Aylesbury High School ~ Catering Tender

Aylesbury High School is a historic institution dating back to 1598, with the current school opening in 1959. It is the only girls' grammar school in North Buckinghamshire. Renowned for its high educational standards and strong vision and values, the school is both popular and oversubscribed. It serves students aged 11 to 18 from Aylesbury and North Buckinghamshire and in 2023 was awarded “Outstanding” by Ofsted.

The school currently has approximately 1,358 students, with 931 in Years 7 to 11 and 427 in the Sixth Form. The staff comprises 101 teaching and 78 non-teaching members.

For further information, visit the school website at Aylesbury High School - Home

Basis of Contract

The school is seeking a catering contractor with extensive experience to provide catering services at Aylesbury High School. The contractor must be highly creative and innovative, capable of introducing new food concepts while remaining adaptable in their approach to menus to accommodate the diverse range of pupil tastes and dietary requirements.

It is essential that the chosen contractor has extensive knowledge and expertise in providing healthy food options that are fresh, seasonal, locally sourced, and prepared on-site. This includes being well-versed in nutritional standards and requirements and ensuring that the menus are designed to fuel pupils throughout the day.

The school also seeks a contractor whose focus is not only on food quality but also on service delivery and customer satisfaction. The contractor will be expected to conduct a comprehensive review of the current catering services and provide recommendations on enhancing the existing offerings. The primary aim is to deliver a superior catering experience that aligns with the school's vision and values.

The chosen contractor must propose innovative ways to make the contract more environmentally friendly and carbon-neutral, applying sustainability principles to both contract delivery and the contractor’s organization. The contractor's sustainability approach must align with the school’s values.

The contract being tendered runs from 1st August 2025 to 31st July 2028 for an initial three-year period, with an option to extend for a further two years at the discretion of the client. The contract will operate as a Guaranteed Performance Contract, with the successful contractor offering the school a guaranteed return/cost for the provision of catering services. Sovereignty of the cash tariff will remain with the school throughout the contract.

The contract covers the provision of all catering services within the school, which currently includes breakfast, mid-morning breaks, lunch, Sixth form café offer, hospitality, and free-issue requirements. Free school meals and hospitality will be charged based on consumption and at net food cost.

While value for money is a key objective of the competitive tender process, the school is not obliged to accept the lowest price. Contract value:

Sales performance per annum is circa £363,337

See SQ Document for more information.