High Close School is a successful special school catering for pupils with a complex range of needs including ASD, SEMH and ADHD. We are seeking to appoint a dedicated, energetic school cook to join our friendly team.

The role offers the successful candidate the opportunity to play a vital role in our school community by preparing high-quality, balanced meals in a safe and welcoming environment for our young peopl

We are looking for an experienced person who is able to work single handedly and as part of a term.

So are you

Able to showcase your cooking and baking skills
Able to build positive relationships at all levels
Manage kitchen hygiene, safety & food storage safely
Cater for special diets and specific allergen requirements

So are you the person we are looking for!

This is an exciting opportunity to join the staff team at High Close School in Wokingham, Berkshire.

If you are considerate, a great team player, enthusiastic, flexible, caring then what are you waiting for? Apply now!

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification and Job Description. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

We may interview before the closing date.

Barnardo's Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.

Our safer recruitment processes mean that the safety and welfare of the child is paramount at every stage of the process and therefore we adopt rigorous scrutiny in our pre-employment checking. Applicants must be willing to undergo relevant pre-employment checks, including references being taken up prior to interview and for the successful candidate, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, and online checks being completed in line with the Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance. It is an offence to apply for a role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

As part of your application, you will need to provide full details of your employment since leaving secondary education, starting with your current or most recent employment first and then by working backwards, including reasons for leaving. Please also include any periods of voluntary work and/or training, providing reasons for any periods not in employment, education or training.

Read further about our commitment to safeguarding and our pre-employment checks in our applicant information sheet below.

Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is reflected in our values and our practice, and we have invested in this area of our work to ensure that we can deliver on our commitments to be an inclusive employer. EDI is a key enabler of our purpose as a charity and we want to ensure that the diversity of our teams is reflective of the communities we serve and that we continue to learn and develop our work with a focus on inclusion. We particularly encourage applications from candidates from Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic Communities, candidates who are LGBT+ and Disabled candidates.

Reference number:23560
Job Title:Cook
Location:High Close School
Contract type:Permanent
Hours:30 per week
Salary:£25,878 (FTE) Term Time only 39 weeks (£17,792 actual)
Closing Date:4 September 2026
Interview Date:To be confirmed

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