Mouse poo and gnawed packets of food were found during an inspection of a Westminster Primary School.
Ark Atwood Primary Academy was handed a 0 rating for food hygiene – meaning urgent improvement is necessary – after an inspection by Westminster City Council.
Ark Atwood Primary, in Amberley Road near Maida Hill, agreed to voluntarily close its kitchen following the inspection on December 1 last year. It has since been reassessed and reopened its kitchen, the school told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), though the Food Standards Agency is still displaying the 0 rating.
An inspector found that a loaf of freshly-baked bread in a basket had been placed directly on top of mice droppings. Droppings were seen close to clean equipment and bags of rice and pasta had been chewed by the rodents.
Mouse droppings were found throughout the kitchen, food storeroom and in the pot wash area. They were also found directly in contact with food packaging, baskets containing sauces and spices and in boxes containing new disposable cutlery.
The report said this showed that “rodents are active” and “on food and surfaces where food is stored”. Food baskets that were being used to store items were also “visibly dirty”, said the report.
At the inspection, staff said that they “forgot” to clear-up the mouse droppings because they were busy preparing lunch. Staff said a mouse had also been seen in the kitchen last week, yet “no effective monitoring” had taken place. A pest control report from November 26 also noted mice problems at the primary school kitchen.
The primary school was told to sort out the pest problem and any droppings. It was also told to clean the entire kitchen and throw out any food which may be contaminated. Food handlers were also told to undergo retraining in preventing contamination and safety.
The report reads: “These incidents indicate that staff are not consistently monitoring for signs of pests, are not escalating issues immediately and are not implementing required controls to prevent contamination, all of which significantly reduce confidence in the management of food safety.”
Ark Atwood Primary Academy’s Executive Principal, Daniela Grasso, said: “An environmental health spot check in December 2025 identified an issue within the school kitchen.
“The school responded swiftly and the kitchen was closed while a deep clean was carried out. The kitchen reopened as normal following a reinspection. Alternative meal arrangements were in place during the brief closure.”
