Chef / Cook

Overview

and Responsibilities

Chef / Cook

Location : Horsham, West Sussex

Contract Type : Permanent, full-time, Term time plus 2 weeks

Hours : Monday to Friday around hours per week with negotiable timings

Salary : £,. - £,. depending on experience (based on hours worked)

Start Date : 1st May 5

Aurora Vincent House School

As part of our growth strategy, Aurora is really pleased to be opening a brand new SEND Secondary School in 5 in the heart of  Horsham, West Sussex  for young neurodivergent people aged -. Most of our students are coming to us from mainstream education to have access to an adapted National Curriculum delivered in small classes with a focus on meeting their sensory needs and support for their emotional wellbeing. A fantastic opportunity for a committed Chef to create a catering service in collaboration with the School Business Manager. With social hours in line with our structure, the successful candidate will have their evenings and weekends free!

The Role :

Reporting to the School Business Manager, you will build a Catering Team in producing bespoke, high-quality meals and snacks for our young people and staff. You will get the opportunity to liaise with students, families and clinical teams on the creation of menus, you will have the chance to get to know the people you are creating meals for.

Key Accountabilities

• To produce seasonal menus, daily bespoke school meals, serving guidelines and function catering as required, and to the satisfaction of, and standards of, the School Business Manager – based on engagement with SLT, our young people and their families
• In consultation with the School Business Manager, plan and develop interesting, innovative and varied seasonal menus, taking advantage of locally sourced fresh ingredients wherever possible, within budget.
• To prepare food adhering to menu plans, considering any special dietary requirements and food allergies, portion control, ensuring that all food produced is presented and served to the highest standard, at the required times.
• To assist in ordering appropriate stock as required alongside the School Business Manager, and to ensure that deliveries are checked against the order book.
• In the absence of the School Business Manager, to manage the Catering Department efficiently and effectively, providing a good role model and leading by example.
• To demonstrate a positive working style with an enthusiastic, committed and flexible attitude.
• In the planning and production of meals and snacks, to minimise waste wherever possible.
• To work as a team, using available time to complete food preparation and ordering ahead of schedule.
• To demonstrate a thorough understanding and safe usage of all kitchen equipment.
• To keep records of production / consumption / wastage and to produce monthly reports for the School Business Manager.
• To correctly implement and adhere to cleaning schedules to ensure that the kitchen and ancillary areas maintain the highest standards of hygiene.
• At the end of the catering day, ensure that all facilities are secured including the stock room, fridges, freezers, clearing area, internal and external doors. All windows must be closed and locked, and all equipment turned off.
• When required you may need to work additional hours or on other days outside of term time where necessary. At short notice, you will ensure provisions are planned and available and be able to cover wider duties required by the school in the event of sickness.

Please note that duties will vary and you will be expected to contribute to the overall aims of Vincent House School when required. Please see the link below for our full job description :

Skills and Qualifications

Candidates must :

Benefits and Additional Information

What’s on offer?

Training and Development - Within Aurora, we strongly believe that learning and development should not be limited to just the children and young people we support. We offer wide range of programmes and opportunities to all our employees to improve your skills and further your career.

Save money on your bills!! - With the cost of living rising we have a fantastic benefit through Perkbox to help with cutting costs and help make your money go further. Perkbox is a free app for you to use on the go wherever you are. You can get deals and discounts to save money on things like your weekly food bill, phone plans, internet, eating out, gym memberships, insurance and more. You can also use Perkbox for our cycle to work scheme and car scheme.

Competitive Pay and Reward - Every year we compare the market rates of pay and rewards to insure they are comparable or better to other similar organisations. We also offer Enhanced Annual Leave, Company Sick Pay, Enhanced Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.

UK Health Cash Plan - This plan can help cover your day to day healthcare expenditure such as optician and dental bills. You and your children are covered on this plan and you can also choose to upgrade and add a partner to enjoy the benefits with you.

Employee Assistance Programme - Your health and wellbeing is very important to us and we have support available on a wide variety of issues, helping you with online tools, information and via a freephone counselling service available / 7.

Refer a friend for £1, - We’ll reward you for recommending friends and family to come and join the company (

How to Apply :

Please complete an online application form in full, remembering to include all employment and education details. If you need any assistance or would like any more information, please contact Liz in the Aurora Group Recruitment Team at