Head Chef – Secondary School
Leeds, West Yorkshire
Full-Time | Term Time Plus Additional Days
Salary: Competitive, Dependent on Experience
Lead a Kitchen That Makes a Difference
Career Teachers is seeking an experienced, passionate and organised Head Chef to lead the catering operation within a thriving secondary school in Leeds.
This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled catering professional who takes pride in delivering high-quality, nutritious meals to young people while maintaining exceptional standards of food safety, compliance and customer service.
The successful candidate will oversee the daily running of the school kitchen, lead and motivate a catering team, manage food preparation and service, and ensure students and staff enjoy healthy, appealing meals in a welcoming environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the day-to-day operation of the school kitchen and catering team
- Plan, prepare and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals in line with school food standards
- Manage stock control, ordering and supplier relationships
- Monitor food costs and work within budget requirements
- Ensure the kitchen operates in compliance with all food hygiene, allergen and health and safety regulations
- Develop menus that are varied, balanced and appealing to secondary-aged students
- Train, support and supervise catering staff
- Maintain accurate records relating to food safety, cleaning schedules and temperature checks
- Drive continuous improvement in the catering service and student dining experience
About You
The ideal candidate will have:
Previous experience in a Head Chef, Chef Manager or Senior Chef position.
Experience managing a busy kitchen and leading a team.
Strong knowledge of food hygiene, allergen management and health and safety requirements.
Excellent organisational and communication skills.
Experience managing budgets, ordering and stock control.
A passion for providing healthy, nutritious meals for young people.
The ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high standards.
Essential Qualifications
- Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate (or willingness to obtain)
- Food Safety and HACCP knowledge
- Experience of supervising or managing kitchen staff
- Right to work in the UK
Desirable Experience
- Previous experience within a school, college, university or large-scale catering environment
- Experience catering for high-volume service
- Knowledge of School Food Standards
- Relevant catering qualification such as NVQ Level 2 or 3 Professional Cookery
What the school can offer
- A stable, term-time focused role with an excellent work-life balance
- School holidays off (subject to contract requirements)
- A supportive and welcoming school community
- Opportunities for professional development and training
- The chance to positively impact the wellbeing of hundreds of young people every day
The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All appointments are subject to satisfactory references, an enhanced DBS check and pre-employment vetting.
Our benefits
- ARefer a Friend Schemegiving you a bonus of up to £250
- Exclusive vacancies within local Schools and Multi Academy Trusts
- Competitive weekly pay
- Assignments paid to a scale after 12 weeks (AWR)
- Online time sheets
- Your own dedicated consultant
- Guaranteed pay schemes
All roles will require an enhanced criminal record disclosure (DBS), although we can help with this process a new application is required if your current DBS is not on the update service, and reference checks.
Career Teachers are committed to providing equal opportunities for all candidates and welcomes applications regardless of sex, race, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, religion and belief pregnancy and maternity or disability as well as adhering to strict Safeguarding procedures.
This vacancy is based in the United Kingdom. Career Teachers operate in the UK and can only process applications from candidates who are currently UK residents and eligible to work in the UK. Whilst we will endeavour to contact you following your response, due to the high volume of applications we regret that this cannot always be possible. If you have not had notification from us within 30 days please take your application as not being successful this time but we will keep your details on file for future opportunities.
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Head Chef in Leeds employer: Career Teachers
Career Teachers is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive work environment for SEN Teaching Assistants in Croydon. With competitive pay rates, ongoing professional development opportunities, and dedicated career advice from experienced consultants, we empower our staff to make a meaningful impact on children's learning. Join us to be part of a team that values creativity, flexibility, and collaboration in helping students with special educational needs thrive.
