By Stephen Hudson. Last Updated 8th September 2025. If you or your child has been injured because a school failed to keep pupils safe, you may be able to pursue a school accident claim for compensation.
To succeed, it must be shown that the school or its staff were negligent and that this directly caused the injury.
Strong evidence is key, such as medical records, witness statements, photographs of the scene, or CCTV footage where available. In the UK, most child accident claims have a three-year time limit, usually beginning on their 18th birthday, giving them until age 21 to bring a claim.
Working with our specialist solicitors can help ensure your claim is handled correctly and valued fairly. We offer free advice on all claims, so if you’d like to speak with us today, click below.
4.8 (466 reviews) If you’d like to learn about the key points from this guide on school accident claims, why not check out our video below:
Who Is Responsible For Child Safety At A School?
Schools have responsibilities and duties by law regarding health and safety – all school staff members owe a duty of care to all pupils they’re in charge of. This applies when in school and during school activities that take place outside of school, such as field trips.
To comply with their duty of care, school staff must take reasonable steps to prevent the pupils coming to harm.
As such, the school accident claims eligibility criteria are as follows:
- A school owed your child a duty of care.
- This duty of care was breached.
- Your child suffered harm as a result of this breach of duty.
If you believe your child meets the eligibility criteria to claim compensation for a school accident, please contact us today. Our advisors can confirm whether you can begin an accident at school claim on behalf of your child.
Time Limits For Child Injury Claims
In typical personal injury claims, you will have up to 3 years to begin a claim per the Limitation Act 1980. Furthermore, the public liability claim time limit will begin from the date that the accident occurred.
However, there are exceptions to the above time limit which allows children to claim for their injuries in the future. For example, if the claimant is a child, they cannot claim by themselves. In this instance, the child would be required to wait until their 18th birthday; from this date, they will have until their 21st birthday to start their claim.
However, you could make a claim on behalf of your child instantly instead of waiting for their 18th birthday. Otherwise known as a litigation friend, you could apply to the courts to allow you to claim on behalf of your child for a school injury claim. Litigation friends can be:
- Parents
- Guardians
- Close family members
- Solicitors
In essence, their responsibilities are to make important decisions on the claimant’s behalf and to ensure their best interests are always protected throughout the process.
To learn about how to apply to be a litigation friend in school accident claims, please contact one of our helpful advisors today.
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How Do Accidents Happen In Schools?
Accidents involving children are incredibly difficult to prevent. It is the nature of children to be unaware of dangers and prone to ill-judged actions. However, this is not to say that the risk of accident cannot be minimised.
Knowing the accidents at school procedures, such as the health and safety regulations, can be very helpful when evaluating a case. In the same regard, knowing how accidents happen at a school can be just as useful when you’re trying to prevent them. If you would like to learn more, we’ve put together a list of the most common accidents at school:
- Slips, trips, and falls which can be caused by loose handrails or a failure to clear pavement and pathways. Also, defective pavement causing tripping on pavement injuries.
- Accidents involving play equipment, potentially caused by inadequate supervision or defective equipment.
- Injuries caused by dangerous school buildings, playgrounds, and walkways.
- Injuries sustained as a result of unsafe school equipment, such as desks and chairs.
- Accidents which occur as a result of playing sports in school.
- Food poisoning caused by improper food preparation or tainted food.
- Accidents can also happen when children go on trips out. You can head here to read our dedicated guide on school trip injury claims
As well as this, we have also seen many cases of a school bus accident injury claim, wherein the bus is the location of the accident. We will cover this in greater detail below. It’s important that the threat to a child’s safety is reduced as much as possible when they are at school. If your child has suffered an injury due to one of the incidents listed above – or any other circumstance – then you may have a legitimate claim for compensation.
How To Start A School Accident Compensation Claim
To start a valid accident at school claim on behalf of your child, you will need to collect evidence that confirms your child’s injuries and proves that the school you’re claiming against was liable for the accident by breaching the duty of care they owed to your child.
Some examples of the evidence that could be collected to support school accident claims include:
- Any video footage that captured your child’s accident at school, such as from CCTV.
- Medical evidence regarding your child’s injuries, such as a copy of their medical records.
- The contact details of anyone who witnessed the accident who can then later provide a statement.
- Photographs of any visible injuries your child suffered, such as cuts or bruises.
Contact our advisors today to discuss more about the steps to making a school accident claim. Our advisors could review your potential case and put you in touch with one of our solicitors, who could then help you with gathering evidence.
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Compensation For School Accident Claims
If you are eligible to make an accident at school claim on behalf of your child, the compensation settlement could include general and special damages.
Following a successful claim, general damages will be awarded to compensate for the physical pain and mental suffering caused by the injury. Those who value general damages for a personal injury claim may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) for guidance. This document lists guideline compensation brackets for different types of injuries.
In the table below, we’ve provided some of the figures included in the latest edition of the JCG. Please only use it as guidance. The first entry in the table is not based on the JCG.
| Injury | Compensation Guideline |
|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries + Special Damages | Up to £100,000+ |
| Severe Ankle Injuries | £38,210 to £61,090 |
| Less Severe Arm Injury | £23,430 to £47,810 |
| Moderate Back Injury (ii) | £15,260 to £33,880 |
| Less Serious Leg Injuries (ii) | £11,120 to £17,180 |
| Facial Disfigurement - Less Significant Scarring | £4,820 to £16,770 |
| Minor Head Injury | £2,690 to £15,580 |
| Moderate and Minor Elbow Injuries | Up to £15,370 |
| Clavicle Fracture | £6,280 to £14,940 |
| Index Finger Fracture | £11,120 to £14,930 |
If you’re eligible to claim general damages on behalf of a child injured at school, then special damages may also be awarded. This is to compensate for financial losses caused by the injury. However, to claim special damages, you will need to provide evidence of these financial losses, such as bank statements and receipts.
Some examples of what could be claimed for under special damages include:
- Carer costs for additional care needs, whether carried out by family or a professional.
- Loss of earnings for time spent off work looking after your child.
- The cost of accommodation adaptations, such as installing a ramp if your child needs a wheelchair.
- Travel costs, such as taxi fares or train tickets to attend medical appointments.
You can get in touch with our advisors to learn what compensation for a school accident could be claimed on behalf of your child. Our team can also answer other questions about claiming that you may have, such as when a child is injured at school, who is the responsible party that you could claim against.
4.8 (466 reviews) What Happens To Compensation Awarded To Children?
When you make a claim for a school accident on behalf of a child, the compensation is not awarded to you. Instead, the Court Funds Office (CFO) creates a trust in which it is held until the child turns eighteen.
However, you may be able to withdraw funds from this account if they are needed for the child’s benefit. How much compensation you can withdraw is determined by the court after you submit an application and provide evidence for why you need it. For example, if the funds are needed to cover the cost of medical treatment, you may be asked to submit an invoice or a letter from the treatment centre.
When the child turns eighteen, they can apply for the funds to be released to them. Usually, they’ll receive a letter or an email in the weeks before their birthday explaining the steps they need to take.
To learn more about claiming compensation on behalf of a child, contact our team today.
No Win No Fee School Accident Claims
One of our solicitors could help you with making an accident at school claim on behalf of your child, provided you meet the correct eligibility requirements. Additionally, they may offer their services to you under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement, which is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.
Some of the benefits to making a claim with a solicitor under this arrangement include:
- Not having to pay your solicitor anything upfront for them to begin working on your case.
- Not having to pay them for their services while your claim is ongoing.
- Should your claim fail, you will not pay them for the work they have provided.
Alternatively, should they succeed with your claim, you will pay them a success fee. This is a legally capped percentage deducted from your compensation.
To see if you could be eligible to work with one of our solicitors, you can contact our advisors today. They can also help answer any additional questions you may still have regarding personal injury claims for accidents in schools.
To speak to a member of our team, you can:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Contact us by filling out our online form
- Use our live chat.
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Helpful Links
- Nursery Accident Compensation Claims: Has your child been injured in an accident at the nursery? find out how much compensation you can claim.
- Health and safety for school children: Schools are responsible for children’s safety and while they’re at school or on a school trip the school is responsible.
- Illness and your child’s education: If your child can’t attend school because of illness or injury, find out more here.
- Tell Ofsted about a serious childcare incident: online form for local authorities: Notification form for local authorities to tell Ofsted about serious childcare incidents for children living at home or children in care.
- Child Personal Injury Claims: if your child has suffered an injury in an accident, here’s a guide explaining how to make a claim
Thank you for reading our guide about school accident claims.
