Chef
Lakenham Primary School, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 2HL59 days remaining to apply
Start date details
ASAP
Closing date
1 February 2026 at 12am (midnight)
Date listed
1 December 2025
Job details
Job role
- Catering, cleaning and site management
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Part time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £19,856.23 - £21,539.33 actual pa
Chef job summary
Email: sbm@lakenhamprimary.org.uk
- Salary - Scale: Scale F, £19,856.23 - £21,539.33 actual pa (£28,598-£31,022 FTE)
- Permanent
- Part Time
- 30 hours per week
- Term Time plus 5 PD days
- Required ASAP
Are you looking for sociable hours? Do you fancy your weekends back, school holidays off, no more late nights or split shifts?
We are open to people from all catering industry backgrounds. In fact, we pride ourselves on having restaurant quality food in our primary school. We’re NOT in the business of making school food, we’re here to make good food, from scratch, which is healthy and nutritious. Would you like to join us on the journey of changing the attitudes around food for children? We are working with Chefs in Schools and would love someone to take on the reigns of using this philosophy within our school.
The children and staff currently are getting options such as venison ragu, DIY Sushi and pickled vegetables. We are looking for someone who is devoted to great service, making tasty food that is locally sourced and free range.
If you got excited reading this, then you’ve come to the right place! We need someone to be the chef, making sure that the preparation of the main meals, after school care dinners and any snacks needed in school is done on time and well. Working Pattern: 8am – 2pm Monday to Friday, term time + 5 PD days.
We need someone who can:
- Manage the catering for the school on a budget
- Maintain stock, both food items and kitchen equipment
- Ordering linked to seasonality and local producers and family companies where possible
- Develop the menu, which achieves excellent nutritional food options, catering for food allergies and intolerances
- Work in an environment that has high volume cooking, which is healthy
- Use what is grown in the school allotment (alongside what is purchased) to cook in the kitchen
- Counter service at meal times and ensuring stock levels of food are appropriate.
- Could you cater for school events and professional development days?
- Are you a good team worker and leader, able to multi-task but also inspire others to take on various activities in a busy school kitchen?
- Are you someone who can think outside the box and could potentially provide in school and home food options? Extended hours would be available to do this.
If you think you’ve got what it takes, we’d love to hear from you! Our current school chef is willing to work alongside the successful candidate for a handover if necessary.
Applicants should have previous proven experience of managing a high volume, quality commercial kitchen operation. This does not have to be in schools, but could be in hotels, restaurants, cafe or event catering.
A trade test will be required for this role.
ABOUT US
Lakenham Primary is a forward-thinking school, which has school staff who are outward looking, child centred and willing to try out new ideas. The school is a larger than average, two form entry Foundation school with up to 450 pupils on roll. It is situated in Norwich city, in an area of significant socio-economic contrasts, including a high level of mobility. We believe if we can get the children healthy and fed well, they are ready to learn and thrive. Do you think you could be part of this exciting journey?
WHAT NEXT?
If you are interested in this position and would like further information please discuss with Mrs Cassandra Williams, Headteacher, Mrs Nicki Everitt, School Business Manager and/or Chef Francis (Current Chef). Visits are welcome.
Interested applicants should complete an NCC application form (see attached). CV’s will not be considered!
Applications to be sent to school, interviews will take place when applications which match the requirements are met so a chef can start as soon as possible.
How to apply
To download an application form, click on the ‘Apply for Job’ button.
Completed forms should be returned to - sbm@lakenhamprimary.org.uk
PLEASE NOTE FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED, YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE THE SCHOOL APPLICATION FORM FOR SAFEGUARDING
REQUIREMENTS AND FAIR RECRUITMENT.
Closing date: Applications will be considered upon receipt, therefore early submission is recommended.
Interview date: TBA
Our school is strongly committed to the safeguarding of children and equality of opportunity. Any applicant must expect to comply fully with enhanced DBS checks. This post is likely to come under the requirements of the Childcare (Disqualification) 2009 Regulations and the successful applicant will be required to complete a declaration form to establish whether they are disqualified under these regulations.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and you will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced DBS check with barred list. If you have information to declare it may be protected under the Exceptions Orders and you may not be required to declare it. You will be asked to make a criminal conviction declaration if you are shortlisted for the post. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.
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 Lakenham Primary School
- School type
- Local authority maintained school, ages 3 to 11
- Education phase
- Primary
- School size
- 409 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Lakenham Primary School website
School location
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