Catering Manager
TO APPLY COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM AVAILABLE ON OUR SCHOOL WEBSITE BELOW TO APPLY: www.lhs.lancs.sch.uk/our-school/vacancies
Salary: Grade 6 Point 11-19 – FTE 0.82 [£23,076 – £26,290]
Hours: 35 hours over 5 days per week 7:00am–2:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 7:15am-2:45pm Wednesday [30 minutes unpaid lunch], term time plus four days
Start Date: 2nd November 2026
Responsible to: School Operations Manager
Longridge High School is situated on the outskirts of Longridge, a small manufacturing and market town between Preston and the Ribble Valley. We have 50+ teaching staff and approximately 830 pupils. The school serves the local community and has a large catchment area encompassing neighbouring villages, a large rural district, and urban areas of Preston. The school was originally built in 1959, with additional accommodation added in subsequent years. School facilities have been continuously updated and refurbished and the school has a new purpose-built teaching block to take on additional pupil numbers.
We prepare every young person for life through a consistent approach to excellent behaviour, good manners, and hard work, embodied in our school’s core values ‘Respect, Learn, Grow, Together’.
We are looking for:
· A person responsible for the development and management of our in-house catering service.
· A person to deliver an effective and efficient catering facility.
· An ambitious leader that will encompass the supervision, training and development of staff.
· A leader that can plan, control and direct the production and service of high quality, nutritious meals.
· A person that has the knowledge and drive in maintaining agreed standards in relation to food and kitchen hygiene.
· A person with excellent communication organisation skills that has the ability in ordering and managing the stock control of a range of supplies and equipment within an agreed budget.
If this is you, then please COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM ON OUR SCHOOL WEBSITE BELOW TO APPLY:
· On-line at www.lhs.lancs.sch.uk
· E-mail the school on [email protected]
Closing date for applications: Monday 31st August 2026 at 12 noon
Shortlisting: Tuesday 1st September 2026
Interviews: Tuesday 8th September 2026 [time to be confirmed]
Longridge High School is committed to ensuring the safety of all its children and young people. This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
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Job Description for the post of: Catering Manager
Salary: Grade 6 Point 11-19 – FTE 0.82 [£23,076 – £26,290]
Responsible to: The Headteacher and directly to the School Operational Manager
Core Purpose
As Catering Manager, you will be responsible for the development and management of our in-house catering service and for delivering an effective and efficient catering facility. This will encompass the supervision, training and development of staff; planning, controlling and directing the production and service of high quality, nutritious meals; maintaining agreed standards in relation to food and kitchen hygiene and; ordering and managing the stock control of a range of supplies and equipment within an agreed budget.
Core Duties:
- To supervise, direct and support staff including the allocation of duties and work rotas and the dissemination of school information.
- To continually review our food provision and lead on menu development in line with government requirements and guidelines.
- To plan, control and direct the production and service of high quality, nutritious meals on a termly three-week cycle of menus considering all dietary requirements.
- To work with staff and pupils to support the aims of the school, ensuring that the philosophy of inclusion continues to be the experience of our pupils.
- To maintain agreed standards of cleanliness and hygiene of premises and equipment.
- To be customer focused and friendly and promote this throughout the team.
- Ordering of stock, controlling records, managing food and labour costs working towards a self-funding service.
- To implement, maintain and review all necessary records, systems and procedures.
- To maintain high standards of kitchen and personal hygiene and health and safety to the required standards and legislation.
- To induct, train and develop staff and monitor the catering team’s performance, including probations and appraisals.
· To ensure that the catering team comply with all relevant school policies.
· To prepare hot and cold food on large scales.
· To operate catering equipment and machinery as required as per instruction.
· To create nutritional/allergy labels for prepared sandwiches and pastas.
· To undertake all cleaning of catering areas.
· To arrange and attend meetings and training sessions as required.
· To lead on the provision of catering services at open evening and other events both during and outside of the school day.
· To use safety equipment i.e. safety shoes, googles provided.
· To clear service and dining areas, general washing up duties and the storage of deliveries.
· To undertake further training and development
Person Specification
Essential Criteria:
· The ability to lead and work as part of a team.
· Food Hygiene Certificate Level 2 and willingness to undertake Level 3.
· GCSE pass or equivalent in Maths and English.
· First Aid Certificate or willingness to undertake.
· Experience of cooking in a commercial catering environment.
· Awareness of allergies and intolerances.
· Be able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines with the ability to multitask with quick thinking to avoid disruption
· Excellent organisation and time management skills.
· Good computer skills.
· The ability to deliver high levels of customer service.
· Knowledge of lifting and handling procedures with the agility to lift and move around stock safely.
· Flexibility to work additional hours to cover staff absences and school events.
· To be committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and young people.
Desirable Criteria:
· The ability to operate a cashless till.
· Infection Control training.
· Nutrition qualification.
· Control of Substances Hazardous to Health [COSHH] training.
· Awareness of Safeguarding and Keeping Children Safe in Education [KCSIE].
· Experience of working with children and an educational kitchen environment.
This job description is not necessarily a comprehensive definition of the post and will be subject to modification or amendment at any time after consultation with the post holder.
All our employees are expected to be courteous to colleagues and pupils along with providing a welcoming environment to all who may visit or contact us through school.
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LONGRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
Job Description : Catering Manager
Salary Scale: NJC Grade 5 (Points 6-11)
Salary: £17,019 - £18,790 (FTE £19,698 - £21,748)
Hours per week: 37
Paid Weeks: 45.05, (38 weeks term-time working, one week non-term time working (INSET days) and 6.05 weeks of pro rata annual leave, the standard bank holidays for England and Wales and two statutory days).
Hours of Work: Monday to Friday, between the hours of 7.00am – 3.00pm (inclusive of a daily 30 minute unpaid break)
Responsible to: Ultimately the Principal and directly to the School Business Manager
Core Role:
ü To deliver an effective and efficient catering facility for school stakeholders, encompassing Menu Planning, Budgetary control, Stock management, and ensuring kitchen Health and Hygiene regulations are met.
ü To support the aims of the school, ensuring that the philosophy of inclusion continues to be the experience of the pupils.
Strategy Direction and Development:
ü To provide the strategic direction needed for the area to develop successfully
ü To monitor, review and evaluate the catering provision to the school and its stakeholders
ü To plan, control and direct the production and service of school meals, to develop termly three week cycle of menus, catering for all dietary requirements
Leading and Managing Staff:
ü To undertake Performance management Reviews, acting as a reviewer for staff in the catering team.
ü To continue personal professional development, researching, requesting and undertaking relevant training for all concerned.
ü To promote teamwork and to motivate staff to ensure effective working relations and communication.
ü To manage and supervision employees within the catering and welfare team.
Efficient and Effective Deployment of Staff/Resources:
ü To undertake day-to-day management, control and operation of the catering provision, including effective deployment of staff.
ü To plan and manage the accommodation with the school catering facilities, using professional skill and judgement.
ü To liaise with the School Business Manager to ensure that the catering team are adhering to the Nutritional legalisation as defined by Department of Education.
ü To maintain and keep accurate stock records for all provisions, light and heavy equipment
ü To ensure cleaning on adaily basis to all catering areas to standards laid down by Central Lancaster High School
ü To undertake any other duties that may be required for the effective operation of the catering establishment. This will include using the schools cashless catering system, stock rotation and stock control
Accountability:
ü To be accountable for leading, managing and developing the catering facility, undertake regular planning meetings with SBM to move the schools catering facilities forward.
ü To be accountable for inspections undertaken by Food Service Options, Environmental Health Inspector and external verifiers ensuring meeting the necessary Health, Hygiene and Safety requirements.
ü To be responsible for effective use of allocated funding, ensuring value for money.
ü To ensure the safety of all involved in the catering facilities, undertaking Risk Assessments as appropriate.
ü To inform the Business & Health and Safety Managers of any defects in heavy equipment or of premises not meeting Health & Safety and or Food Hygiene Regulation Standards.
ü In addition to the duties outlined above, all employees are required to take care of their own and other people’s health and safety.
This job description is not necessarily a comprehensive definition of the post and will be subject to modification or amendment at any time after consultation with the post holder.
Employees are expected to be courteous to colleagues and provide a welcoming environment to all who may visit or contact us through school.
Pay: £23,076.00-£26,290.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
