Witherslack Group
Cook in Charge
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Up to £25,583 + Excellent Benefits
Huge Small Victories
Being a cook in our school means being part of something big. You’ll be working at the heart of the school, preparing and serving tasty, nutritious food to our young people, staff, and visitors.
Get out what you put in
- You’ll supervise a skilled team and plan nutritious menus for our young people.
- You’ll also need to make sure that the school meets food hygiene regulations and nutritional standards.
Being a cook in charge at our schools means you’ll get to build fantastic relationships with all of our staff and young people, by doing what you do best.
One of the best environments in SEND
Millcourt School is an independent specialist day school based in Shelf, Yorkshire, providing high-quality education for pupils with social communication difficulties, including those with autism and its associated needs. Many pupils may also experience challenges with emotional regulation, sensory processing, anxiety, and behaviours that arise from difficulties with communication, understanding, and social interaction.
Housed within a beautifully refurbished historic mill building, the school offers a thriving, nurturing, and engaging learning environment where every pupil is valued as an individual. Many of our pupils have experienced difficulties in previous educational settings and may have had disrupted educational journeys.
At Millcourt, they become part of a community that understands their needs, celebrates their strengths, and provides the specialist support necessary for them to flourish. We are committed to fostering a strong sense of belonging, achievement, and success, ensuring that every pupil feels safe, respected, and included.
Through high expectations, positive relationships, and personalised support, we help pupils develop the confidence, communication skills, and independence needed to thrive in school and beyond. Our aim is to nurture respectful, resilient, and responsible young people who are equipped to overcome challenges, build meaningful relationships, and make a positive contribution to their communities.
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We know you’re going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the education sector. With us, you’ll get to bring learning to life and make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get:
- Training: A full induction and on-the-job training
- Holiday: You’ll work hard at WG, so you’ll be rewarded with full school holidays
- Flexible benefits: meaning you can increase/decrease benefits such as life insurance – check out our benefits here
- Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance
- Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an optician's or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts
- Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities – check out our schools here
- A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time
Bring your whole-self to work
Our young people come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds, and with different needs – and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage, and inspire our young people to be themselves.
The kind of person we’re looking for will:
- Have a Level 3 qualification in Food Safety in Catering (or equivalent)
- Be organised and have the ability to plan menus
- Have experience budgeting for each meal and ordering in bulk
Interested in joining us?
At Witherslack Group, inclusion is part of who we are. We’re committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and that they truly belong.
As a specialist provider of education and care for children and young people with special educational needs, we understand the importance of embracing individuality and championing difference – especially when it comes to neurodiversity.
We celebrate diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and the unique strengths that each person brings to our community. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities.
We are proud to be recognised as an inclusive employer and are committed to making our recruitment and workplace practices inclusive and accessible.
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If you need any adjustments to support you through the recruitment process or in the workplace, we’ll be there every step of the way.
By building a diverse and inclusive team, we’re better able to support the children, young people, and families we serve and ensure every member of our team can thrive, grow, and be their authentic self.
The Witherslack Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its young people.
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost) and an online search. We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.
For a full job description and person specification, please click here. To view our ex-offenders policy please click here. To view our Child Protection Policy, please visit the 'Parents and Carers' section of this School/Learning centre. You can find all our Schools here.
Special Education / Careers in Care / Careers in Special Education / Working with Children / SEMH / SEN / ASD
We are the highest Ofsted-rated provider in the country for special education and care. Our teams are fulfilled by the idea of making even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things.
There’s lots of ups and downs, and to some of our young people, just sitting through a lesson can be a big win. We call these huge small victories, and whilst they may seem small on the surface, they add up to make a big difference.
We live and learn with children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs, communication difficulties (such as Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, or speech, language, and communication needs), ADHD, or complex learning needs.
Mission:
We are the leading provider of specialist education and care for children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs, communication difficulties (autistic spectrum conditions; speech, language, and communication needs), ADHD, and complex learning needs.
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