Private Prep School Fined £80,000 After Classroom Ceiling Collapses
A prestigious independent preparatory school has been fined £80,000 as a consequence of a classroom ceiling collapse that resulted in tables and chairs plummeting onto a room filled with seven and eight-year-old students.
Rosemead Prep School
During a handwriting lesson for Year Three pupils at Rosemead Prep School in Dulwich, where tuition costs £4,950 per term, the ceiling gave way due to an excess of stored furniture, leading to a chaotic scene. Teacher Margaret Rautenbach and numerous children sustained severe injuries, including broken limbs and extensive bruising, from the incident that occurred on November 15, 2021.
At Westminster Magistrates' Court, it was revealed that some children were left not only with lasting physical scars but also enduring psychological trauma, persistent nightmares, and heightened fear of loud sounds.
The Thurlow Educational Trust, responsible for managing the school, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching health and safety regulations. District Judge John Zani presided over the case and mandated the trust to pay an £80,000 fine along with £7,116 in costs.
Judge's Comments
Judge Zani empathised with the distress experienced by the school, particularly by parents and the affected children and ordered the school to pay an £80,000 fine plus £7,116 in costs.
“This incident was clearly very distressing for the school, particularly for the parents and the children involved”, he said. He extended his sympathies to the parents present during the sentencing hearing, acknowledging the turmoil they endured and expressing hope that the verdict might offer some closure.
Established in 1936 and housed in a historic Georgian building on Thurlow Park Road, the prep school boasts noteworthy alumni such as actress Prunella Scales.
Collapse
According to prosecutor Richard Padley, the incident unfolded at around 9:20 a.m., shortly after morning registration. Fifteen seven- and eight-year-old children were settling in for a handwriting class when an immense noise erupted. Margaret Rautenbach described the scene as the ceiling appeared to shimmer with lights before collapsing. She immediately instructed the pupils to take cover beneath their desks and sought shelter herself as the ceiling crumbled.
The court learned that tables and chairs had been stored above the classroom in an attic space, on roof boards not designed to withstand heavy loads. Other educators rushed to the scene to discover a grim aftermath, with children covered in soot, injured, and some trapped amidst debris and broken furniture.
Injuries
One young student, a seven-year-old girl, suffered a profound head wound that exposed her skull, leaving a lasting scar. Her mother recounted her daughter's hospitalisation experience, likening her appearance to a horror movie character. The girl began experiencing nightmares involving limbs protruding from furniture and vivid recollections of the incident.
Her mother said: “She was just about to stand up when she noticed a crack travelling up the wall. She remembers a very loud sharp bank and one of the lighting units coming down, flashing and banging as it fell.”
She added that her daughter was left “terrified” of thunder and lightning, and is now very nervous on the Tube and in lifts.
The trauma extended beyond physical injuries; some students were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and underwent counselling.
Headteacher Graeme McCafferty and Nick Crawford, head of governors, attended the court proceedings. The school's legal representative, James Leonard KC, conveyed the institution's profound regret and acknowledgement that the incident should never have occurred. He admitted that it constituted a breach of the trust parents place in the school's care. Over £400,000 was spent on school renovations following the incident.
HSE Comments
HSE inspector Samuel Brown said: “This incident has resulted in injuries to multiple young children due to the failings of the school to ensure that chairs and tables were safely stored above their classroom. Schools should be a place where children can come to learn from teachers and one another without having to worry about their safety. Fortunately, this incident did not cause any more serious injuries, but the mental and emotional impact of such an event should not be understated. Employers need to take action to ensure that building stability and solidity problems are not caused by overloading areas not designed to bear weight. As proven, the failure to do so can have severe consequences.”
Regret
The charitable organisation was granted until the following April to settle the financial obligations totalling £87,116. Nick Crawford, speaking on behalf of the school, expressed deep regret and apologies for the incident and assured that the school had cooperated with the HSE investigation, implementing significant safety enhancements since the event.