Catering Assistant – Ward End Primary School

Permanent Grade A - £24,796 - £27,254. We are a Living Wage Employer, and all our roles will be paid as such where the pay scales are below the Living Wage rate. Consultation grade - subject to formal evaluation under the Pay Equity Review. Working 15 hours per week (Pro rata/term-time only) including 3 cleaning days in school holidays and 5 Inset days.

Looking for a role that fits around term-time and makes a real impact? Join Cityserve—Birmingham City Council’s award‑winning school catering service—where fresh, nutritious meals and pupil wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do. This is a fantastic opportunity for those who want meaningful work in a supportive, fast‑paced environment that values teamwork and community.

As a Catering Assistant, known as General Assistant within Birmingham City Council, you’ll help deliver healthy meals to children across Birmingham, working closely with your team to keep kitchens running smoothly. Your day‑to‑day tasks will include:

• Preparing and cooking meals for pupils
• Supporting all aspects of kitchen service
• Keeping the kitchen clean and tidy
• Setting up the dining room and furniture
• Attending training sessions (online and classroom)
• Being mindful of dietary and allergen needs

We’re looking for warm, reliable team players with a passion for food and great customer service. If you’ve got good communication skills, a Food Safety Level 2 certificate, and a can-do attitude, we’d love to hear from you. Experience in a similar environment is a bonus—but your enthusiasm and commitment matter most.

Cityserve is a Birmingham City Council catering service for school meals providing fresh and nutritious food for school kitchens across the UK; healthy eating is a continuous theme throughout all of our menus and we are committed to the wellbeing of pupils. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a busy environment, delivers excellent customer service and is able to motivate and support team members.

About You

Essential:

• Food Safety Level 2 Certificate (in date)
• Allergy Awareness Certificate (in date)

Please upload an up-to-date CV and Personal Statement via the attachments part of your application. The Personal Statement should outline how you meet the essential criteria for the role through your personal qualities, skills and experience and include your motivation for applying to the post. Note the Personal Statement should be no more than 1500 words. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV and Personal Statement attached.

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people. We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

For any informal enquiries please contact: Resourcing@birmingham.gov.uk. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be undertaken. Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed. Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.

Birmingham City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our citizens and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.