Kitchen Assistant

Overview and Responsibilities

Kitchen Assistant

Location: Effingham, Surrey
Contract: Part-time, Permanent

Salary: £12.31 - £13.65per hour dependent on experience (actual salary £10,997.83 - £12,12194.90)
Hours: 20 hours per week, Mon – Fri 10.30am – 2.30pm

Aurora Poppyfield School 

We’re currently looking to recruit a Kitchen Assistant to join our team at Poppyfield School.  The successful candidate will be ordering, cooking and serving delicious, healthy and nutritious meals for our pupils, whilst keeping to budget and ensuring full health & safety compliance at all times.

Our autistic students are aged between 11 – 16, they have associated behavioural and communication difficulties. Some pupils may have multiple learning difficulties. Poppyfield is part of the Aurora group and shares the same Principal as Redehall School, but all other staff are specific to each school. There is also a full therapy team on site to support staff and students.

To see more about the work that Poppyfield does please follow this link -  https://youtu.be/crpoGrYVnDU

What’s in it for you? / Why Should You Apply? 

• You want to make a difference in the lives of our students and their families.
• You want to work with an inspiring student population.
• You enjoy working as part of a collaborative and committed multi-disciplinary team.
• You have a strong commitment to student and staff well-being and want to work in an organisation with the same strong values.
• You want to work within an organisation that support, develops and invests in their staff.

Key Duties:

• Plan menus, within budget and ensuring that dietary requirements and preferences are taken into account.
• Place orders through the Apetito online ordering system, based on menu choices made by pupils.
• Prepare, cook/heat and/or serve meals at the required times, and to the required standard, adhering to menu plans, recipes and portion control.
• Ensure that Statutory Regulations pertaining to the safe and hygienic operation of the kitchen is adhered to.
• Lead the accountancy, documentation and administration procedures for kitchen activities.
• Maintain accurate records of food supplies and ensure effective stock rotation, stock levels and management of use by dates.
• Ensure that deliveries are checked for accuracy and stored as appropriate.
• Ensure the kitchen is clean and equipment is fit for use at all times including planning deep cleans and checks periodically.
• Monitor and record daily fridge and freezers temperatures across the site.
• Take all necessary steps to ensure maximum security of the kitchen, and any other areas if required.
• Ensure that all kitchens on the site are left clean and tidy at the end of each day with equipment where it needs to be for the next day.
• Spot and report defects, and damage and suspend from use any equipment and products where these do not meet the required standards.
• To report and take action for any incidents of accident, fire, loss, theft, damage, unfit food or other irregularities.
• To attend meetings and training courses as may be necessary.

For the full job description please contact Liz from the recruitment team . Please note that duties will vary and you will be expected to contribute to the overall aims of Poppyfield when required

Skills and Qualifications

• Level 2 Food Hygiene Certified – Level 3 desirable.
• Experience of working in a catering environment
• Experience of planning and preparing of menus ensuring balanced meal plans, healthy eating and variety
• Working knowledge of health and safety legislation (including COSHH regulations, manual handling, and food hygiene procedures) and requirements in relation to food preparation
• Knowledge of Natasha’s Law
• Experienced in carrying out regular equipment/maintenance checks and appropriate recording of checks done.
• Good standards of literacy, numeracy, written and verbal communication
• Possess good working knowledge of kitchen equipment and cleaning schedules.
• Proven ability to prioritise tasks and work flexibly.
• Committed to promoting the health, welfare and safeguarding of children and young adults.
• On occasions be prepared to work outside of normal working hours for special functions

Benefits and Additional Information

Be part of our successful team and benefit from a generous package that includes:

• Life assurance
• Pension
• Perkbox - offering high street discounts.
• Employee assistance programme
• Car lease scheme
• Fully funded training and qualifications
• Bike to work scheme.
• Free membership to our Health cash back plan - Claim back money on services such as dental, optical, physio and many more.

How to apply:

To apply please complete our online application form.  For a copy of the job description please contact Liz at  

Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under t