An independent primary school in Newport has been awarded the second worst rating for food hygiene.

Catch22 Include Wales is an Estyn registered Independent School. The school provides full-time, alternative education for young people, most of whom have social, emotional, or mental health needs.

The school was awarded a score of one from a scale of zero to five in their most recent Food Hygiene Standards inspection.

The report said: “Major improvement is necessary in the management of food safety.”

“This refers to the systems that the school has in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.

“Improvement is necessary in the hygienic handling of food, including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage.”

They were however told that the cleanliness and layout of their facilities is ‘very good’.

A spokesperson for the school said: “The health and wellbeing of our learners is our highest priority at Include Wales. From September, Catch22 Include Wales will be operating out of a new site and using a new caterer to provide student dinners.

“We acknowledge the inspection’s findings and will be working hard with both the FSA and the new caterers to ensure that the food delivered is of the highest quality and safety.”

The Food Hygiene Rating Act 2013 became law in Wales on March 4, 2013, requiring all businesses selling food in Wales - including pubs, cafes, restaurants, hotels, takeaways, schools, hospitals, canteens, care homes and corner shops – to display hygiene ratings in a prominent place, and to provide the information verbally if requested over the phone.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme helps consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving them clear information about a business’s hygiene standards. They run the scheme in partnership with local authorities.

A new rating is given each time a business is inspected by a food safety officer and the frequency of inspections depends on the risk to public health.

The inspection takes account of the following factors: type of food handled, the number and type of customers - for example vulnerable groups, types of processes carried out before the food is sold or served and hygiene standards seen on the day of the last inspection.