School Chef / Cook

Bricklehurst Manor School; Stonegate; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A contemporary educational institution in the UK is seeking a School Cook to manage a talented kitchen team and create nutritious meals for students and staff. This role offers the opportunity to influence the school community significantly, promoting health and wellbeing. The ideal candidate should have a passion for high-quality food, experience leading kitchen staff, and a commitment to safety and hygiene. This unique position includes a comprehensive benefits package, emphasizing personal wellbeing and professional growth.

Benefits

Life Assurance

Pension scheme

Mental health support services

Discount options

Cycle to Work Schemes

Electric Car Purchase Scheme

Family Growth Support

Qualifications

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a busy kitchen environment.
• Inspiring leadership skills to maintain a motivated kitchen team.
• Experience in food hygiene and safety protocols.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare, and serve nutritious meals for pupils and staff.
• Lead and supervise kitchen staff while ensuring food quality.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety.

Skills

Passionate about creating high-quality meals

Strong leadership

Organisational skills

Flexible and responsive

Commitment to health & safety

Education

GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent)

Job description

menus, but also a positive, nourishing environment for staff and pupils?

At Bricklehurst Manor School, you will be at the heart of our community, managing and inspiring a talented kitchen team while delivering exceptional meals tailored to the diverse dietary needs of our school. This is your chance to make a real difference every day — fueling learning, wellbeing, and a vibrant school culture.

About the Role

As our School Cook, you’ll play a key role in creating delicious, nutritious meals that fuel our pupils and staff every day. Working at the heart of the school, you’ll bring warmth, creativity, and professionalism to our kitchen—ensuring everyone is well‑fed, cared for, and ready to learn.

You’ll take ownership of the daily running of the kitchen, from planning menus to supervising staff, all while ensuring the highest standards of food quality, safety, and hygiene. Your meals will make a real difference, especially for pupils with additional needs who rely on consistent, balanced, and thoughtful catering.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Plan, prepare, and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals for pupils and staff.
• Lead and supervise all kitchen staff, fostering teamwork, development, and professionalism.
• Ensure kitchens are clean, safe, and fully compliant with food hygiene, COSHH, and Health & Safety standards.
• Monitor stock levels, control costs, and minimise waste while maintaining high standards.
• Cater for special dietary requirements and respond flexibly to urgent or last‑minute requests.
• Order supplies, manage deliveries, and liaise with suppliers to ensure accuracy and quality.
• Conduct staff supervisions, appraisals, and support training and ongoing development.
• Uphold the values, ethos, and reputation of Bricklehurst Manor School within the wider community.
• Contribute to a culture of safeguarding, respect, and wellbeing for all pupils and staff.

Who We’re Looking For

We want a Chef / Cook who is :

• Passionate about creating high-quality meals and leading a motivated kitchen team.
• Organised, proactive, and able to manage multiple priorities in a busy environment.
• A strong leader who can inspire staff, delegate effectively, and maintain high standards.
• Flexible and responsive, able to adapt to changing needs of pupils and the school.
• Committed to Health & Safety, food hygiene, and maintaining a professional kitchen environment.
• GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent) are essential.

At Bricklehurst Manor, you’ll be part of a close‑knit, forward‑thinking team that values creativity, wellbeing, and collaboration. This isn’t just a School Cook job — it’s a chance to help build something extraordinary from the ground up.

About the School

Bricklehurst Manor School is a brand‑new, co‑educational SEMH school located in Wadhurst, East Sussex, for pupils aged 11–16. The school will cater for up to 60 pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and associated additional needs.

This is a unique opportunity to join the school at its inception, helping to shape the culture, ethos, and learning environment. With small class sizes and a strong focus on personalised support, Bricklehurst Manor School provides a nurturing, inclusive setting where every pupil can build confidence, resilience, and achieve their full potential.

We are part of Acorn Education and can offer plenty of challenges along with a wide range of opportunities to develop your career. Acorn Education is the UK’s leading provider of specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in creating and delivering innovative approaches that achieve measurable outcomes for those in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2025, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Why join Acorn Education?

We place the outcomes of the pupils and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.

We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including :

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first‑class mental health support services and physical health checks

And a market‑leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including :

• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support – inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.
• You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy. 4DWW is subject to successful completion of probation and is not a contractual benefit.

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

Outcomes First Group 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, Outcomes First Group 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.