Head Chef
St George's School, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4TD2 days remaining to apply
Start date details
September 2026 or sooner - Subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks
Closing date
11 June 2026 at 8am
Date listed
20 May 2026
Job details
Job role
- Catering, cleaning and site management
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £37,095.00 - £39,531.00 Annually (Actual) H9 Grade
Head Chef job summary
We are seeking an experienced and dedicated Head Chef to join our Catering team. This is a permanent, full-time position of 37 hours per week, across 42 weeks of the year (term time plus four weeks). The post holder is expected to work a rotating shift pattern, involving weekday morning and afternoon shifts, and weekend shifts.
Reporting to the Catering Manager, you will be overseeing the preparation and delivery of fresh, home-cooked meals for approximately 1,500 pupils and staff, as well as a boarding community of around 120 boarders.
The successful candidate should:
Have relevant training and certificates in catering
Have experience of high volume catering to a high standard
Have line management experience of at least a team of 10 staff
Demonstrate good communication skills with a wide range of stakeholders
Be proactive with strong problem-solving skills
Contract: Full-time, Permanent contract
Grade: H9 (Full-time equivalent salary: £39,152 to £41,771 per year, plus outer fringe allowance of £729 per annum)
Actual Salary: £37,095 to £39,531 per annum (inclusive of outer fringe) based on a Term time plus 4 weeks (42 weeks) contract, with opportunity to work additional hours
Hours:
37 hours per week with a rotating shift pattern
Working across 42 weeks of the year, with opportunity to work additional hours
Weekday shifts: include morning shift (6:30am - 3:00pm) and afternoon shift (11:00am - 7.30pm)
Weekend shift: 10:00am - 7:00pm
Expectation to work one week in three of evenings and one weekend in three, depending on business needs
Start Date: September 2026 (or sooner) - subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks
For further details, please refer to:
Application Pack & Job Description
Working at St George’s School
Selection Process
The selection process will consist of two stages. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a face-to-face interview at St George's School. Candidates who are successful at interview stage will then be invited to complete a practical assessment within the catering environment to further demonstrate your skills, knowledge and suitability for the role.
We can offer:
- Additional training and support
- Ongoing professional development
- Free Lunch on working days
- Free parking on school site
- Generous Pension Scheme
- Use of the school’s fitness suite/Gym
- Staff Wellbeing Programme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Exclusive discounts, cashback and vouchers
- As a permanent member of staff you benefit from the application being favourably ranked if you apply for a day admission place for your child at St George’s school, subject to meeting the requirements of our published Admissions Criteria and Policy
Applications will be shortlisted throughout the process and we may interview and close the advert early if we are in a position to recruit a suitable candidate. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply early.
Your Application
Personal Statement
You will need to include a personal statement in your application, detailing how you meet the specific requirements of this position and why you specifically want to work at St George’s School.
Please provide specific examples to illustrate your knowledge, skills, and experience. When writing your responses ensure to evidence additional aspects such as training, qualifications, together with your background and experience within the personal statement.
Gaps in Employment History
In order to comply with safer recruitment guidelines, we are required to view your full employment history and all gaps in employment must be explained. If there are any gaps within your employment history, please explain the reason(s) on your application.
References
Two references from previous employments will be sought, one of which must be from your current or most recent employer. The two references should be from two different employments / organisations. Please provide details of two people to whom reference may be made, including full name, job title, organisation name, capacity known, work address, professional work email address (not personal email) and contact number.
The first referee should normally be your current or most recent employer. If you are currently working in education, a reference from the Headteacher / equivalent person in Senior Leadership Team is required. If you are not currently working with children, please provide a referee from your most recent employment involving children, if applicable.
References from relatives or from people writing solely in the capacity of friends will not be accepted.
Please make sure your referees are aware of your application and that they are able to provide a swift turn round. References will be obtained prior to interview where applicable.
Safeguarding
At St George’s, we are committed to safeguarding to ensure that all of our students are safe and are well cared for. Safeguarding includes our commitment to safe recruitment of staff, security around the building, child protection, anti-bullying, online safety, equality, PREVENT Duty and many other areas. We make sure all policies under the safeguarding umbrella are reviewed regularly. The school’s child protection procedures are in accordance with the Hertfordshire Child Protection Policy and can be found in the School Website: ‘Statutory Information’ section.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and visitors to share this commitment.
This post is classed as having a high degree of contact with children or vulnerable adults and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. A Full Enhanced, with List Checks Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check will be required, as part of the school’s pre-employment checks.
Online Searches
We are required to conduct online searches about all candidates as part of the selection and appointment process, in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, in order to identify any incidents or concerns which are publicly available online. By submitting and signing your application, you acknowledge that such searches will be conducted as part of the selection and appointment process.
Right to work in UK
We will require you to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. By submitting and signing your application, you acknowledge that such evidence will need to be provided should an offer of employment be made.
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 St George's School
- School type
- Academies, Christian, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 1362 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- St George's School website
DO YOU WANT TO WORK WHERE YOU FEEL YOU BELONG?
TEN GREAT REASONS TO JOIN THE ST GEORGE'S TEAM
1. Be part of a vibrant, inspiring and supportive team
2. Everyone’s contributions are valued and encouraged
3. A place where your work will ‘make a difference’ and be appreciated by pupils
4. Learning is what we do; with passion
5. Unique opportunity to work in one of the leading state boarding schools in the country
6. Students champion and promote our community’s high standards and aspirations
7. Excellent behaviour is the norm, not the exception
8. Career development is encouraged and supported through great training
9. A sense of belonging; part of a community and the St George’s ‘Family’
10. Where the worst thing about work is going home at night
Working at St George’s also comes with a number of free additional fringe benefits*: childcare voucher scheme; Employee Assistance Programme; on-site parking; access to excellent sports and fitness facilities and provision of lunch. On-site accommodation for specific posts may also available at reduced rates.
* Staff terms and conditions are liable to review and change from time to time
In 2014 OFSTED wrote that "This school has got the magic formula", and we have to say we agree!
St George’s is a unique place to work. It is the perfect blend of high quality, innovative teaching and a community which cares. It has a highly supportive pastoral system as well as a residential state boarding community, all of which is firmly cemented in our Christian principles and strong commitment to our values of mutual respect, endeavour and sense of community. We hold on to our tradition and embrace the future with equal relish.
St George’s is consistently in the top percentile of schools nationally for academic performance and rated outstanding by Ofsted. However we are not driven by such external measures but by our passion to provide the best learning and life experience we can for the pupils entrusted to our care.
We hope that you will share our enthusiasm and drive to continue to make St George’s an exciting place to work and learn.
Join us for a career at a school that certainly wants us to "Aim Higher".
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in Hertfordshire