MORE than 1,700 people have signed a petition calling for a review of school safety after an 11-year-old girl "fell" from a balcony and needed hospital treatment, reports Nick Hartland

The incident happened on Monday morning (December 13) at the modern open plan Caldicot School, which was built in 2017.

Monmouthshire Council said the girl had suffered non life-threatening injuries and had been taken to hospital in Cardiff.

A woman who said she had tried to end her life at the school in 2018 has since launched a petition on change.org calling for a safer school environment, claiming: "The balconies are in full view with no nets or anything in place to prevent injury."

Emergency services rushed to the school around 11.20am on Monday, and the girl was later described as being in a stable condition in hospital.

The Welsh Ambulance Service said: "We were called at approximately 11.20am today, Monday 13 December, to reports of a person having suffered a fall from height at Caldicot Comprehensive School."

A Gwent Police spokesperson added: "We received a report from Mill Lane, Caldicot, at around 12.15pm on Monday, December 13, that an 11-year-old girl had fallen from a balcony."

Monmouthshire Council said: "Following a serious incident at Caldicot Comprehensive School this morning we are supporting learners and their families along with the wider school family."

Responding to posts after the incident on social media about alleged bullying, the council added: "Any accusation of bullying is taken extremely seriously."

An email sent to parents by the school on Tuesday said: "Over the last 24 hours I have had a number of conversations with the family of the child involved in the serious incident yesterday.

"They are happy for me to share with the whole school community that their injuries are not considered to be life threatening.

"I wish to thank the staff at school, the ambulance service and the local authority officers who responded so swiftly.

"Our staff, and those from the local authority, have been on hand today to provide face to face support to students and staff who wish to discuss any concerns they may have.

"I recognise that yesterday’s incident has caused a great deal of heightened anxiety for the school and the wider community. "However, at the heart of this is a child and their family. I respectfully ask that all families bear this in mind, and I would ask you to reinforce this with your child, particularly in the sphere of social media."

The 1,500-pupil £36.5m building is one of the county’s new ’super schools’ with an open plan design to encourage "inclusive learning", including balconies over three floors overlooking a central atrium.

But the former pupil who has launched the petition has claimed that nothing has been done to make the "unprotected heights" safer since her own incident and others.

She said: "I feel something needs to change now.

’’My thoughts and prayers are with the eleven-year-old girl today."