Police are looking into a report of assault at Ashburton College in Canterbury, after a student was admitted to hospital late last week.
Principal Simon Coleman has confirmed a "completely unacceptable" incident took place between two Year 9 students during school time on Friday August 9.
The principal would not go into further detail on privacy grounds, other than that it happened in a small space off a main classroom.
“Our thoughts are with the student and their family,” he said in a statement.
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A police spokesperson confirmed they had received a report of assault, and said inquiries were underway.
Coleman said he “fully supported” the family – who made the report – and the school would co-operate with police in any way it could.
The other student involved in the incident was sent home and a disciplinary process would be followed, he said. The school had also reported the incident to the Ministry of Education.
Coleman said Ashburton College had provided transport to the victim’s family so they could see the child while in hospital and staff had been to the see the student “several times”.
“This behaviour is completely unacceptable and goes against everything the school stands for,” he added.
Past problems at Ashburton
Ashburton College has faced several allegations of violent assaults and bullying in the past.
Just last year, footage emerged of a girl’s head being smashed onto a concrete floor.
In 2022, a 1News investigation uncovered 16 allegations at the school stretching back over eight years, with several parents claiming their children had become suicidal after being targeted.
Ashburton College went on to order an independent review into the claims. It found the school had met and exceeded some of its policies, but had “unmet policy expectations” in other areas.
The reviewer made 19 recommendations for improvement which the school promised to implement.
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