School shut after boy's ice fall

Staff said they had done all they could to make the area safe

More than 1,000 pupils have been sent home from a school after one child suffered head injuries falling on ice.

The 11-year-old boy fell as he walked between lessons at Mill Hill secondary school in Ripley, Derbyshire.

The head teacher confirmed 1,200 pupils were sent home for safety reasons. A shortage of grit has led to staff using table salt on the grounds.

Paramedics treated the boy at the scene but he is not thought to have been seriously injured.

Some parents have complained the short notice over the closure left them with childcare problems.

Risk assessment

Head teacher Sarah Graham defended the decision to close the whole school, pointing out they cordoned off parts of the grounds earlier.

"We were not able to ensure [pupils'] health and safety and that has to be of paramount importance on the school site at all times," she said.

"And if we are not able to ensure their safety and that of staff - some of who also fell this morning - then we have to take action and a risk assessment was carried out on the full site and the decision was taken to close it."

Staff added that they hoped to open the site on Thursday.

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Some parents complained about the closure