We have a great opportunity for a skilled front of house supervisor to join the friendly catering team at Highgate School.
The role involves the planning and the supervising of the catering for all internal events across the school site.
This role is varied with events ranging from canape receptions, formal sit down meals and summer barbecues. It is expected that approximately 20% of time will be administration with 80% based customer facing.
With support from the Head of Catering and Domestic Services, you will have autonomy to implement new service standards to improve efficiency and raise the standard of catering service to our customers.
The role is predominantly Monday to Friday with occasional weekend work (approximately 8 Saturdays a year). Hours are flexible based on events and therefore there is no set working pattern.
Working in our nearly refurbished kitchen and Dining Hall featuring the latest Rational ICombi and IVario equipment, the catering team is responsible for providing catering throughout the school site. This includes preparing and serving over 2,000 lunches daily using fresh seasonal ingredients as well as catering for a wide range of functions.
It’s a dynamic department as no two days are the same, one day we could be preparing and serving teas for a cricket match, the next we could be preparing a canapes and drinks reception for 100 people. The catering team of 40 is based across the school site and features roles as diverse as Tuck Shop Assistant, Chef de Partie, Pastry Chef and Front of House Supervisor. By joining our team you will help deliver exceptional food and service, constantly looking to incorporate the latest food trends with a focus on sustainability and fresh ingredients.
Functions, Events and Private Dining
Dining Hall Lunch Service
Pre-preparatory Dining Hall
General
Desirable:
Desirable
Location | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.
Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered – 21% employer contribution, with the ability to flex up to 11% of this as additional non-pensionable salary, employees contribute a minimum of 5%.
Personal development | Comprehensive induction support for new staff. Focus on continued professional development for all employees.
Leisure facilities | Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and swimming pool (recently refurbished).
Holidays | Generous holiday allowance of 33 days (including bank holidays) for full-time staff. Most holidays will be taken during school holiday periods.
Lunch | A complimentary lunch including hot meals, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit and dessert.
Help with sustainable travel | Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.
Family-friendly policies | Highgate appreciates that employees sometimes have family commitments so we try to be as supportive as possible, for example with enhanced maternity pay (8 weeks’ full pay, then 10 weeks’ half pay) and paid dependant leave.
Highgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.
Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.
In a recent ISI inspection (Dec 2021), it was noted that “Pupils show exceptional respect for, and appreciate diversity within the school and wider community, and their own and other cultures, demonstrating sensitivity and tolerance to those from different backgrounds and traditions.”
Highgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.
The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.
We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.
More details about working at Highgate can be found here:
As an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible – through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham – an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.
Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.
As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.
Contact: Jamie.scott@highgateschool.org.uk, Head of Catering is happy to answer any questions about this post.
Early Application: Applications will be considered ‘as and when’ received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.
Apply here