The Grange School

Recruitment Pack Assistant Head of Catering

Welcome

The Grange School is one of the great success stories of independent education, shaped by over forty years of sustained growth, ambition and achievement. Founded in 1933 as a Kindergarten and Preparatory School, the School took a bold and transformative step in 1977 with the introduction of secondary education. Since then, The Grange has grown steadily, developing an outstanding academic reputation alongside a strong and supportive school community.

Today, The Grange educates 1,180 students aged 3–18, with approximately 400 students in the Junior School and 780 in the Senior School, including a vibrant Sixth Form. The School is consistently amongst the highestperforming independent schools in the North West and is widely regarded as one of the leading co-educational day schools in the country.

Academic standards are high, and outcomes place The Grange towards the top of national independent school league tables, with strong GCSE and Alevel results and the majority of students progressing to their first-choice universities.

Just as importantly, The Grange is a very happy place to work and learn. Relationships between staff and students are warm, respectful and purposeful. Expectations are high, and the School is busy and dynamic, but it is also collegiate, supportive and professionally rewarding. Staff are encouraged to be ambitious, reflective and creative, within a culture that values collaboration and mutual respect.

Above all, our purpose is to help young people truly flourish. We believe in educating the whole person, supporting each student to discover and develop their individual strengths, talents and passions. Through challenge, encouragement and opportunity, we prepare our students not only for academic success, but for fulfilled and purposeful lives beyond school.

If you would like to discuss this vacancy please contact Mrs Lynn Geary, HR and Governance Officer by email to: recruitment@grange.org.uk, or call 01606 539039.

Dr Lorraine Earps Head

Hartford, Cheshire

The Grange School is situated in Hartford, a thriving village that combines a strong sense of community with excellent regional connectivity. Closely linked to the nearby market town of Northwich, Hartford sits within the historic Vale Royal of Cheshire and is ideally positioned between Manchester and Liverpool, with Chester just 15 miles away.

The area offers an outstanding quality of life. Beautiful countryside is always close at hand, while hills, coastline and mountain landscapes are all easily accessible. At the same time, nearby cities provide rich cultural, sporting and commercial opportunities, complementing the more peaceful pace of village and rural life.

A wide range of housing is available locally, catering for different lifestyles, stages of life and budgets. Both staff and students travel to The Grange from a broad geographical area, drawn from a mix of urban, suburban and rural communities.

Overall, the location combines accessibility, natural beauty and a high standard of living, making Hartford and the surrounding area an excellent place to work, live and belong.

Assistant Head of Catering The Opportunity

Actual Salary: £25,267 per annum
Reporting to: Head of Catering
Working hours: 32.5 hours per week
Monday - Friday 7:30am - 2:30pm with 30 minute unpaid break,
term time only plus 10 days to be worked in the School Holidays as
agreed with the Head of Catering
Responsible for: Catering Assistants, Food Service Assistants,
Hospitality & Event Catering Teams where applicable

Purpose of the Role

The Assistant Head of Catering is the second-in-command within the Catering Department and is responsible for supporting the Head of Catering in the operational delivery of all catering services across The Grange School.

The postholder will lead day-to-day catering operations, ensuring consistently high standards of food production, service delivery, cleanliness, customer experience, compliance and staff performance across all catering sites, including the Junior School, Senior School, Sixth Form Centre, Dining Hall, Pavilion and Boathouse.

The Assistant Head of Catering will play a key role in developing and implementing new catering initiatives, supporting hospitality and commercial events, and ensuring the service delivers excellent value, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

In the absence of the Head of Catering, the Assistant Head of Catering will assume operational responsibility for the entire catering service.

Assistant Head of Catering Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

Support the Head of Catering in the delivery of all catering services across the School.

Provide visible day-to-day leadership across all catering locations.

Ensure all food service operations run efficiently and effectively.

Monitor food quality, presentation and customer service standards.

Ensure service areas, kitchens and dining facilities are maintained to exceptional standards.

Coordinate staffing and operational resources to meet changing requirements.

Act as Duty Manager for catering operations as required.

Deputise fully for the Head of Catering during periods of absence.

Food Service Excellence

Monitor food quality and presentation standards across all locations.

Ensure menus are delivered consistently and in accordance with agreed specifications.

Support the introduction of new menu concepts and service innovations.

Assist in developing improved food offers for:

Sixth Form students

Year 10 and 11 kiosk provision

Hospitality and event catering

Gather feedback from pupils, staff and visitors and implement service improvements.

Promote healthy eating and sustainability initiatives.

Assistant Head of Catering Responsibilities

Commercial and Event Catering

Support the operational delivery of catering for:

School events

Open Days

Sports fixtures

Alumni events

Conferences

External lettings

Commercial activities

Work alongside the Head of Events to ensure hospitality standards exceed client expectations.

Ensure event catering is delivered efficiently, professionally and profitably.

Help identify opportunities to improve commercial income generation.

Financial Management

Support the Head of Catering in the effective management of catering budgets.

Monitor food costs, labour costs and operational expenditure.

Assist with ordering, stock management and procurement processes.

Monitor stock levels and minimise wastage.

Ensure robust stock control and inventory management systems are maintained.

Contribute to budget planning and financial reporting.

Support supplier relationships and value-for-money purchasing decisions.

Assistant Head of Catering Responsibilities

Compliance and Food Safety

Ensure all catering operations are fully compliant with:

Food Safety legislation

HACCP requirements

Allergen management regulations

COSHH

Health and Safety legislation

Environmental Health requirements

Conduct regular inspections and audits.

Monitor completion of food safety records and compliance documentation.

Ensure corrective actions are implemented when issues are identified.

Support preparation for external audits and inspections.

Promote a strong culture of health, safety and food hygiene.

Staff Leadership and Development

Supervise and support Catering Supervisors and operational teams.

Assist with recruitment, induction and training of staff.

Support performance management and staff development processes.

Deliver ongoing coaching and mentoring.

Develop effective staff rotas that provide efficient operational cover.

Promote positive employee engagement and wellbeing.

Foster a culture of teamwork, accountability and customer service excellence.

Stakeholder Engagement

Build positive relationships with pupils, staff, parents and visitors.

Respond professionally to customer feedback and service issues.

Work collaboratively with operational leaders across the School.

Support departmental communications and service improvement initiatives.

Assistant Head of Catering Responsibilities

Safeguarding and General Responsibilities

Fulfil responsibilities in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

Promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young people.

Support equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the School community.

Comply with all School policies and procedures.

Undertake any duties commensurate with the grade and responsibility of the post.

Assistant Head of Catering The Person

Qualifications

Essential

Food Safety qualification at Level 3 or above.

GCSE (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics.

Supervisory or management qualification, or equivalent experience.

Full UK driving licence.

Desirable

HACCP qualification.

IOSH Managing Safely qualification.

Relevant hospitality or catering qualification.

First Aid qualification.

Experience

Essential

Experience within a large-scale catering, hospitality or food service environment.

Experience supervising teams within a catering operation.

Experience managing food safety and compliance requirements.

Experience of stock control, ordering and budget monitoring.

Experience delivering high-quality customer-focused services.

Experience organising staffing and operational resources.

Desirable

Experience in an educational or independent school setting.

Experience supporting multi-site catering operations.

Experience of hospitality and event catering.

Experience using catering management and procurement systems.

Experience supporting service development projects.

Assistant Head of Catering The Person

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

Strong understanding of food safety, allergen management and health and safety requirements.

Excellent organisation and planning skills.

Strong communication and interpersonal abilities.

Ability to lead and motivate teams.

Good financial awareness and understanding of catering cost controls.

Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Competent use of Microsoft Office applications and management systems.

Desirable

Understanding of educational catering trends.

Knowledge of commercial hospitality operations.

Experience analysing operational and performance data.

Personal Attributes

Essential

Enthusiastic and highly motivated.

Strong team player and collaborative leader.

Customer-focused and service-driven.

Professional and approachable.

Resilient and adaptable.

Strong attention to detail.

Calm under pressure.

Committed to maintaining high standards.

Positive, proactive and solutions-focused.

Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Assistant Head of Catering The Person

Success Measures

Within the first 12 months, the successful candidate will have:

Established themselves as the operational leader of the catering team.

Supported the successful implementation of the Sixth Form catering enhancements.

Assisted in the development and launch of the Year 10 and 11 kiosk provision.

Maintained consistently high standards of food quality and customer service.

Demonstrated effective cost control and wastage reduction.

Strengthened compliance and food safety performance across all catering areas.

Developed positive working relationships across the School community.

Helped deliver successful hospitality and commercial catering events.

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious catering professional seeking to develop into a leadership role, whilst playing a key part in shaping and delivering an exceptional catering experience across The Grange School.

How to apply

To apply for this position please complete and return an application form and write a covering letter for the attention of the Head, Dr Lorraine Earps and send to: recruitment@grange.org.uk.

Applications can also be returned to us by post, to: The Grange School, Bradburns Lane, Hartford, Cheshire CW8 1LU.

The closing date for applications is 3 August 2026 at 12 noon with interviews tord be held on 11 August 2026.th

Employee Benefits

Here at The Grange School we offer a competitive package of employee benefits, including:

Employee Assistance Programme: with Health Assured

Healthcare: We have partnered with Benenden Health to look after your health and wellbeing. Healthcare membership gives employees access to healthcare services such as Medical Diagnostics, Medical Treatment and Surgery, Physiotherapy, 24/7 GP and Mental Health helplines. You can also take advantage of exclusive offers on other products including discounted health assessments, health, cash plans, travel and home insurance and discounts on self-funded treatments.

Pension: Aviva Pension Scheme

Fee discount: Up to 50% Discount on Student Fees

Use of on-site facilities: Staff have free membership to the school’s onsite gym, outside of school hours and use of the sports hall. All staff can also take advantage of discounted ticket prices to shows at The Grange Theatre.

Social events: All new staff are invited to join us for a welcome meal and we also host an annual summer BBQ and Christmas party. A variety of wellbeing activities are also planned around school INSET days.

Staff discounts: The Grange has partnered with 'Benefit Hub' who offer discounts and money- saving deals on shopping, holidays, insurance etc. We have also partnered with local businesses who offer discounts on car maintenance and local gym memberships.

Subsidised lunch: in dining hall

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme: with Octopus

Cycle to work scheme: Cycle scheme is an employee benefit that saves you 26-40% on a bike and accessories. You pay nothing upfront and the payments are taken tax efficiently from your salary.

The Grange School

The Grange School Bradburns Lane, Hartford Cheshire, CW8 1LU 01606 539039

recruitment@grange.org.uk

www.grange.org.uk

The Grange School is committed to safeguarding and promoting
the welfare of children and 1 young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.