Head of Catering

Heart Academies Trust, Bedford, MK42 9TR

16 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 December 2025

• Closing date

  15 October 2025 at 1pm

• Date listed

  29 September 2025

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: £47,181.00 - £50,269.00 Annually (Actual)

Head of Catering job summary

About HEART Academies Trust

HEART Academies Trust formed in 2017 and currently consists of one secondary school, Bedford Academy and three partner primary schools, Cauldwell, Shackleton and Shortstown. Together we serve more than 2500 pupils aged from 2 to 18 years.

We are a non-profit making charitable company sponsored by the Harpur Trust, one of the largest charities in the UK. With a proven track-record in education through their ownership and management of four Harpur Trust private schools in Bedford and as a sponsor of Bedford Academy since its creation in 2010, they are the perfect partner to support HEART Academies Trust as we grow.

HEART Academies Trust supports continuity of education within the community. Adopting a ‘stronger together’ approach and a commitment to positive collaboration enables each academy within the Trust to celebrate what they already do well whilst providing opportunities to ensure continued development and improvement across all academies within the Trust.

What we offer

As part of HEART Academies Trust, staff are valued and supported, allowing them to contribute fully to the wider school community. Our commitment to staff development and wellbeing is paramount.

Paid wellbeing day per year.

£200 Refer a friend scheme, tech scheme and cycle to work scheme.

Employee assist programme.

Generous pension and a competitive salary.

Free gym, shower and parking facilities.

Free tea, coffee, breakfast and eye tests.

An open and collaborative working environment with an inclusive workplace

Regular training and development programmes and celebration of staff success.

An excellent catering provision.

A commitment to environmental sustainability.

Main Duties Include:

To assist in the development of, and subsequently implement Trust policy and standard operating procedures for the catering provision across the Trust.

To provide leadership and management to the catering teams and be responsible for their training, development, performance and conduct.

To plan, control and deliver a first class, cost effective catering service every day, incorporating a varied range of healthy food choices and ensuring the effective provision of dishes to meet specific dietary requirements, including those required due to religious and medical reasons.

To lead on menu planning, giving due regard to customer preference, nutritional standards, quality, variety and choice, portion control, and cost.

To assist in recipe development, testing and monitoring of new and existing products.

Term time: 37 hours All year round

Monday - Thursday 8:00 - 16:00, Friday 8:00 -15:30

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

HEART Academies Trust is an equal opportunities employer and therefore operates no restrictive policies in relation to age, sex or creed.

Our Academy is committed to safeguarding children and promoting the welfare of children/young people and expects all trustees, staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced Criminal Record Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service along with other relevant employment checks, including overseas criminal background checks, where applicable. All new trustees, employees and volunteers will be required to undertake safeguarding training on induction which will be regularly updated as per statutory guidance.

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 Heart Academies Trust

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Heart Academies Trust website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/heart-academies-trust

We currently have 3 primary schools and 1 secondary school within HEART Academies Trust. Please check our Academy's website for links to the individual school's websites.

Head office location

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