Assistant Cook (Maternity Cover)
Unity Primary Academy, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3QJ7 days remaining to apply
Start date details
September 2026
Closing date
3 July 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
26 June 2026
Job details
Job role
- Catering, cleaning and site management
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Part time
Contract type
- Fixed term
Full-time equivalent salary
- £25,185.00 - £25,989.00 Annually (FTE) NJC SCP 4-6. Fixed term maternity cover for 9 months with the possibility to be extended to 12 months
Assistant Cook (Maternity Cover) job summary
We are seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Assistant Cook to join our friendly catering team at Unity Primary Academy to cover maternity leave. The successful candidate will support the Catering Manager and team in preparing healthy, nutritious, and appetising meals for our children and staff each day.
You will help ensure that all meals are produced to a high standard, maintaining excellent levels of food hygiene and kitchen safety.
Key duties and responsibilities:
- To provide assistance with preparation, cooking and service of food to the required standard.
- To follow menu plans agreed with the Catering Manager for lunch service on the section you are responsible for
- To deputise for the Catering Manager as required.
- To take responsibility for the supervision of other kitchen staff during lunch service.
- To follow the menu and recipes agreed
- To occasionally assist with special functions which may be outside of normal working hours.
- To carry out cleaning duties within the kitchen and dining areas as required.
- To follow sound hygiene practices.
- To ensure that health and safety regulations are adhered to in working practices.
- To assist with the issue and recording of catering supplies as required.
- To assist with the operation of control procedures as required.
- To report immediately any accidents, fire, theft, loss, damage, or unfit food or other irregularities and take such action as may be appropriate or possible.
In return we can offer:
- A commitment to you and your professional development
- Friendly, supportive, enthusiastic and hardworking colleagues, staff and Governors
- A growing learning community
- Encouragement to develop new ideas and the opportunity to make a real difference
Why Work with REAch2 Academy Trust?
Join REAch2 Academy Trust, one of the UK's largest primary academy trusts, with a mission to unlock the potential of every child, regardless of their background. Here’s why joining our team can be an exciting and fulfilling career choice:
- Excellence & Development: We prioritise high standards and offer extensive professional development and career growth opportunities.
- Supportive & Collaborative: Be part of a strong, collaborative community of over 60 schools where every voice is valued, and best practices are shared.
- Well-being Focus: We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer robust well-being support for all staff.
- Diversity & Inclusion: We celebrate diversity and believe that varied perspectives strengthen our schools.
- Innovation & Impact: Bring creativity to the classroom and make a real difference in children’s lives.
- Making a difference: Working with REAch2 means contributing to something bigger than yourself. You’ll be helping to shape the lives of young learners, making a meaningful impact on communities and future generations.
Join us to grow your career, collaborate with passionate educators, and make a lasting impact on future generations.
Benefits
- We offer a range of benefits to support your career and well-being:
- Generous Annual Leave: healthy work-life balance.
- Professional Development: Access diverse CPD and training opportunities to grow your skills.
- Flexible & Family-Friendly: We are committed to supporting flexible working and requests will be considered on an individual basis, including options such as part time, term-time, home working, and other options that work for both the employee and the Trust.
- Exclusive Discounts: Benefit from Blue Light Card offers and employee perks.
- Well-being Support: Receive comprehensive well-being and employee assistance for you and your family.
Join REAch2 for a rewarding career with great benefits!
Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment and Data Protection At REAch2 we recognise that those who work in an academy are in a unique position in their care of children. The responsibility for all staff to safeguard pupils and promote their welfare, as stated in Section 175 of the Education Act (2002) is one that is central to our ethos, our policies and our actions. All children are deserving of the highest levels of care and safeguarding, regardless of their individual characteristics or circumstances, and we are committed to applying our policies to ensure effective levels of safeguarding and care are afforded to all our pupils.
We will seek to recruit the best applicant for the job based on the abilities, qualifications, experience as measured against the job description and person specification. The recruitment and selection of staff will be conducted in a professional, timely and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be requested for all successful candidates, including a Children's Barred List check if the role meets the criteria for regulated activity.
For more information about our safer recruitment processes, please click here for our Safer Recruitment Policy.
All information is stored securely, and any information supplied by unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed through a confidential waste system six months after the decision has been communicated, in accordance with our information and records retention policy.
The Trust ensures all applicant data is stored and processed appropriately. For further details on how your information will be managed during the recruitment process please refer to our Privacy Notice for Job Applications.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About Unity Primary Academy
- School type
- Academy, ages 3 to 11
- Education phase
- Primary school
- School size
- 449 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Unity Primary Academy website
Unity Primary Academy is situated within the Greenstead Estate of Colchester with close links to the University of Essex, Colchester Borough Council as well as Essex County Council as well as our cluster REAch2 schools. We are proud of our achievements to date, and we are continually seeking to invest in the futures of our pupils, families and staff. We are embarking on a journey of excellence and have the highest aspirations and expectations in all to help create opportunities to become life long learners for our students.
At Unity we believe in giving every child, every chance, every day and approach this by ensuring we keep the REAch2 Touchstones at the heart of our child centred work. The school is well resourced and has extensive grounds that allow us to provide varied learning experiences to engage and motivate our children and the school has recently been awarded a Learning Outside the Classroom Silver Award and we engage with organisations such as the Countryside Trust to bring learning to life. We are also investing in our outdoor provision and are creating additional opportunities to learn life skills and thrive where ever possible.
We are a caring employer who invests in the future of our employees, as only through their excellence can we deliver excellence for the children and families whom we serve. To see more information about the school, please visit our website Unity Primary academy or the REAch2 Website.
As a member of the REAch2 Trust, a national family of primary academies, Unity Primary Academy is committed to raising standards and achieving excellent for all pupils whatever their background or circumstance. The Trust provides a strong culture of collaboration and support, together with high expectations for staff and pupils alike. Unity Primary Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people / vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This position is subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory written references.
School location
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