Chef

Crestwood Community School, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 4FZ

12 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  3 September 2025

• Closing date

  10 July 2025 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  25 June 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Catering, cleaning and site management
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: 37 hours a week
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: Between £26,918 and £29,616
• Pay scale: Grade D
• Hourly rate: £13.95 - £15.35 per hour

What skills and experience we're looking for

Crestwood Community School is one school, with two campuses serving central Eastleigh. We are looking to appoint 2 enthusiastic chefs with experience within the catering industry who have a passion for food and quality customer service. They will play a lead role within each kitchen, working directly with the Catering Manager, Deputy Catering Managers, Catering Assistants and students on a regular basis, so being a team player is essential.

Duties will include food preparation, cooking and serving meals, as well as maintaining a clean and safe kitchen environment. You will be responsible for line managing a team of 4, including a deputy. The role is also term time only, with no weekends and only 1 or 2 evenings per year where you would be required to work.

What the school offers its staff

Employee benefits include membership of the LG Pension Scheme operated by Hampshire County Council. There are also a host of discounts available to HCC school staff.

As a school we take staff well being seriously. We offer staff the following:

• wellbeing weeks, with no commitments scheduled after school

• free lunch every day

• free tea and coffee

• half termly cooked breakfasts

• One well being day per year (during term-time), to be taken at the employees chosen time (after a qualifying period and subject to attendance)

• weekly thank you bulletin

• birthday cards

• heads discretionary leaves of absence for family events

• acts of random kindness

• access to mental health first aiders

Further details about the role

Main duties will include:-

• Check deliveries for quality and quantity and reconcile invoices;

• Ensure efficient stock control including stock rotation and maintenance of stock records;

• Ensure efficient control of budget;

• Devise and monitor guidelines on portion control and minimisation of waste;

• Maintain appropriate administrative recording;

• Ensure kitchen equipment is used, cleaned and monitored correctly;

• Ensure all food is served with the correct tools and is well presented.

• Plan alternative meals for special dietary requirements, liaising with Health Service representatives where necessary;

• Adjust menus and quantities when required in liaison with senior managers of the school;

• Monitor standards of food preparation, cooking, serving and cleaning and take appropriate remedial action as and when required;

• Develop good customer relationships and effective communication within the school;

• Respond effectively to customer requests and complaints;

• Promote the catering service in order to exceed targets;

• Initiate developments to improve the catering service;

• Work closely with school management to develop the catering service to support wider school requirements;

• Line manage a team of 4 including performance management - experience of running and leading a kitchen team is essential;

• To meet with pupils of the School Council to promote Healthy Eating awareness and wider `green issues’ such as recycling;

• Plan and provide work experience for Year 10 pupils for two weeks per annum;

• Prepare the required number of food products, following specified menus;

• Ensure portion control and nutritional standards are met;

• Prepare cooking ingredients;

• Cook food ensuring all meals are ready on time;

• Maintain food at the correct temperature;

• Produce a range of food to ensure different dietary requirements are met;

• Prepare food for ad-hoc functions during evenings, weekends or school holidays;

• Serve food following specified portion control guidelines and special dietary requirements;

• Positively encourage customers to try a variety of food and seek feedback from pupils and teachers on products and service;

• Operate cashless catering systems, following strict guidelines;

• Ensure set up guidelines are followed in relation to the washing up of all eating utensils and equipment, sterilising where required;

• Ensure cleaning duties are completed, following daily and weekly rotas, to ensure health and safety and hygiene standards are maintained.

Commitment to safeguarding

Crestwood Community School and Hampshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Applying for the job

Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to hr@crestwood.hants.sch.uk

CVs are not accepted.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

About Crestwood Community School

• School type: Local authority maintained school, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary
• School size: 1460 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Crestwood Community School website
• Email address: hr@crestwood.hants.sch.uk
• Phone number: 023 8064 1232
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/crestwood-community-school

Crestwood Community School is one school, with two campuses serving central Eastleigh. Crestwood Community School had an Ofsted inspection in June 2018, which confirmed that we are a ‘good’ school. We also achieved outstanding gradings in Personal Development and Behaviour and Leadership. They also said that as a school we are “passionately committed to providing a first-class inclusive education for all pupils; tenacious in their pursuit of additional resources and approaches to continually improve provision.” This is a happy school, where staff and students want to be. The #Crestwoodfamily pervades through everything we do.

Arranging a visit to Crestwood Community School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email hr@crestwood.hants.sch.uk.

School location

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more school jobs in Hampshire