Catering Assistant

Ref: 001628

Catering Assistant

Contract: Fixed Term (21 July 2027)

Salary: £25,711 (full time full year equivalent) | Actual Salary: £9,647 per annum (Grade 1)

Hours: 16.25 per week, term time only

Start Date: 1 September 2026

Closing Date: Thursday 16 July 2026 at Midnight

Interview Date: Tuesday 21 July 2026

To see the job description, person specification, and to apply please us following link at MyNewTerm: https://mynewterm.com/jobs/139704/EDV-2026-CPA-02891

We are looking to appoint an experienced, hard-working catering assistant to join our team. Candidates will ideally have experience working in a school catering environment. Ideal candidates will have a good working knowledge food safety and allergen awareness, and be able to demonstrate initiative and teamwork.

We are looking for someone who:

• Is fair, caring, flexible and dedicated.
• Is highly motivated with the ability to work as part of a team.
• Has clear drive and ambition to learn and develop themselves.
• Is adaptive and can work flexibly with other colleagues.
• Is committed to helping all children reach their potential.
• Has experience working in a kitchen.
• Is able to demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills.

We can offer:

• A school where role, workload and wellbeing are given high priority and are balanced.
• A friendly and caring school.
• Happy, enthusiastic and well-behaved children who have a passion for learning.
• A collaborative and supportive professional community.

The role will be based atCoppice PrimaryAcademy butcould involve some travel to our other schools within the Trust.This of course will be reasonable andappropriate tothe role.

Focus-Trust:

Focus-Trust wasestablishedin 2012.We are a charitable primary trust, based in theNorth-West of England and West Yorkshire and are dedicated to working with our 15 primary schools. It is the core purpose of Focus-Trust to continually strive to be a learning organisation, where the learning of all children and adults is valued and promoted.

We passionately believe equality of opportunity starts with education; irrespective of where you were born or where you live, a high-quality education in one of our great schools will make a fundamental difference to all our children's lives, careerprospectsand social mobility. We are proud to havea great teamof people working in our central team and within our schools who always put children at the heart of our practice.

We are committed toproviding excellent professional development opportunities for all our staff and alwaysaim to be an employer of choice. We welcome people who share our values and approach to our work and who can help us make our mission a reality:‘Learning together, making the difference’ and help usdemonstrateour vision; ‘Great schools at the heart of our communities’.

Additional Reasons to Join Us:

• Automatic enrolment into aLocal Government Pension Scheme (albeit employees can opt out if they choose to).
• Terms and conditions which are in line with Focus-Trust pay and grading structure which applies to all support staff across the Trust.
• Access to the employeeassistanceprogramme to support with great health and wellbeing for all.
• Cycle to work schemes available.
• Commitment to Safeguarding.

Commitment to Safeguarding:

Focus-Trust is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and young people.There is an explicit expectation that all staff, trustees,governorsand volunteers share this commitment and adhere to all safeguarding policies and procedures.

Applicants should be aware that the recruitment process will include an assessment of your suitability to work with children and must be willing to undergo pre-employment checks.Safer recruitment practice and pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.Focus-Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcomes applications fromunderrepresentedgroups and ethnic minorities.

If you are shortlisted, we will take up references before the interview date. One of your referees must be your current or most recent employer. Two satisfactory references must be received before we can confirm any offer of an appointment. The information we request will relate to salary, length of service, skills and abilities, suitability for the job, disciplinary record and suitability to work with children. Copies of references or open references will not be accepted. On receipt of references, your referees may be contacted to verify any discrepancies, anomalies, or relevant issues as part of the recruitment verification process.

In line with our safer recruitment policy, an online presence search will be undertaken if you are shortlisted. This online search is designed to complement the range of standard recruitment checks and allows us to identify a candidate’s online presence which potentially could damage the organisation’s reputation and/or question a candidate’s suitability to work with children.