5

Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School) food hygiene rating

School/college/university · Dorset

Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin 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 12 November 2025, 8 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 Mary The Virgin Primary School Pheasant Way, Gillingham, SP8 4GG

How it compares in Dorset

That puts Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin 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.

Every rated food business in Dorset
5 out of 5 3,808 95% ← Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin 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

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 Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin 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 Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School), nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Fernbrook Lodge (Care South Ltd) Caring Premises 330 yards away 5 - Very good 5 March 2025
Budgens Gillingham Kingsmead Retailers - other 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 15 January 2026
Greggs [MFG Gillingham] Retailers - other 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 15 January 2026
Home Bargains Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 4 September 2024
Aldi Stores Limited Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 25 February 2020
Orchard Park Garden Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 26 February 2026
Madjeston Milk Station Farmers/growers 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 22 January 2025
The Up In Smoke Theatre Co Ltd Retailers - other 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 20 November 2024

Questions about Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School)

What is Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School)'s food hygiene rating?

Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School) has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 12 November 2025.

Is Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin 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 Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School) last inspected?

Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School) was last inspected on 12 November 2025, 8 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 Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School)?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin 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 Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School) is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Dorset Council inspects Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin 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 Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin 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

Chartwells (St Mary The Virgin Primary School) is one of 84 rated food businesses in Gillingham. See every hygiene rating in Gillingham

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 →