Barnsley Council made a payment of £16,920 last year to settle a claim made by a pupil who suffered a burn while at school, according to figures released following a Freedom of Information request.
Council confirms insurance met the cost
The settlement relates to a single recorded school-injury claim over the 12-month period covered by the request. No claims were paid out in the previous year.
“Barnsley Council can confirm that the costs associated with this matter were covered through the council’s insurance fund.”
The comment was provided by Martin Bancroft, the cabinet spokesperson for core services, who confirmed the payment did not come directly from the council’s general budget but from its insurance arrangements.
What the figures show
While the payment covers a single incident, the data highlights the financial implications of accidents in schools and the role of insurance in mitigating those costs for the authority.
| Year | School injury pay-outs recorded |
|---|---|
| Most recent 12-month period | £16,920 (one claim for a burn) |
| Previous year | £0 (no paid claims) |
The council did not provide further detail about the circumstances of the injury, the school involved, or whether any safeguarding or safety reviews followed the incident. Those matters typically fall within schools’ own incident reporting and the council’s responsibilities for oversight of maintained schools, where relevant.
Context and local implications
Payments for injuries at schools are relatively uncommon, but when they occur they can place pressure on local authority budgets and prompt internal reviews of procedures. For parents and carers in Barnsley, the payment may raise questions about how schools and the council manage pupil safety and accident prevention.
- One paid claim relating to a school injury in the latest 12-month period.
- The amount paid was £16,920, recorded as a payment for a burn.
- Costs were met from the council’s insurance fund, not the central budget, according to the council spokesperson.
Parents seeking reassurance about safety at a particular school should contact the school directly in the first instance. Maintained schools publish information about safety policies and incident procedures, and governors are responsible for oversight. The council retains a role in supporting and, where necessary, intervening in school governance and safety matters.
InfoRadar requested additional detail about the incident and whether any follow-up actions were taken; the council’s supplied statement addressed only the payment and how it was funded.
As local authorities manage an array of public services and liabilities, transparent reporting of incidents and the steps taken afterwards helps maintain public confidence. This single payout and the council’s confirmation that insurance covered the cost will be of interest to residents monitoring standards in Barnsley’s schools and the broader stewardship of council resources.
