Children hurt as ceiling falls in at top prep school

A DOZeN children were rushed to hospital yesterday after a ceiling collapsed at their £15,000-a-year preparatory school.

A class of 16 Year three pupils and a teacher had been in the second floor room at rosemead Preparatory School, below, in Dulwich, south-east London, when the ceiling caved in at 9.30am.

the children, aged seven and eight, were treated at the scene by paramedics and 12 pupils and two adults were then taken to hospital. It is thought that last night nine of them had been allowed home.

One mother collecting her children e-mailed other parents to tell them what had happened. ‘fortunately my son was not involved but it must be traumatising to have seen their friends covered in blood,’ she said.

Another parent said: ‘I don’t live too far and when I saw all the fire engines and ambulances it’s heart-in-mouth time. All sorts go through your mind, but the school were very quick to contact and tell me my son was unharmed. my heart goes out to those parents whose children have been hurt. I hope they all recover soon.’

the whole school was evacuated and 20 firemen assessed the building before everyone was allowed back in and lessons continued as usual.

the chairman of governors Nick Crawford said: ‘there were no life-threatening injuries or lifechanging injuries and the majority have been discharged.’ the school is working with the authorities to find out why the ceiling collapsed.

rosemead was founded in 1936. the present building has been used by the private school since 1974.