Jobs At Higham

We are a busy residential college, open 50 weeks a year. We welcome over 3,500 students and currently employ around 35 permanent staff plus 60+ freelance tutors.

We are also supported by a small group of regular volunteers who help us with a range of activities, from gardening to driving the minibus. If you are interested in volunteering at Higham, please get in touch.

Higham is a special place to work, not least because of the dedicated and talented people you will work alongside.

We are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for everyone, regardless of gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion or belief.

Thank you for taking an interest in working at Higham.

Our application form is available to download here.

Current vacancies

There are currently no vacancies open

Current Positions Available

JOB VACANCY Vacancy – Cook Hours: 0.6%FTE (22.5hrs per week on a rota) + additional shifts to cover staff holiday/sickness as required Pay: £14.14 per hour from April 1 2025. Benefits: meals provided, free on-site parking, cycle to work scheme, employee benefits include 1 free course per year Higham Hall is a busy residential college, open 7 days a week, 50 weeks per year. We serve a hot breakfast, 2-course lunch and 3-course dinner to our students, staff and visitors every day. All meals plus cakes and biscuits are prepared on site from scratch by our cooks, according to menus and recipes provided by the Head Cook. The kitchen is open from 7am – 8pm every day. This is a rare opportunity for a flexible cook to join our small and friendly catering team. You will enjoy preparing good, unfussy homemade food from scratch for up to 60 appreciative students, staff and visitors daily. If you do not already hold up-to-date qualifications in Food Safety & Hygiene, Allergens Awareness etc. you will receive appropriate training. You will work a minimum of 22.5hrs per week, in a combination of early (7am-3pm) or back shifts (12-8pm) on a rota which will include weekends. You may be asked to work additional shifts to cover staff holiday or sickness. Qualifications

Proven experience in food preparation and cooking in a professional kitchen setting.

Strong culinary skills, and awareness of special diets, allergens and food safety practices.
Familiarity with restaurant operations and serving techniques.
Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high standards of food quality.

0.6% FTE (22.5hrs per week) + ad hoc extra shifts to cover staff holidays & sickness Higham Hall is a busy residential college, open 7 days a week, 50 weeks per year. We serve a hot breakfast, 2-course lunch and 3-course dinner for up to 60 students, staff and visitors every day. All meals plus cakes and biscuits are prepared on site from scratch by our cooks. The kitchen is open from 7am – 8pm every day. All meals, cakes and biscuits are prepared on site from scratch by a team of 4 cooks (including one dedicated cakes and biscuits cook) plus the Head Cook. Kitchen shifts are split into early (7am-3pm) and back (12-8pm) shifts with one cook on duty per shift responsible for preparing and cooking either breakfast and lunch (early shift) or dinner (back shift) according to menus and recipes provided by the Head Cook. You must be able to organise and manage your time effectively and check guest numbers to ensure that all meals are served in a professional and timely fashion. You must understand different dietary requirements and allergy risks and be able to adapt recipes or prepare alternative dishes for special diets at short notice. You must maintain high presentation standards. The kitchen can sometimes be a stressful, high-pressure environment. You will be supported by serving staff and usually a general assistant. All staff must adhere to the organisation’s health and safety policies & procedures. This is particularly important in the kitchen. Specifically, it means:

Storing food correctly according to environmental health guidelines and using labels where necessary i.e. when cooked food is placed in freezer
Cooking foods such as joints of meat correctly according to environmental health guidelines and maintaining up to date records as required
Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene standards (see regular tasks below) and alerting the Head Cook to any potential hazards or issues
Using catering equipment, stoves, knives etc safely and according to instructions
Ensuring fire doors are kept closed outside of service times
Ensuring deliveries are put away promptly, any spills are mopped up quickly etc so as not to block doors or create trip/slip hazards
Attending all mandatory training to ensure compliance with environmental health, food hygiene and safety regulations

Regular tasks include:

Monitoring ingredients/store cupboard supplies and adding items to the order list for our catering suppliers as needed
Cleaning down surfaces including fridges, worktops, grill as you go
Washing up pots, pans and knives etc as you go
Sweeping kitchen and pantry floors and mop throughout daily (end of back shift)
Ensuring bins are emptied/recycling removed at end of every shift
Turning off all equipment (i.e. extractor fan/cooker) at end of back shift and locking back door

Please visit us to discuss the role and see our special place of work. Email kitchen@highamhall.com or call 017687 76276 to arrange. To apply, please send a CV with cover letter by email to: kitchen@highamhall.com or by post to: Higham Hall College Higham Hall Bassenthwaite Lake Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 9SH

Download Application Form (DOC)

Download Application Form (PDF)

Volunteer Positions Available

Volunteer Gardeners

Always wanted to join a very small team of volunteers helping our Head Gardener care for our modest 6 acres of grounds. The gardens are well-established and have paths, interesting trees and open spaces that are enjoyed by our adult Students and Tutors. It’s often worth it just for the open view of the Skiddaw fells we are so lucky to have.

Whether it be for just an hour occasionally or more frequently, there is always something to do throughout the year. Just make an appointment to come in and see Neil, our head gardener.
All volunteers are able to be fed & watered, and are treated as valuable members of the Higham Team as well!

Volunteer Drivers

We have two vehicles in use:

- Fiat Panda 4×4 car (called ‘Noddy’) for transporting 3 adult students from/to mainline railway stations.
  This service enables people to use public transport to get to Higham. The run to Penrith takes 3o minutes each way, Carlisle just a little longer.
- Ford Transit 13 passenger minibus (called ‘Finlay’) for taking educational groups of adult Student with Tutors on Field Trips

Typical destinations include Buttermere, Borrowdale, St Bees and Newlands Valley, Eden Valley, Hadrian’s Wall to name a few!
We do not often travel outside Cumbria.

Course groups are always Tutor led and can be anything including themes of Geology, History, Art, Gardens etc. on half or full days out. Sometimes drop-off, sometimes maybe enjoying what the group are doing.

Driving duties can include:

- drop-off and pick-up for groups or individuals (to/from Penrith Station)
- half days out with course groups and Tutors
- full days out with course groups and Tutors (lunch provided)
- multiple days out with course groups and Tutors (lunch provided)

Even being available once in a while can help.

Having volunteer drivers helps us enormously as it often relieves a Tutor or a member of staff from having to drive.

Requirements:

- Full Driving Licence:
  – for minibus: if obtained before 1997, your licence qualifies you to drive our minibus, otherwise you need a separate Minibus Licence
  – for car: a regular licence is all that is required
- doctor’s clearance (if required, for instance if over 70)
- 25-75 yrs old
- proven safe driver (no major offences on your licence)
- Driver Awareness Training may be offered

All volunteers are able to be fed & watered, might get a chance to experience part of a course, and are treated as valuable members of the Higham Team!

Volunteer Handypeople

Helping us keep Higham up to a high standard. There is always something to do (we describe Higham with its 1828 listed main house as a “Forth Road Bridge”), and we can give you something worthwhile to spend your spare time on which really helps us. We are a ‘Not for Profit’ Charitable Trust and aim to accommodate our lifelong learners comfortably and safely.
All volunteers are able to be fed & watered, and are treated as valuable members of the Higham Team as well!

Download Application Form (DOC)

Download Application Form (PDF)

You can email the office, who will forward to the Principal from the Contact page