A NURSERY school for children aged between six weeks and five years old has been given a food-hygiene rating of one out of five.

Wolfson Nursery on Linton Road, North Oxford, was inspected by Oxford City Council’s environmental department last month.

It was informed that the low for food-hygiene rating meant that “major improvements” were necessary and unless these were completed, formal action would be taken.

The nursery was judged to have inadequate provision for washing utensils and equipment used for food, and was asked to install a double sink or preferably a dish washer.

The report stated that food should be brought in from the main kitchen in sealed containers “ideally insulated”.

Staff needed to be trained to L2 Food Hygiene standards and a separate wash-hand basin with hot and cold water was required in the serving area.

Wolfson College’s home bursar Barry Coote said that the required improvements were made within days of the inspection and that all staff are due to undertake Level 2 training in the coming weeks.

He said: “We have had a refurbishment of the building.

“When the inspectors came around we had temporary supplied hot water.

“So they marked us down, but it has all been put right with the refurbishment.

“The water was on three days after that visit.

“We just want the nursery to be the best it can be, money was no object to get things right.”

Oxford City Council spokesman Chofamba Sithole said the council was aware that a renovation was taking place, but inspections still needed to be carried out during this time.

He added: “Renovation is a necessary activity in every food business and we take this into account.

“The inspecting officer made reference to structural work, but precautions must be in place to control food-safety risks while the renovations are under way.

“If this can’t be done, works are usually undertaken outside operating hours or the business closes temporarily until the work is completed.

“Staff training was raised in the previous inspection and wasn’t acted upon.”

City councillor Gwynneth Royce said: “It is a concern that a nursery school are given this rating.

“Small children are more vulnerable than grown-ups in the same way that elderly people are.

“They are more suspect to infections because they are immature.

“I would like to see urgent improvements and there needs to be a re-inspection soon.

“The environmental department needs to send someone as soon as they are available.

“I used to be a food premises manager and I know the importance of food hygiene.”

Oxford City Council said the nursery would be visited again in early May or June.