Trust Catering Manager
The Ruth Gorse Academy, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 1HW14 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
9 November 2026 at 9am
Date listed
26 October 2026
Job details
Job role
- Other leadership role
- Catering, cleaning and site management
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time: 37 Hours per week, all year round
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- PO5 (SCP 38-41) £50,908 - £54,143
What skills and experience we're looking for
Are you ready to shape and lead an exceptional catering service across a high performing multi academy trust? The GORSE Academies Trust is seeking an experienced, forward thinking Trust Catering Manager to provide strategic leadership and operational excellence across all our academies. For many of our pupils, the meal they receive at school is the most important meal of the day. This is a unique opportunity to take ownership of a trust wide service where your impact will be seen, felt, and appreciated by thousands of pupils, staff, and visitors every day.
The postholder will have the opportunity to shape and recruit their own central catering support team, enabling a trust-wide model that delivers consistency, quality and continuous improvement.
This role is perfect for someone who:
- Is passionate about delivering high quality, nutritious and appealing food to children and young people.
- Has the leadership presence and confidence to inspire catering teams across multiple settings.
- Is commercially aware, financially astute and driven to secure outstanding value for money.
- Thrives in a varied, fast paced environment where strategic oversight and hands on guidance go hand in hand.
- Wants to play a crucial part in enhancing the daily experience of pupils, staff and visitors across the trust.
The successful candidate will lead catering operations across the trust, developing a cohesive catering strategy and ensuring high‑quality, nutritious and inclusive menus. You’ll maintain consistent standards across all academies, support and manage catering managers, and oversee budgets, procurement and cost control. You will also ensure full compliance with food safety and health and safety regulations, including HACCP, while building strong relationships with trust and academy leaders, staff, suppliers and external partners. Experience in education or the public sector is desirable but not essential.
What we’re looking for:
We are seeking an individual who can demonstrate:
- Experience managing large‑scale or multi‑site catering operations.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop diverse teams.
- Excellent knowledge of food safety legislation, hygiene standards and allergen management.
- Strong organisational, communication and problem‑solving skills.
- Financial management experience, including budgeting and procurement.
- A commitment to promoting healthy eating and a positive food culture.
- A willingness to travel across multiple sites and engage regularly with kitchen teams.
What the school offers its staff
What we offer you: As a trust, we want to ensure that professionals at every stage in their career have the opportunity to enjoy expert support and training. We are pleased to offer a generous benefits package to our team – as we work together to create a rewarding future for all including:
- Membership of a teacher or local government pension scheme, depending on the role.
- A commitment to continued investment in our professionals, supporting every member of staff throughout their career in the trust.
- Access to an Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential professional advice and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- £2k Cycle to work scheme.
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
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About The Ruth Gorse Academy
- Organisation type
- Free School, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- Size
- 1265 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- recruitment@tgat.org.uk
The Ruth Gorse Academy moved into a new £23 million premises in September 2016, with exceptional sports facilities, science laboratories and a suite for pupils who have special educational needs.
As part of the nationally renowned GORSE Academies Trust led by Sir John Townsley and under the leadership of the trust’s Deputy CEO, Leanne Griffiths, The Ruth Gorse Academy also benefits from a rich partnership network enjoyed by students and staff alike. Together, the staff and students create a vibrant, engaging school where students thrive. At The Ruth Gorse Academy we endeavour to spark a flame of inspiration in each and every student, whatever their interest or ambition, and do all we can to support them to become the person they want to be.
Values and vision
The school’s motto, “Dare to achieve beyond what you are today”, intends to emphasise the Ruth Gorse Academy’s focus on exceptionalism in its teaching and facilities.
The Gorse Academies Trust considers as its philosophy that all students, regardless of background, can excel when given the right mix of outstanding teaching and rigorous discipline. The Trust also emphasises its focus on improving under-performing schools as well as establishing new ones.
Standards and high expectations are very important to us and we are extremely proud of the many achievements of students and staff at the academy. We aim to excite young people about their learning and to celebrate their successes. Our staff seek to inspire through excellent teaching and learning promoting exceptional rates of progress for all students, regardless of background. Our academy is underpinned by our core values of high expectations, high aspirations and a personalised approach. We consider these to be integral to our students’ success and wellbeing.
We aim to provide the highest quality of pastoral care and academic standards, helping to develop in our students a keen sense of pride in themselves, their academy and the wider community. We recognise the crucial role that parents/carers have in this respect and so strive to work in strong partnership with them throughout their children’s time with us. Our supportive approach enables everyone to develop the skills and knowledge required to be responsible and considerate individuals suited to the demands of our ever-changing multicultural society. There is extensive monitoring of students’ progress and regular contact with parents. We place a high emphasis on positive behaviour which ensures the academy is a happy and safe place within which to learn.
Awards & Recognitions
The Ruth Gorse Academy is an Outstanding provider (Ofsted, October 2023), delivering high quality education for each and every student. The performance of our students in their GCSE examinations demonstrate that we have the expertise to allow all students to fulfil their potential and achieve their dreams.
At the academy we prepare young people for an ever-changing world that values self-confident, well-educated and enterprising individuals. Our expertise in this area was recognised through our accreditation as a World Class School in November 2018. To ensure students are prepared for their futures we provide an exceptional education relevant to the 21st Century that emphasises traditional standards of uniform, discipline and respect. The World Class Quality School Mark is a charity concerned with developing the skills, competencies and characteristics young people need to thrive in an ever-changing global economy. The Ruth Gorse Academy was accredited with this prestigious accolade following a rigorous process that required our students to demonstrate their ability to be excellent learners dedicated to life-long learning; exceptional leaders and organisers; consistently outperform students from similar contexts and be active participants in their school, local or relevant communities.
Principal
Mrs S Mir
School location
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