Oakfield Lodge School

Oakfield Lodge School is a 60-place secondary pupil referral unit providing short stay education for children aged 11-16 years. The school caters for students who are outside of mainstream education as a result of a permanent exclusion. Students are referred by the local authority education access officer from Cheshire East. We are a part of Manor Hall Academy Trust, which is an expanding Multi-Academy Trust, uniquely founded by a collaboration of special schools, united by a shared ethos, values, and collective aspirations. Guided by our commitment that Everyone Belongs, Learns and Grows, it truly is a special place to work. At the heart of our approach is mutual respect, where the exchange of best practice, expertise, support, and challenge thrives. We maintain high expectations across all aspects of our work, ensuring continuous growth and improvement. 

Join Oakfield Lodge School and play a vital role in delivering a high-quality, safe, and efficient catering service that supports the wellbeing of our students. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and organised Catering Supervisor to lead our catering provision and contribute to our inclusive school community.

About the Role

This is a temporary position for a minimum of 6 months. You will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the catering service, ensuring it meets school standards and Department of Education requirements. You will oversee all aspects of food preparation, service delivery, hygiene, and compliance.

 Key Responsibilities

• Solely responsible for kitchen operations, including cooking, food preparation, and special dietary provision
• Manage ordering, stock control, budgets, and financial processes
• Maintain high standards of hygiene, health & safety, and record keeping
• Deliver meal service, dining setup, clearing, and cleaning
• Support school events and emergency catering
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, HR, and statutory requirements

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking someone who is:

• Skilled in catering operations and food preparation
• Organised, adaptable, and proactive
• Experienced in managing budgets
• Committed to high standards of hygiene, safety, and service
• A strong communicator with a team-focused approach
• Dedicated to safeguarding and supporting young people

Our Values & Commitment

At Oakfield Lodge, we are driven by a strong ethos of inclusion, safeguarding, equality, and continuous improvement. You will contribute to a culture of professionalism, collaboration, and care while supporting sustainability and health & safety practices.

What We Offer

• 25 days annual leave + 2 discretionary days + bank holidays (pro-rata), increasing with service
• Generous Local Government Pension Scheme
• Health & wellbeing support, counselling & physiotherapy
• Tech & Cycle to Work schemes
• Retail and lifestyle discounts
• A supportive and welcoming working environment

How to Apply

Apply via My New Term. We review applications on a rolling basis and may close the vacancy early.

For an informal discussion, contact Sian Nixon at s.nixon@oakfield.mhat.org.uk or call 01270 918337 to arrange a visit.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As a ‘Disability Confident’ employer, we are committed to ensuring disabled candidates are included in our recruitment process. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria of the role, we will invite you to interview. Please let us know if you are eligible for this scheme at the application stage.

Don’t meet every single requirement?

At Manor Hall Trust, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every single requirement in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the perfect candidate for this or another role within our organisation.

If you are successful after shortlisting, you will be provided with the full details of the recruitment and selection process, together will the timeline.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Manor Hall Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. Child safety recruitment procedures operate, and appointment is subject to satisfactory references, enhanced DBS, qualifications check and all other relevant employment checks. Please also note that if you are shortlisted for the role, we may conduct an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted candidates. This may help to identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which may indicate that you are unsuitable to work with children, and that we may want to explore with you at interview. You will find our policies (including Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment and Disclosure of a Criminal Conviction) here - Policies – Oakfield Lodge School