School Cook

Full Job Description

We work smarter so that you can enjoy the things that matter outside of work

Job Title:   School Chef
Location:   Castle Garden School, Guildford, Surrey GU1 S3Q
Hours:       30 hours per week | Monday to Friday
Salary:       Up to £23,000 per annum (not pro rata)
Contract:  Permanent | Term Time Only
Start:        September 2026
UK applicants only – no sponsorship available

About the Role

Imagine using your skills as a Chef in a role where you can create great food, make a genuine difference to young people and enjoy Monday to Friday, term time working.

At Castle Garden School, we’re looking for a passionate and organised School Chef to take ownership of our kitchen and provide fresh, nutritious and enjoyable meals for our pupils and staff.

You’ll have the opportunity to plan menus, bring your own ideas to the kitchen and create meals that pupils genuinely look forward to. You’ll also play an important role in meeting individual dietary requirements, maintaining excellent standards and helping ensure every pupil has food that supports their health, wellbeing and school day.

What you'll do

• Plan and prepare fresh, balanced and nutritious meals that pupils can enjoy
• Create varied menus while taking individual dietary requirements, allergies and specific needs into account
• Prepare suitable meals for pupils and staff with additional or specialist dietary requirements
• Take ownership of the day to day running of the kitchen, ensuring food is prepared and served to a consistently high standard
• Manage stock levels, portion control and food quality while working effectively within budget
• Use your creativity and experience to develop menus that are nutritious, appealing and practical
• Reduce food waste through thoughtful menu planning, ordering and preparation
• Make sure the kitchen remains clean, safe, organised and welcoming
• Manage supplier orders, check deliveries and invoices and resolve any queries
• Plan for daily catering requirements, including meals for pupils, staff and visitors
• Maintain excellent standards of food hygiene, food safety, Health and Safety and COSHH compliance
• Work collaboratively with the wider school team to provide a catering service that responds to the needs of our pupils

Who we’re looking for:

You’ll be someone who takes pride in the food you prepare and understands that a great school meal is about much more than what is on the plate.

We’re looking for:

• A confident and skilled cook with experience working within a school, care or high volume catering environment
• Someone who enjoys preparing fresh and nutritious food for children and young people
• Experience within a school or nursery kitchen would be advantageous
• Confidence planning menus and catering for a variety of dietary requirements
• Good knowledge of food hygiene, food safety and safe kitchen practices
• Strong organisation skills with the ability to manage stock, ordering, portion control and waste
• A reliable and flexible approach with consistently high standards
• Good communication skills and the ability to work positively with colleagues across the school
• Someone who can take ownership of the kitchen and provide a catering service they can be proud of

About Us

Castle Garden School is a brand-new independent specialist school for pupils with autism between 5 - 11 years of age.

Castle Garden School strives to provide effective, specialist education and support to autistic pupils and their families, which will allow pupils to achieve their full potential in education and life. Located in the town centre of Guildford, the school provides primary education and offers a unique mix of education and support to pupils within a wide spectrum of needs and abilities. Personalised teaching and learning in an autism specific environment allows pupils’ individual needs to be addressed completely and their capabilities fully realised.

For over 19 years, Options Autism has provided specialist care and education for children, young people, and adults with autism, complex needs, and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are pioneering innovative, evidence-based approaches that deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes for everyone in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place pupils and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental health support and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
• Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
• Hundreds of UK and international discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.

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