AN ISLE of Wight primary school has been hit with a two out of five food hygiene rating.

It meant improvement was necessary at Barton Primary School and with its catering contractor, Compass.

However, issues — like a slip hazard and a lack of hot water to wash hands — had been reported as much as six months ago by the catering company, but no action had been taken by the school.

Barton Primary School has been contacted for comment but not responded.

Chartwells, the parent company behind the school's catering contract, said the structural and cleaning issues raised were the responsibility of the school, so it would not be appropriate for them to comment.

The school on Furrlongs, in Newport, was inspected in the summer holidays by the Isle of Wight Council's environmental health officers, and issues were found.

One was the lack of hot running water in the wash hand basin in the kitchen, which had been reported to the school in March this year.

In their report, inspectors said kitchen staff were told to use the basin in the changing area, which was in the intervening lobby from the toilet.

Due to aerosols from the toilets entering the kitchen, leading to the potential contamination of food, the doors should be closed at all times and the basin should not have been an option for the staff, inspectors said.

The general standard of hygiene in the kitchen was mainly satisfactory but inspectors highlighted some areas had been overlooked and required further detailed cleaning.

These included a dusty and dirty ventilation system in the ceiling; a build-up of dust and grease in the filters in the hood of the extraction system and a build-up of dust in the old mixer, which inspectors said should be removed from the kitchen if it was not being used.

Another issue was a steam oven leaking water onto the floor, which had been reported to the school, but no action taken. It was deemed a slip hazard. A hazard sign had been placed next to the pool of water, however.

Inspectors also noted the colour coded chopping boards had deteriorated to the point they could not be effectively cleaned and should be replaced.