is seeking an experienced Catering Manager to lead a kitchen team of 6, serving around 450 meals daily. This part-time, term-time-plus-one-week role is contracted at LGPS Scale 6 with a salary of £22,979 to £24,532 and 32.5 hours per week (7:30am–2:30pm).

You will manage food ordering, safety records, stock takes and budget controls, while ensuring clean, compliant operations and high-quality, nutritious meals for children.

Qualifications

• Previous catering experience, ideally within a school environment / large scale catering.
• Effective communication skills, ability to work at a fast pace and remain calm under pressure.
• Confidence leading and motivating a team in a fast-paced kitchen.
• A positive down to earth approach and strong team‑working skills.
• Passionate about creating healthy, balanced meals that our children enjoy.
• A current level 3 Food Hygiene and Allergen certificate, or willing to undertake.

Responsibilities

• Food ordering and stock management (monthly stock takes).
• Complete food safety records and paperwork on time.
• Budget control and cost monitoring.
• Maintain cleanliness and hygiene of the kitchen.
• Prepare, cook and serve freshly made meals for ~450 daily.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication

Calm under pressure

Teamwork

Healthy meals

Education

Food Hygiene Level 3

Allergen certificate

Job description

Grove Wood Primary School in Rayleigh is seeking an experienced Catering Manager to lead a kitchen team of 6, serving around 450 meals daily. This part-time, term-time-plus-one-week role is contracted at LGPS Scale 6 with a salary of £22,979 to £24,532 and 32.5 hours per week (7:30am–2:30pm).

You will manage food ordering, safety records, stock takes and budget controls, while ensuring clean, compliant operations and high-quality, nutritious meals for children.