Junior Chef de Partie
- Job title: Junior Chef de Partie
- Job Type: Part time
- Salary: £12k (20 hours per week over 41 weeks)
- Department: Catering
- Reporting to: Head of Catering & Domestic Services
- Location: Dining Hall
- Start: As soon as possible
- Closing Date: 20 February 2023 at 12:00 pm
Are you a self guided chef who is looking to develop their skills and help us add the “wow factor” to the freshly prepared catering we provide to over 2000 people daily?
The key aim of this role is to help us enhance the food we provide. This could include traybakes for packed lunches, power bars for sports teams, homemade finger foods for buffets, homemade sausage rolls for school trips, overnight oats for breakfasts.
This is a fantastic opportunity for you to use your flair and creativity and the role gives freedom to experiment. There is no following recipes directed by a Head Office in this role.
There is flexibility in working hours to fit around other commitments you have in life. Hours can be spread across 3 to 5 working days.
The Department
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 staff are 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.
The Junior Chef De Partie, under the direction of the Executive Head Chef and Head of Catering and Domestic Services will be responsible for the production of both sweet and savoury food items. This includes items for packed lunches such as tray bakes and homemade savoury pastries, energy bars for sports teas and finger foods for buffets. The role will include elements of lone working and working hours will be during kitchen down times.
- The preparation of food from scratch including sweet and savory items.
- To ensure food is prepared as detailed on the menu ensuring quantities and portions are suitable to satisfy demand while minimizing waste.
- To ensure food is ready in a timely manner.
- An awareness of upcoming events and catering requirements ensuring food is prepared for them.
- Ensure all products produced are labelled with allergen and ingredient information.
- To ensure all temperatures are recorded and that stock is rotated.
- Criteria
- How will these be tested or verified?
- Qualifications
Essential
- Level 2 NVQ in food production or similar
Desirable
- Level 2 food hygiene
- Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a similar, high volume kitchen environment such as a school, hotel or conference centre at a commis chef level
Desirable
- Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding policies.
- Knowledge of working in the education sector.
- Ability / skills
Essential
- Capable of working on his/her own initiative.
- Have the ability to get on well with colleagues, staff and pupils.
- Personal Attributes
Essential
- Self-motivated.
- Able to work on own initiative
- Able to cope well in high pressure moments.
- Have an exemplary attendance record in respect of his/her present and previous employment.
- Highly presentable and approachable.
Benefits
Location | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.
Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered with a generous 21% employer contribution.
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.
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.
Working at Highgate
A culture of community, kindness and belonging
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.”
Staff wellbeing
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:
Charitable work and sustainability
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.
Application procedure
- Closing Date: 20th February 2023
- Timing of interviews: w/b 20 February 2023
Contact: Jamie Scott, Head of Catering & Domestic Services 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 hereInclusion
We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.
Safeguarding
As this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate’s Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.
Please read before you apply
Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities.
Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview.
In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.