CHALKWELL HALL JUNIOR SCHOOL AND CHALKWELL INFANT SCHOOL CATERING SERVICE CONTRACT

Southend-on-Sea City Council is publishing this notice on behalf of Chalkwell Hall Infant School and Chalkwell Hall Junior School, maintained schools within the local authority area.

The Schools require the continued provision of catering services to ensure uninterrupted delivery of school meals and compliance with School Food Standards from September 2026.

Prior to seeking an external provider, the Schools undertook three separate recruitment exercises to appoint a Head Cook and maintain an in-house catering service. These recruitment exercises were unsuccessful despite reasonable attempts to recruit suitably qualified staff. The Schools also undertook market engagement with a number of catering providers, with evidence retained within the procurement file.

In the absence of a viable in-house solution and to mitigate the risk of disruption to essential catering provision for pupils, the Schools determined that a direct award was necessary to secure service continuity and maintain operational delivery from the start of the academic year.

This notice is published through Southend-on-Sea City Council's procurement profile because the Schools are maintained schools and do not operate a separate contracting authority publication profile. The contract relates specifically to catering services for Chalkwell Hall Infant School and Chalkwell Hall Junior School.