Head Chef

John Donne Primary School, London, SE15 2SW

53 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  Autumn Term 2026

• Closing date

  7 September 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  16 July 2026

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: £36,423.00 - £38,637.00 Annually (FTE)

Head Chef job summary

What We're Looking For:

• A calm, positive and professional approach
• Passion for food and enthusiasm for delivering the high quality food to children

Your Role:

• Lead and manage the catering team ensuring high standards of preparation and presentation
• Oversee the day to day operations in the kitchen ensuring food safety compliance

Main Purpose of the Role:

To be responsible for various administration procedures and the supervision and training of kitchen staff. The Head Chef is responsible for inspiring and developing the kitchen team while delivering an exceptional mealtime experience through effective organisation, creativity, and strong leadership.

Health and Safety:

• Be mindful of your responsibility for your own health, safety, and welfare, as well as that of others who may be affected by your actions or inactions.
• Collaborate with the employer on all matters related to health, safety, and welfare.

Duties and responsibilities of the role:

• Be responsible, in consultation with the SBM, for budgeting, planning and provision of various menus, stock control and food buying.
• Developing and planning menus with consideration to cost and by adherence to the food policy.
• Buying food and other goods-placing order through the SBM, checking goods in and controlling stock issues
• Preparation and cooking of meals-includes the provision of special diet meals Providing varied packed lunches for school trips, sports days etc.
• Providing refreshments for Governors’ meetings on site by request Testing/development of new food products/systems Supervision of staff on a daily basis (including allocation of duties and work rotas)
• Maintaining required standards of cleanliness-for both premises and equipment
• Testing/development of new cleaning products and systems
• Maintaining high standards of hygiene
• Training of all new staff

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

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.

Commitment to safeguarding

John Donne Primary School, part of NEST, is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required
to undergo an enhanced DBS clearance.

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.

About John Donne Primary School

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• Size: 405 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: John Donne Primary School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/john-donne-primary-school

‘John Donne Primary is an outstanding school which enables pupils from diverse backgrounds to make rapid progress in acquiring basic skills and knowledge, while at the same time equipping them with an impressive range of personal qualities. (Ofsted October 2011)’

Our school is based in Southwark, South East London. We are in multicultural area where we have a highly pastoral & caring ethos, working with children and families and serving a diverse community.

School location

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