5

Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare food hygiene rating

School/college/university · Durham

Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare 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 10 September 2025, 10 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: Nursery and Family Centre Howletch Lane Primary School Pennine Drive, Peterlee, SR8 2NQ

How it compares in Durham

That puts Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare among the 3,088 places in Durham holding top marks, 75% 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.

Every rated food business in Durham
5 out of 5 3,088 75% ← Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare
4 out of 5 676 16%
3 out of 5 285 7%
2 out of 5 50 1%
1 out of 5 22 1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 517 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare 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 Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Howletch Lane Primary School School/college/university at this address 5 - Very good 18 June 2026
Positive Steps Nursery Caring Premises 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 9 April 2026
Candy4u Retailers - other 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 25 September 2025
Inside Out North East CIC School/college/university 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 3 March 2025
One Stop Retailers - other 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 10 February 2026
Shotton Hall Primary School School/college/university 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 26 March 2025
Acre Rigg Academy School/college/university 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 12 October 2022
Acre Rigg Infant School 2540 School/college/university 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 19 June 2024

Questions about Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare

What is Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare's food hygiene rating?

Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Durham Council on 10 September 2025.

Is Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare 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 Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare last inspected?

Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare was last inspected on 10 September 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Durham Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare compare to other places in Durham?

75% of the 4,123 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, and Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Durham Council inspects Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare 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 Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Howletch and Shotton Primary Childcare is one of 141 rated food businesses in Peterlee. See every hygiene rating in Peterlee

Durham inspects and rates 4,640 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Durham

The official record is held by the council: http://www.durham.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 →