Café Catering Tutor/Manager

Make food. Make futures. Make a difference.

North Ridge is an Outstanding specialist support high school for students aged 11–19 with complex special educational needs. We’re a fast-growing school based across two sites, with a Sixth Form Hub in Cheetham Hill that’s home to several exciting student-led business enterprises.

One of these businesses is Cup & Cake – an award-winning café, open to the public during term time and run by our sixth form students. The café serves delicious, seasonal meals (often featuring fresh produce from our student-run allotment, The Plot) and offers students meaningful, real-world experiences in catering, customer service, and enterprise.

We are on the lookout for someone who can take the lead at Cup & Cake — someone who loves food, cares deeply about young people, and believes in the power of hands-on learning.

Main Purpose of Post

We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed individual to bring excitement and ideas, and to help to grow this unique café enterprise. You will manage day-to-day operations with our students, guiding them in food preparation, hygiene and health & safety, all while fostering independence, confidence, and job-ready skills.

This isn’t just a café manager/chef role — it’s part teacher, part mentor, part culinary wizard. You’ll collaborate with teachers and teaching assistants to link food preparation to curriculum goals, adapt activities to meet individual needs, and keep things running smoothly behind the scenes.

A Day Might Include:

• Running a breakfast service before student trainees arrive at placement.
• Working with students to prepare a lunch menu, including sandwiches, salads, soups and a small selection of hot dishes.
• Introducing new recipes using produce from our allotment, ‘The Plot’.
• Supporting a student to develop kitchen skills (knife skills, baking, stock rotation, etc.) as part of their assessment portfolio.
• Planning the next seasonal menu
• Ensuring that all necessary hygiene tasks are completed and logs are up to date
• Providing feedback to teaching staff and contributing to student targets

We are seeking someone who is:

• Passionate about working with young people with special educational needs
• Experienced in catering and hospitality
• Skilled in delivering high-quality food safely and professionally
• A positive communicator who can build strong relationships with students, staff and visitors
• ICT literate, with sound literacy and numeracy skills for accurate record keeping
• Creative, adaptable and committed to continuous improvement

Applicants without qualified teacher status will be appointed on the Manchester City Concil support staff pay grades. Applicants with qualified teacher status, will be appointed on the teacher pay scale, and teaching experience will be considered as part of your application.

Why join North Ridge?

• Be part of an Outstanding, forward-thinking school community
• Work in a truly rewarding role that combines education, enterprise, and creativity
• Enjoy a supportive, collaborative working environment
• Make a lasting impact on young people’s futures, through meaningful and practical learning
• Develop your own skills in a unique and expanding area of specialist education

Main Tasks

·   To support the Business Director and business enterprise team in the development and management of a café business, led by 6th form students ensuring a high quality service to customers

·   To work as a member of the 6th form team supporting the delivery of high quality teaching and learning around food preparation and management 

• To support in the formulation of the business and marketing plan, delivering effective marketing campaigns
• To participate in new initiatives and future changes in the service delivery improvements to support the aims and objectives of the school and its business functions.
• To ensure high standards of hygiene and service are maintained throughout.
• To provide learners support to learn/develop and increase their catering knowledge and understanding
• To increase self-esteem.
• To plan and cost menus
• To ensure the efficient management and day to day running of the café
• To effectively manage and monitor deliveries, stock, budget and resources providing management information to inform financial reporting
• To support the lead TA in the delivery of lessons for the benefit of the learner
• To ensure all relevant policies and procedures, such as security, Health and Safety and food hygiene, are adhered to and take responsibility of the work area.
• Attend team meetings and staff training to support in your development of knowledge and understanding of the SEN of the students
• Establish a rapport with students to encourage them to take their first steps in learning and achieve a recognised qualification or accreditation in catering
• Monitor quality control of work and food produced
• Undertake duties as required by the Head Teacher.
• To attend, as required, appropriate meetings in respect of your area of work
• To use ICT to support the delivery of the catering business

General

• To promote Manchester City Council’s and the School Governor’s Equality policy and other policies set out by the Governors of the School.
• To be aware of and follow the School’s Health and Safety Guidelines.

             To understand and actively promote the School’s Equality Policy and guidelines.