A private school has been fined £80,000 after a classroom ceiling collapsed, injuring 15 children and their teacher.
The pupils, who were seven and eight years old, suffered injuries including fractures to their upper limbs, concussion and cuts after tables and chairs stored overhead came crashing down on them.
The incident happened in November 2021 at Rosemead preparatory school on Thurlow Park Road in Dulwich, south London. The school is part of the Thurlow Educational Trust and charges fees of up to £5,606 a term.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found chairs and tables were being stored in an attic that was not designed to be load-bearing. The class teacher and several pupils were taken to hospital by the emergency services for assessment and treatment.
“Schools should be a place where children can come to learn from teachers and one another without having to worry about their safety,” said Samuel Brown, an HSE inspector. “Fortunately, this incident did not cause any more serious injuries, but the mental and emotional impact of such an event should not be understated.”
The HSE investigation found the trust had failed to carry out any assessments of the structural or load-bearing capacity of the area being used to store the items, or the suitability of the area for storage.
