Chef Manager
Parkwood Hall Co-Operative Academy, Swanley, Kent, BR8 8DR15 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2026
Closing date
14 August 2026 at 9am
Date listed
30 July 2026
Job details
Job role
- Catering, cleaning and site management
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time: • Monday to Friday operation • Typical hours of 6:30am to 2:30pm although some flexibility will be required for school events etc. • 39week contract
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- • £31,761 to £36,023 actual pay – this figure is already pro-rated and reflects the term-time nature of the post
What skills and experience we're looking for
Essential
- To hold and keep current L3 Food Hygiene certification.
- A good standard of oral English.
Numerate, with solid IT skills (online ordering, compliance software etc).
- Proven ability to communicate effectively with staff from a range of backgrounds and professions, both as customers and suppliers.
- At least two years’ experience as Chef Manager or Head Chef experience, preferably in an educational environment.
- Fresh food background.
- Reliable, consistent and committed to long-term roles.
- Numerate and computer literate with an understanding of financial drivers.
- A clear understanding of purchasing policy, budgeting and food costing.
- A comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of legislation relevant to a catering operation – allergens, Benedict’s Law etc.
- Experience of innovation and design of services whether sold or not, and implementation, monitoring and improvement of the same.
- Experience of designing services, costing products, managing budgets and delivering high levels of customer satisfaction.
- Sophisticated customer service and leadership skills suitable for dealing with a wide range of customers and colleagues respectively.
What the school offers its staff
We Offer
- Excellent work-life balance
- Generous local government pension scheme with 15% Employer contribution
- Training and development opportunities
- Long-term career stability
- Freedom to introduce new ideas
- Close-knit catering team comprising 2 x Assistant Cook, 2 x Kitchen Assistant, 1 x Kitchen Porter
- Fresh food operation
- Genuine opportunity to grow and develop the food offer
-
Further information about the job
The Food
- Fresh food cooked daily
- Seasonal menus
- Freedom to introduce new ideas
- A varied menu that changes throughout the week
- Hearty, nutritious dishes supporting students
- Opportunity to influence and develop the food culture
- The Role
- Lead the entire catering operation
- Manage the kitchen team and daily service
- Plan menus and food offers
- Develop the retail and hospitality provision with Gatehouse
- Build strong relationships with the school community.
- Responsible dealing with suppliers.
- The ability to adapt dishes to suit a student’s needs.
- Remain hands-on with the food every day.
- Reporting to the Commercial Operations Manager.
- Responsible for all aspects of food safety, HS and COSHH
- The Chef Manager will also be required to implement and maintain food monitoring procedures to facilitate budgetary control and to monitor all costs involved in the kitchen against agreed budgets
- Responsible for kitchen standards and maintaining a 5 with food hygiene
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 job requires you to download an application form, you will be able to upload the application once complete.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
About Parkwood Hall Co-Operative Academy
- Organisation type
- Academy, ages 8 to 19
- Size
- 136 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 8 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- zoe.moore@parkwoodhall.co.uk
Parkwood Hall is day school for pupils aged 8-19 years with moderate to severe learning difficulties, and other diverse and complex needs. The pupils here are an inspiration to us all.
It’s an exciting time at Parkwood Hall and you would be joining at a transformational time for the academy. Under a new leadership team, Parkwood Hall has undergone radical changes to its behaviour ethos, and curriculum design and implementation.
Parkwood Hall aims to provide an inclusive learning environment which challenges pupils to achieve success and to thrive. Our co-operative values are important to us, especially honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. They underpin the way we do things here at Parkwood Hall. We are committed to providing a learning environment and learning pathway that enables all our pupils to achieve the best they can be and help prepare them for adult life so they can live as independent a life as possible.
We have a highly skilled team of professionals including teachers and teaching assistants, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, Positive Support Behaviour practitioners, school nurses and residential staff.
Arranging a visit to Parkwood Hall Co-Operative Academy
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email zoe.moore@parkwoodhall.co.uk.
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