School Cook
- Guildford
- Permanent
Full Job Description
At OFG Education we work smarter so that you can enjoy the things that matter outside of work
Job Title: School Cook
Location: Castle Garden School, Guildford, Surrey GU1 S3Q
Hours: 30 hours per week | Monday to Friday
Salary: Up to £23,000 per annum (depending on experience, not pro rata)
Contract: Permanent | Term Time Only
Start: November 2026
UK applicants only – no sponsorship available
About the Role
At Castle Garden School, we're looking for a talented School Cook or Chef to lead our kitchen and provide fresh, nutritious meals that help our students thrive. This is more than just a catering role. Every meal you prepare will play a part in supporting the wellbeing, health and development of young people with additional needs.
You'll have the freedom to plan menus, introduce new ideas and create enjoyable dining experiences that students and staff genuinely look forward to. In return, you'll benefit from a rewarding Monday to Friday, term-time role, giving you more time for family, hobbies and life outside of work.
If you take pride in your cooking, enjoy working as part of a close-knit team, and want your work to have a lasting impact every day, we'd love to hear from you.
What you'll do
- Planning and preparing fresh, nutritious meals for students and staff
- Creating varied and appealing menus that cater for dietary, medical and cultural requirements
- Leading the day-to-day operation of the school kitchen
- Managing stock, ordering, budgets and supplier relationships
- Maintaining high standards of food quality, hygiene and food safety
- Reducing food waste through effective planning and portion control
- Creating a positive dining experience that encourages healthy eating habits
- Working collaboratively with the wider school team to support student wellbeing
Who we’re looking for:
We're looking for someone who is passionate about food and understands the difference a good meal can make to a young person's day.
- Experience as a Chef, Cook or Catering Professional within a school, care, hospitality or high-volume catering environment
- Experience catering for a variety of dietary requirements and allergies
- Good knowledge of food hygiene, food safety and kitchen compliance standards
- Strong organisational skills with experience managing stock, ordering and budgets
- A positive, reliable and flexible approach to work
- The confidence to take ownership of the kitchen and continually improve the catering offer
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to build positive relationships with students, staff and suppliers
About Our School
Castle Garden School is a brand-new independent specialist school for students with autism between 5 - 11 years of age.
Castle Garden School strives to provide effective, specialist education and support to autistic students and their families, which will allow students to achieve their full potential in education and life. Located in the town centre of Guildford, the school provides primary education and offers a unique mix of education and support to students within a wide spectrum of needs and abilities. Personalised teaching and learning in an autism specific environment allows students’ individual needs to be addressed completely and their capabilities fully realised.
We are proud to be a part of OFG Education who in 2025 were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.
Why Join Us?
We place students 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 students 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
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
OFG Education 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, OFG Education 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.
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