School receives top food hygiene score following deep-clean

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A Newport school has recorded a top food hygiene score after falling short during a previous inspection.

The kitchen at Charles Williams Church in Wales School, in Caerleon, was closed and deep-cleaned on Monday February 23 following an inspection result its meals provider said “clearly falls short of the high standards we set ourselves”.

A reinspection last week returned a rating of five – the highest score possible.

Inspectors rated the kitchen’s hygienic handling of food – which includes preparation, cooking, reheating and storage – as “very good”.

They also rated as “very good” the school’s management of food safety, which covers staff knowledge and checks to make sure food is safe to eat.

The kitchen’s cleanliness was scored as “good”. This area of inspection includes the condition of the building, including its ventilation, hand-washing facilities and pest control.

When the previous inspection found shortcomings, meals provider Chartwells Schools said it was “shocked” at the findings and had “immediately rectified” any issues.

Newport City Council said at the time it had received “reassurances… that the measures taken by school meals provider Chartwells and the council’s property partners have addressed all the concerns”.

The council said food safety officers had found an “immediate improvement” at the school when they returned.

Following the reinspection, food hygiene scores for Newport show the vast majority of schools have ratings of five, while a handful have the second-highest rating of four.

Chartwells was contacted for comment on the results of the reinspection.