Thorncombe St Marys Primary School food hygiene rating
School/college/university · Dorset
Thorncombe St Marys Primary School holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the school kitchen met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 3 March 2026, 4 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
Address: St Marys School Chard Street, Thorncombe, TA20 4NE
How it compares in Dorset
That puts Thorncombe St Marys Primary School among the 3,808 places in Dorset holding top marks, 95% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,808 | 95% | ← Thorncombe St Marys Primary School | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 139 | 3% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 33 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 1,119 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
- How well they manage food safety Very good
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At Thorncombe St Marys Primary School none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Thorncombe St Marys Primary School, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thorncombe Village Shop Retailers - other | 110 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 July 2025 |
| MRS B J Barnes Retailers - other | 321 yards away | Exempt | |
| Thorncombe Community Shop Retailers - other | 321 yards away | Exempt | |
| Gribb Rise Cottage Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | Exempt | |
| Thorncombe Sports Club Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 December 2025 |
Questions about Thorncombe St Marys Primary School
What is Thorncombe St Marys Primary School's food hygiene rating?
Thorncombe St Marys Primary School has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 3 March 2026.
Is Thorncombe St Marys Primary School safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this school kitchen to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Thorncombe St Marys Primary School last inspected?
Thorncombe St Marys Primary School was last inspected on 3 March 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dorset Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Thorncombe St Marys Primary School?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Thorncombe St Marys Primary School compare to other places in Dorset?
95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and Thorncombe St Marys Primary School is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Dorset Council inspects Thorncombe St Marys Primary School and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch Thorncombe St Marys Primary School and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Dorset inspects and rates 5,107 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dorset →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →