Olive Dining's kitchen at Kensington Avenue Primary was rated 2 on 1 October. Croydon's only other school kitchen on a 2 is also run by Olive Dining.
The school kitchen at Kensington Avenue Primary School in Thornton Heath has been given a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5. A 2 means “improvement is necessary”. The kitchen is run by the contract caterer Olive Dining, and Croydon Council’s inspectors rated it on 1 October (FSA register: Olive Dining at Kensington Avenue Primary School).
It is one of only two school kitchens in the borough rated below 3. The other is also run by Olive Dining.
What the inspectors found
The rating is built from three scores. The kitchen’s were:
| Area inspected | Score | What the FSA calls it |
|---|---|---|
| Structure and cleanliness of the premises | 15 | Improvement necessary |
| Hygienic handling of food | 10 | Generally satisfactory |
| Management of food safety | 10 | Generally satisfactory |
Lower scores are better. The structural score is the one that pulled the rating down to a 2 (FSA score descriptors for this premises).
The register does not say what the problem with the premises was. It records scores, not the inspector’s notes. The FSA marks no new rating as pending, and the register shows no right to reply from the caterer.
Kensington Avenue Primary is an academy in the Wandle Learning Trust. It takes children aged 4 to 11 and has 459 pupils on the Department for Education’s register (Get Information About Schools).
How it compares across Croydon
We pulled every Croydon premises the register lists as a school, college or university. Of the 121 with a rating, 101 are on a 5 and only two are on a 2. None is rated 0 or 1 (FSA register, Croydon).
The other 2 is Olive Dining at All Saints C of E Primary School on Upper Beulah Hill, Upper Norwood. It was rated on 30 September 2025 and has not been re-rated since. Its premises score was also 15, improvement necessary, while food handling and management were both scored 5, good (FSA register: Olive Dining at All Saints C of E Primary School).
The register lists twelve Croydon school kitchens under Olive Dining’s name. Most of their ratings are good:
- seven rated 5, including Coulsdon C of E Primary, Greenvale Primary, Smitham Primary and Norbury Manor High School for Girls
- one rated 4, at New Valley Primary
- one rated 3, at Ridgeway Infant and Primary
- two rated 2, at Kensington Avenue and All Saints
- one awaiting its first inspection, at Norbury Manor Primary
What it means for you
If your child eats school lunches at Kensington Avenue, the rating is a reason to ask questions, not to panic. A 2 does not mean the kitchen has been closed.
Parents can ask the school what the inspection found and what has changed since.
Any business can appeal its rating to the council, or publish a right to reply on the register. Both are free (FSA: safeguards for businesses). Once the work is done it can also pay Croydon £300 for a re-visit, and the new rating can go down as well as up (Croydon Council: food hygiene rating scheme).
We will update this story if either kitchen is re-rated or the caterer publishes a reply. Last month’s ratings across the borough are in our September food hygiene roundup.
Sources
- Food Standards Agency register: Olive Dining at Kensington Avenue Primary School (rating, date and scores)
- Food Standards Agency register: Olive Dining at All Saints C of E Primary School
- Get Information About Schools: Kensington Avenue Primary School (trust, age range, pupil numbers)
- FSA: Food Hygiene Rating Scheme safeguards for businesses
- Croydon Council: food hygiene rating scheme
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