The Ferns Academy food hygiene rating
School/college/university · Bolton
The Ferns Academy 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 4 March 2025, 16 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: Plodder Lane, Farnworth, BL4 0DA
How it compares in Bolton
That puts The Ferns Academy among the 1,220 places in Bolton holding top marks, 55% 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 | 1,220 | 55% | ← The Ferns Academy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 476 | 22% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 315 | 14% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 76 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 103 | 5% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 10 | <1% |
A further 186 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 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 The Ferns Academy 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 Ferns Academy, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Gaze Convenience Store Retailers - other | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 January 2026 |
| Asda Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2026 |
| Age Concern Other catering premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 April 2026 |
| Bridgewater Hotel Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 May 2018 |
| Bargain Booze Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 August 2018 |
| Bright Futures Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 October 2025 |
| American Fried Chicken Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 April 2023 |
| All Smiles Pre School Caring Premises | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 March 2019 |
Questions about The Ferns Academy
What is The Ferns Academy's food hygiene rating?
The Ferns Academy has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Bolton Council on 4 March 2025.
Is The Ferns Academy 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 The Ferns Academy last inspected?
The Ferns Academy was last inspected on 4 March 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Bolton Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Ferns Academy?
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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Ferns Academy compare to other places in Bolton?
55% of the 2,200 rated food businesses in Bolton hold the top rating of 5, and The Ferns Academy is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Bolton Council inspects The Ferns Academy 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 Ferns Academy 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 Ferns Academy is one of 186 rated food businesses in Farnworth. See every hygiene rating in Farnworth →
Bolton inspects and rates 2,386 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Bolton →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.bolton.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 →