School children gets compensated over mostly scrapes and bruises

A schoolboy who fell over and cut his knee in a PE class was awarded more than £2,500 compensation and a schoolgirl injured in a game of Frisbee received an £879 payout.

The claims were part of a £57,000 compensation bill footed by Rotherham Council for mishaps and lost property at schools in the borough in the last five years.

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A girl who fell down concrete steps on a tricycle got £6,250, another girl who broke her wrist on a trampoline won £1,092, while one girl who tripped on anti-slip felting was awarded £1,003.

In another case, a schoolboy received £5,750 when he sued a school after being splashed with custard when he was bumped into by a fellow student.

Records released under the Freedom of Information Act said: “While in the dinner hall the claimant was bumped into by another child whose custard had spilt onto the tray. As a result the custard from the tray spilt onto the claimant's left hand, sustaining injury."

Yet an 11-year-old schoolboy who lost a finger trying to find a way out of another school after being accidentally locked in was awarded just £250. Andrew Sanders had been playing cricket with other boys at Clifton School when they realized the caretaker had left, locking them in. After trying to find a way out the boys climbed over a spiked security fence and Andrew caught his hand, ripping his finger so badly it had to be amputated.

Rotherham Council also paid out more than £450 for mobile phones, jewelry, clothes and other items lost on school premises.

Nick Seaton, said it was scandalous that payouts were made for “frivolous” claims. He said: "If someone has a serious accident due to negligence then it is quite right that that a claim can be made. But in other cases it needs to be stopped before things go too far.”

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