Head Chef Educator

Are you a foodie with a heart for community? Do you believe that school lunch should be the highlight of a child's day? We are looking for a visionary Head Chef Educator to join our small, vibrant school and help us pioneer our exciting new catering service. Our project is dedicated to delivering homemade meals from fresh, locally sourced ingredients—soon to include produce from our own school farm. We are building a school food culture that reflects our value of kindness.

The Role: Lead, Innovate, Motivate

This isn't your typical school kitchen role. We are looking for a creative partner to work alongside us to design a service that fosters social interaction and food education. You will:

• Lead a dedicated team in preparing fresh, interesting, and nutritious meals.
• Collaborate on seasonal menu cycles that celebrate local produce.
• Support a 'living curriculum' by helping children learn where their food comes from.
• Promote a culture of kindness and health throughout the dining hall.
• Manage kitchen administration, health & safety, and waste reduction with precision.

Who You Are

Above all, you have a passion for food. While food qualifications and industry knowledge are desirable, they are not the deal-breaker. If you have the drive to help children love healthy food, we will provide the full training you need to succeed.

• A Creative Thinker: Excited by the prospect of 'Farm-to-Fork' cooking.
• A Leader: Able to motivate a team and maintain high standards within budget.
• A Role Model: Professional, polite, and friendly with children and colleagues alike.
• Ambitious: You have high aspirations for what school catering can become.

What the school offers its staff

Why Join Us? We are a small school with a strong family feel. You won't just be an employee; you'll be a vital part of our school community. As part of the Hampshire Local Authority, you will benefit from:

• An excellent Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Work-life balance with Term Time Only hours (enjoy your holidays!).
• The opportunity to shape a pioneering service from the ground up.
• Partnership with Chefs in Schools, providing access to elite professional training, a network of professional kitchens, and 1-on-1 support from a Chef Consultant.

Further details about the role

Person Specification: Chef Educator

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Experience in Fresh Food: Proven experience working and passion for cooking, this may include experience of working in a high-quality, professional kitchen using fresh, seasonal ingredients or educating others.
• Qualifications: GCSE grade C/4 plus in English and Mathematics; other relevant qualifications or study will be considered.

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

• Professional Cookery Qualification: Level 2 or 3 Professional Cookery (NVQ/Diploma) or equivalent significant industry experience in a fresh-food environment.
• Food Safety: Current Level 3 Food Safety Supervision certificate (or willingness to obtain immediately).
• Educational Engagement: Experience working with children or young adults or a passion for teaching (e.g., leading cooking workshops or "grow-your-own" projects).
• Financial Literacy: Experience or interest in budget management, cost-per-head calculations, and stock control.
• Allergy Management: Specific training in the management of the 14 food allergens within a catering environment.
• Sustainability Knowledge: Understanding or interest in "Farm-to-Fork" principles, waste reduction, and composting.

Essential Personal Attributes (The "Heart" of the Role)

• Visionary Mindset: A genuine belief that school food can be a tool for social change and health.
• Kindness: A polite, patient, and friendly manner with children, encouraging them to try new things without pressure.
• Adaptability: The ability to move from high-pressure service to a calm, educational conversation with a student.
• Resilience: The "can-do" attitude required to build a new service from the ground up.

Commitment to safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding children and all employees, governors and volunteers are subject to robust employment checks. We deliver regular, topical safeguarding briefings and train all staff annually on KCSiE (Keeping Children Safe in Education). We have an internal online portal enabling all staff to report any concerns immediately and we have two Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL's) in school. A third member of staff has undergone the DSL training purely for the purpose of auditing our processes and challenging DSL decisions. We have a strong safeguarding culture we have developed.