Local authorities are responsible for enforcing food hygiene legislation and the obligation to comply rests with the food business operator. For schools that’s the Head Teacher but if that school is run by the local authority, ultimately, the Cabinet member would be responsible. So in Southwark that’s Labour Councillor Catherine Macdonald. She has been clear for that she will provide “free healthy school meals”.
Food safety enforcement officers are meant to carry out routine hygiene inspections of school kitchens. The frequency of inspections is based on the risk rating given at the time of the last inspection. Most schools have a hygiene inspection frequency of 18 months. Food establishments are rated on a star rating of nought to five stars with five stars being the best. But the resources dedicated to food hygiene is a political decision and I think they’re now too little.
Sadly Southwark Labour drastically cut the number of inspections they want council officials to undertake.
If we look at Southwark School hygiene ratings we find schools appear to be less than perfect. In East Dulwich Goodrich has 2/5 stars, St.Anthony’s schools 3/5 stars and Goose & Heber Schools 4/5 stars. Ironically Goodrich School with the worst star raiting hasn’t been inspected for over two years.
To compound things Southwark have placed data in two different places online so parents would be incredibly hard pressed to work out their children;s school star rating. To make it worse some older inspection results are placed in own area. Some newer inspections of the same school are placed elsewhere. And some inspections are listed on both. Majority of inspections are listed under the name of the contractor providing the catering rather than the school name. No other London borough is so obtuse with how it publishes this data – and I’ve looked widely.
Overall this is how Southwark compares to Lambeth:
| Borough | no. of schools | no. of schools with ratings | 1 star | 2 stars | 3 stars | 4 stars | 5 stars | average rating | average days since last inspection |
| Lambeth | 99 | 88 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 33 | 40 | 4.35 | 513 |
| Southwark | 108 | 101 | 1 | 13 | 18 | 34 | 35 | 3.88 | 560 |
If you think this is rubbish tell catherine.macdonald@southwark.gov.uk and copy me james.barber@southwark.gov.uk nag your children’s school governors and head asking for improvements.
To see a list of all Southwark Schools:
As MD of school catering company, I can tell you quite confidently that over 90% of maintained secondary schools are quite openly flouting the guidelines. Not that they would admit it.
What we need is proper policing of the guidelines, alongside consultation with those of us in the industry who are doing things right.
Steve Quinn
MD, Cucina Restaurants