Cook and Cook Assistant

The working hours for this role are expected to be 11 hours 45 minutes per week. In your role as Cook, the working pattern is expected to be, 09:00 - 14:00, 2 days per week (10 hours). In the role of Cook Assistant your working pattern is expected to be 11:30 - 13:15, 1 day per week (1 hour 45 minutes). Both roles are to be worked for 38 weeks of the year, term-time only. The start date for this role is 02 November 2026.

Southwick C of E Primary School is seeking to appoint an ethusiastic and energetic Cook / Cook Assistant to join their team. As a member of staff within our Trust, you will contribute to a collaborative working environment and play a key role in supporting the learning and development of all pupils.

Cook:

As a Cook, you will be responsible for running the school kitchen efficiently, delivering nutritious and appealing meals for pupils and staff while ensuring compliance with food hygiene and environmental health standards. You will manage day-to-day catering operations, including menu planning, food ordering, budget management, and the supervision of kitchen staff. The role involves preparing fresh meals, catering for a range of dietary requirements, and maintaining high standards of cleanliness, safety, and food quality. You will work collaboratively with school staff to promote a positive dining experience and ensure the smooth operation of the catering service. Safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children will be central to your role, alongside maintaining professional standards and regulatory compliance. We are seeking an organised, reliable, and enthusiastic individual with catering experience who is passionate about providing high-quality meals and excellent service within a school environment.

Cook Assistant:

As an Assistant Cook, you will help provide a high-quality catering service for pupils and staff, supporting the preparation, cooking, and serving of nutritious meals each day. You will work closely with the School Cook and wider catering team to ensure food is prepared safely, efficiently, and in line with food hygiene and health and safety regulations. The role includes serving meals, preparing dining areas, cleaning and sanitising kitchen equipment and workspaces, and helping to maintain a welcoming dining environment. You will support the school's aims and values while promoting the wellbeing of children and contributing to a positive lunchtime experience. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children will be central to your work, alongside maintaining high standards of professionalism, hygiene, and customer service. We are looking for a reliable, organised, and enthusiastic individual with a positive attitude who enjoys working as part of a team and takes pride in delivering an excellent catering service.

For a complete Job Description, Person Specification, and Candidate Briefing Pack, please view the attached documents. We recommend viewing these documents as they will guide you in preparing a strong application and help you understand what we’re looking for in an ideal candidate.

About EQUA Mead Learning Trust

EQUA Mead Learning Trust is a leading educational institution based in Wiltshire. Dedicated to providing high-quality education to students from diverse backgrounds. Members of staff across EQUA Mead will be committed to improving the life chances of the pupils we educate and ensure we give Every Child, Every Chance. As a growing Trust, currently educating almost 6000 pupils across 22 different schools (pre-school, primary, secondary, and sixth form) we are immensely proud of our staff and endeavour to be an employer of choice. This is an exciting time as we continue to grow the number of schools and children we support.

Important Application Information

When completing your application, please ensure that you add at least 2 references, with the first being your most recent employer. Please ensure that you read the attached referencing guidelines to familiarise yourself with our process. 

As part of our safer recruitment procedures, it is important that references are requested and, wherever possible, obtained before the interview. Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance states that references should be sought before interview wherever possible and should be scrutinised as part of the recruitment process to help ensure that only suitable individuals are appointed to work with children.

Early applications are encouraged, as we reserve the right to interview before the closing date. Your application must include a full employment history, accounting for any periods of time where you were not in active employment. If this is not included it may not be possible to consider your application. To comply with safer recruitment regulations, we cannot accept applications using a CV. An incomplete application will not be considered. 

This role will involve contact with children, and the post holder will be engaged in regulated activity relevant to children and will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check before appointment is confirmed. 

We will only submit a DBS application to the relevant disclosure service when a position is accepted.