A furious mother says her eight-year-old daughter has been left traumatised as she was left with severe burns after making hot chocolate at school.
Sunia Mukhtar’s child, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been having ‘nightmares’ after the incident at Margaret McMillan Primary School in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
The school was holding a forest school session that involved making hot chocolate with a Kelly kettle – a water flask that quickly boils water.
As the children stood around the fire pit area, the cork from the kettle popped out due to a pressure build-up and splashed boiling water over the pupil.
The scalding hot water left the girl were severe burns on her leg, which required hospital treatment.
An eight-year-old girl was left with severe burns after making hot chocolate at school
The scalding hot water left the girl were severe burns on her leg, which required hospital treatment
Sunia Mukhtar says her eight-year-old daughter has been left traumatised by the incident
Speaking about the impact the incident has had on her and her daughter, Ms Mukhtar said: ‘She [her daughter] was constantly crying, she couldn’t have a bath.
‘I was breaking down three times a day. My daughter has nightmares. I’m stressed as a parent.
‘I lost my trust. My anxiety’s through the roof now. I didn’t want my child to go through this trauma. A burn injury is for life. It’s ruined my child’s childhood.’
A report published by OJ Health and Safety Solutions Ltd highlighted a number of issues that put school pupils at ‘moderate’ risk during this forest session in February this year.
It found that two classes had been merged together, meaning the amount of children in attendance was ‘uncontrollable.’
Children were described as running round a fire that was ‘left unattended’ in a ‘chaotic manner’, whilst the cork was left in the kettle which ’caused pressure to build’.
Ms Mukhtar also claims that after her daughter’s skin had been scorched by the water, staff placed an ice-pack on the burn instead of running it under cold water.
The health and safety report said: ‘At the time of the incident there was a forest school session taking place.
‘The session included the use of Kelly kettles, which were lit within the fire pit area but not on the designated fire light area. The children were all in very close proximity to the kettles.
‘The cork from the kettle popped out due to pressure build up which also caused boiling hot water to eject from the kettle landing on the child causing burns.
‘There are two risk assessments for the activity and none of the controls have been adhered to.
‘The cork was left in the kettle which caused pressure to build, children were running around the fire pit in what can only be described as a chaotic manner and the fire was left unattended with children running around.
Ms Mukhtar has now taken her daughter out of the school because the incident would constantly ‘play on her mind’
‘Fire had been lit on the wooden chippings not on the designated gravelled fire pit, the fires were lit in extremely windy conditions, children were not supervised properly during the activity, gloves not being worn while handling the kettles.
‘There were two classes merged together which hadn’t been authorised meaning the number of children in the area was uncontrollable.’
Ms Mukhtar has now taken her daughter out of the school because the incident would constantly ‘play on her mind’.
She added: ‘You leave your kids in a school setting thinking they’re going to be safe.
‘Knowing that all these things were happening right beneath you it plays on your mind. She was in so much pain. I was on the train when my husband rang me.
‘I could hear her wailing.’
Margaret McMillan Primary School said it took the incident ‘very seriously’ and would be ‘reviewing our policies and procedures’.
Headteacher Richard Walker told the West Yorkshire Telegraph & Argus: ‘The safety and well-being of our pupils is our utmost priority, and we are taking this incident very seriously.
‘We have reviewed our policies and procedures in consultation with external experts. Since the incident, we have worked closely with the family and child to provide support.
‘Our commitment is to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for every child at our school.’
MailOnline have approached Kelly’s Kettles for a comment.
