Head Chef

Salary FTE Grade 5 (£31,015 - £33,673 FTE) 

Actual salary £26,677 - £28,963 (with under five years' service) 

Contract term 37 hours, 39 weeks, permanent 

Start date As soon as possible  

Closing date  Midnight Sunday 31 May 2026 

Mercia Learning Trust 

Mercia Learning Trust is a successful partnership of four primary and three secondary schools located in the south-west of Sheffield.  Established in 2012, with one secondary school, our trust has grown to serving over 5000 pupils, with 650 staff.  

Why do we exist? 

• To empower everyone in our communities, especially the most disadvantaged, to succeed. 

How do we behave? 

• We are kind - showing care and supporting each other. 

• We have integrity - doing the right thing and always putting children first. 

• We work with diligence - overcoming obstacles and having no excuses. 

What do we do? 

• We run schools that focus on academic excellence, cultural capital and the development of character. 

How will we succeed? 

• A culture of excellence – high standards shaped by clarity, not control. 

• Academic focus – empowering all children through an exceptional curriculum. 

• Purposeful collaboration – relationships built on trust, reducing sub-optimisation and driving collective success. 

Our staff are a crucial part of our trust, just like our pupils. We are devoted to recruiting, training, retaining and taking good care of our highly skilled and dedicated team.  

Mercia School 

Mercia School (11-18) opened in 2018 in a brand-new building. Leaders and governors have an ambitious vision for the school and are determined that all pupils, irrespective of background will thrive and achieve well. The school has secured a strong reputation for educational excellence and during the last three years, has been the most over-subscribed school in the city. 

In February 2023, Ofsted inspected the school and graded all aspects of provision, and its overall effectiveness, to be ‘Outstanding’. Mercia School published exceptional GCSE results in the summer of 2023, achieving the highest Progress 8 score for disadvantaged pupils, this high-level of performance was repeated in 2024.   

Mercia Collegiate Sixth Form opened in September 2023. As the school continues to grow, it is crucial that we sustain our culture and effectiveness, and this role is central to our continued success.  

The role 

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, multi-talented and highly skilled head chef to join our friendly and supportive team at Mercia School. 

The head chef will support operations in all areas of the kitchen assisting with preparation and cooking to consistently present food to the highest standards. 

The right candidate will have: 

• a genuine passion for food 

• the ability to lead, mentor and coach the kitchen team and deliver high standards in all areas  

• knowledge about what it takes to be a successful head chef 

• a high level of communication skills and the ability to relate positively to children and adults 

• the talent to adapt to changing situations 

• a keen eye for ensuring the health & safety of our pupils and staff 

• strong principles that are aligned with our school & trust 

• the skills ensure full compliance with food hygiene, health & safety, HACCAP & all food allergens 

• the ability to develop new dishes, writing up to date menus within current healthy eating trends, ensuring consistent high standard food quality and presentation 

We welcome applications from talented, ambitious individuals who can dedicate themselves to the implementation of our school’s vision.