School Chef in Guildford

Ashley Park School is looking for a skilled and passionate School Chef to lead our kitchen and deliver high-quality, nutritious meals that support the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff.

You will be responsible for menu planning, food preparation, and day-to-day kitchen operations, ensuring the highest standards of quality, hygiene, and safety. You will also lead and support the kitchen team, helping them perform at their best while promoting a safe and positive working environment.

• Plan and prepare balanced, nutritious meals tailored to pupils’ dietary, cultural, and medical needs.
• Manage kitchen operations, including stock control, ordering, budgeting, and reducing waste.
• Supervise, support, and manage kitchen staff, including appraisals and day-to-day guidance.
• Ensure compliance with food hygiene, health and safety, and organisational policies.
• Oversee kitchen set-up, cleaning, and equipment maintenance.
• Coordinate daily meal requirements for pupils, staff, and visitors.
• Liaise with suppliers to place orders and resolve queries efficiently.

You will have:

• Experience in catering, ideally within a school, residential, or similar setting.
• Experience in menu planning with awareness of nutritional requirements and budgetary control.
• Strong knowledge of catering practices, including safe handling, storage, and preparation of food.
• Leadership skills to manage and motivate a small kitchen team.
• A proactive, organised, and flexible approach, with a commitment to high standards.
• Full UK Driving Licence.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference in pupils’ daily lives, creating meals that support wellbeing and learning in a friendly, supportive school environment.

Ashley Park School is a brand-new independent specialist school in Epsom, Surrey, for autistic young people aged 11–19, with a capacity for 60 pupils. We provide a safe, supportive, and inspiring environment where every pupil can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Personalised teaching, differentiated lessons, and tailored therapeutic support ensure each pupil’s unique needs and abilities are met.

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.

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

*Subject to successful probation. Not a contractual benefit.

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.