The Old School food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Dorset
The Old School holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
This is a fresh result: The Old School was inspected on 10 June 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: The Old School Church Street, Sturminster Marshall, BH21 4BU
How it compares in Dorset
That puts The Old 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% | ← The Old 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 Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety 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 The Old 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 The Old School, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset Porkers Mobile caterer | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 September 2024 |
| The Red Lion Pub/bar/nightclub | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 July 2025 |
| Slimming World Sturminster Marshall Other catering premises | 325 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 December 2025 |
| Sturminster Marshall First School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2026 |
| Nisa Local Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| SPAR - Wessex retail Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 October 2025 |
Questions about The Old School
What is The Old School's food hygiene rating?
The Old School has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 10 June 2026.
Is The Old 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Old School last inspected?
The Old School was last inspected on 10 June 2026, a month 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 The Old School?
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 The Old School compare to other places in Dorset?
95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and The Old School is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Dorset Council inspects The Old 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 The Old 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
The Old School is one of 20 rated food businesses in Sturminster Marshall. See every hygiene rating in Sturminster Marshall →
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 →