Catering Assistant in Manchester

We currently have a number of exciting opportunities for Catering Assistants to join our fantastic team at MEA Central. We are looking for a number of Catering Assistants to join our friendly and hardworking team at MEA Central. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a busy, customer-focused environment and takes pride in delivering high-quality service.

As part of our catering team, you will play a key role in supporting the smooth running of our school catering service — helping to prepare, serve, and present meals that keep our students and staff nourished and ready to learn. These are permanent part-time posts working either 16 hours (11:15 am–2:30 pm) or 10 hours (12:30 pm–2:30 pm) per week, term time only plus 5 INSET days. The starting salary is £6,093 (10 hours) or £9,749 (16 hours) pro rata and the full-time equivalent is £24,796 Grade 2. The start date for this post will be confirmed as soon as all pre-employment checks are complete.

About the role:

• You’ll work as part of a supportive team to provide an efficient and effective catering service. This includes preparing and serving food, setting up and cleaning dining areas, and maintaining high standards of food hygiene and safety.
• You’ll also be involved in:

• Preparing food, making sandwiches and operating tills
• Assisting with the setting up and serving of meals
• Cleaning kitchen equipment and dining furniture
• Ensuring compliance with Food Hygiene and COSHH regulations
• Providing excellent customer service to students and staff
• Supporting equal opportunities and inclusivity in our workplace

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience in food preparation and service (school or catering experience desirable)
• Is reliable, enthusiastic, and a great team player
• Demonstrates excellent communication and customer service skills
• Works efficiently while maintaining high hygiene standards

To find out more about the full responsibilities of the role and/or to ensure you meet the essential criteria, please review the attached job description.

Interested? If this sounds like the perfect role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please follow the online application process to be considered. All school staff are expected to share the Trust’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Specific safeguarding responsibilities are detailed in the attached job description.

Working for Prospere Learning Trust:

Great schools thrive because of the great people in them. We invest in our staff to achieve their full potential and offer a range of benefits including:

• High quality CPD for all roles
• Bupa Level 1 Health Plan - annual cash back allowance for a range of everyday health care expenses
• Generous Pension Contribution - over 26% for teachers and over 17% for support staff
• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 31 days with 5 years’ service
• Cyclescheme - save up to 39% on a bike and accessories and get Strava for free
• Employee Assistance Programmes - including access to free counselling and 24/7 helplines
• Credit Union - regular savings, Christmas saving scheme and access to affordable loans
• Flexible working options - we’re happy to talk flexible working where possible
• Mental Health First Aid in every school
• Blue Light Card - discounts on holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones, and many more
• bYond cashback card - spend smarter with a prepaid cashback card for your everyday purchases

Visit our website to learn more about our Trust: prospere.org.uk

MEA Central:

MEA Central is a thriving 11-16 secondary school in South Manchester, driven by the mission, “A fantastic future for all”. We focus on removing barriers to student success, combining high expectations with warmth and encouragement. Our values of Citizenship, Achievement, and Participation, along with a belief in the power of language, help develop confident, socially responsible young adults. We offer a challenging, knowledge-rich curriculum to prepare students for GCSEs, further education, and life beyond. Our high expectations are matched by efforts to ignite intellectual passions, fostering autonomous, fulfilled learners. Beyond academics, our exceptional pastoral care and extensive extra-curricular program ensure students gain cultural capital and succeed in areas like sport, music, drama, and community activities. MEA Central has been graded as good by Ofsted.

“Pupils at Manchester Enterprise Academy Central are incredibly proud and happy to be a part of a diverse and respectful community. Everyone can be themselves. Pupils are considerate of one another. They do their best to model the school's core values. They strive to work hard, be kind and take part.”

Visit our website to learn more about our school community: https://www.meacentral.org.uk/

Job Application Information:

Please apply through JobTrain: https://www.jobtrain.co.uk/prosperecareers/Job/JobDetail?jobid=1038&isPreview=Yes&advert=external&source=TES. CVs are not accepted. Early applications are encouraged, and we reserve the right to close the vacancy early.

As per Keeping Children Safe in Education, we conduct online searches on shortlisted candidates to identify any relevant issues for interview discussion. Shortlisted candidates will be required to submit a self-disclosure declaration, declaring any relevant convictions, adult cautions or other matters which may affect your suitability to work with children. Information will be provided on where to seek guidance on whether certain offences are now protected and should not be disclosed within the self-disclosure form. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 all positions within the School are exempt. Therefore, we are entitled to carry out Enhanced Disclosure checks for all staff and volunteers. It is an offence to apply for the role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relating to children. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK; we do not sponsor visa applications. If you’ve lived or worked outside the UK in the last five years, additional information will be required. Job offers are contingent on satisfactory pre-employment checks, including references.

Safeguarding Commitment:

All schools within the Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.

Equality Statement:

Prospere Learning Trust values diversity and welcomes applications from all candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.

For application support please contact us on 0161 527 7953 or email jobs@prospere.org.uk