18 days remaining to apply

  • Start date details

    As soon as possible

  • Closing date

    30 April 2025 at 12pm (midday)

  • Date listed

    1 April 2025

Job details

Job role

  • Catering, cleaning and site management

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Working pattern

Full time

Contract type

Permanent

Pay scale

S01

What skills and experience we're looking for

Head Chef

Inspire a School Food Revolution!

Scale S01, 35 hours per week (school term time only)

Required as soon as possible to join our vibrant and friendly school

Are you a talented, passionate, and experienced chef looking to make a real difference?

Do you believe that great food has the power to transform children’s health, education, and well-being?

If so, we want you to lead our school’s food culture revolution! Cook amazing meals the children will love and have the opportunity to engage with the school food curriculum.

Why Join Us?

At Lancasterian Primary School, we believe that school meals should be fresh, nutritious, and exciting—not just fuel for the day, but an integral part of education. We are looking for a Head Chef to lead our catering team and inspire a love of food and cooking across the school.

We are working in partnership with Chefs in Schools (https://chefsinschools.org.uk/) to enhance the catering team at Lancasterian Primary School. This has created an exciting opportunity for a Head Chef who will lead on developing, implementing and continuously improving the culinary vision for the school.

Lancasterian Primary is a two-form entry school in the heart of Tottenham, a busy, exciting and energetic part of London. We are proud of our diverse, welcoming and enthusiastic learning community. The leadership team has a clear vision to ensure that all children and adults at the school have the opportunity to thrive and excel. One of our current school improvement priorities for this year is to, ‘Revolutionise the school’s catering offer to provide healthy, substantial and enjoyable food for children’, and we’re looking for the right person to enable us to achieve this goal.

What You’ll Be Doing:

  • Building, leading and inspiring a team to cook fresh, seasonal meals from scratch.
  • Designing creative, nutritious menus that excite young eaters and meet school food standards and are in line with the Chefs in Schools school food mission.
  • Making food education part of daily school life.
  • Collaborating with our school gardener to use fresh, homegrown produce.
  • Driving sustainability initiatives, such as food recycling and reducing waste.
  • Organising taster days, food events, and theme days to engage families and promote school meals.

What We’re Looking For:

  • A qualified chef (NVQ in food preparation & cooking) with a passion for fresh, healthy food.
  • Experience leading a professional kitchen team.
  • A creative approach to menu planning with an understanding of dietary requirements and allergens.
  • Someone who loves working with children, teachers, and parents to make food exciting.
  • A strong understanding of food hygiene, budgeting, and stock control.

For successful candidates we offer:

  • An attractive site and kitchen facilities which have been well resourced and effectively maintained.
  • A supportive senior leadership team who understand that rapid school improvement and staff well-being must go hand in hand
  • Fantastic professional development and career enhancement opportunities
  • Excellent transport links

If this sounds like the job for you then please contact us to find out more!

Visits to the school are warmly welcomed and encouraged and can be arranged by contacting the school. Please visit our school website to download the application pack (https://www.lancasterianprimary.co.uk/key-information/staff-vacancies) and contact the office to arrange a visit or if you require further assistance, on 020 8808 8088.

Lancasterian Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts are subject to pre-employment checks, in addition, as part of the shortlisting process, we may conduct an online search as part of due diligence checks in the recruitment process. References will be sought and successful candidates will need to undertake an enhanced DBS check.

Closing Date & Time: 12pm on Wednesday 30th April 2025 Shortlisting: WB 5th May

Interviews: TBC in May

Shortlisted candidates will be notified by email by Friday 9th May

What the school offers its staff

For successful candidates we offer:

  • An attractive site and kitchen facilities which have been well resourced and effectively maintained.
  • A supportive senior leadership team who understand that rapid school improvement and staff well-being must go hand in hand
  • Fantastic professional development and career enhancement opportunities
  • Excellent transport links

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

Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to admin@lancs-pri.haringey.sch.uk

CVs are not accepted.

Visas cannot be sponsored.
Sign in to download application form
If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

About Lancasterian Primary School

School type
Local authority maintained school, ages 3 to 11
Education phase
Primary
School size
410 pupils enrolled
Age range
3 to 11
Ofsted report
View Ofsted report

Lancasterian Primary School

Arranging a visit to Lancasterian Primary School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email admin@lancs-pri.haringey.sch.uk.

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