Trampoline injury sees schoolgirl sue Croydon private school

The Royal Russell School, in Coombe Lane, Croydon, is being sued for up to £100,000 after the pupil, a talented musician, was injured in a trampolining session.

The writ, issued on behalf of 15-year-old Lisha Lu, claims the girl, who has now returned to her home in Shanghai, China, had to undergo surgery after she kneed herself in the face during a PE lesson on September 30 last year.

She claims to still suffer occasions of double vision and to have been scarred permanently.

Submitted to the High Court by a friend Ying Xia, the writ states the girl, who had only enrolled with the Croydon school that month, had no experience of using a trampoline.

She was asked by a teacher to perform a backdrop on the trampoline, falling backwards and bouncing back to her feet.

She did this successfully twice and asked to get off, the writ claims, but was told to repeat the manoeuvre.

The schoolgirl overbalanced, fell on her shoulders and her knee hit her in the left eye, “causing excruciating pain”.

Lisha had surgery on her eye at St George’s Hospital on October 1 last year.

The writ states: “The claimant suffered great pain and still suffers for continuous residual discomfort in the area of her left eye.

“The claimant was a talented musician before her eye injury, but which pursuits she suffers difficulties particularly with reading music scores.”

It is claimed the school, as employees, acted negligently in pushing the then 14-year-old to carry out moves she was not capable of.

A spokesman for the school said: “An incident occurred last year involving a pupil at the school. This is currently the subject of legal action.

“The school takes the health and safety of all pupils, staff and visitors very seriously and has an excellent record in this regard.

“From time to time accidents will happen when children engage in physical activities. We are very sorry about the injury sustained by the pupil.

“It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.”