Schoolgirl plunges six floors down stairwell

A girl was badly injured when she fell down a stairwell at her school, police said today.

The pupil plunged six floors at Raine's Foundation School in Bethnal Green, east London.

A spokeswoman from the London Ambulance Service said the girl, who is thought to be 11 years old, was taken to the Royal London Hospital in a "serious" condition.

Police said the incident, which happened yesterday, was not being treated as suspicious.

A spokeswoman for Tower Hamlets Council said it was "providing support" to the pupils and teachers at the school.

In 2008, the Church of England secondary school - which caters for pupils aged between 11 and 18 - has been criticised for the quality of its buildings.

An Ofsted report from 2008 said: "The school's curriculum, which is satisfactory overall, is hindered by the restriction placed on it by buildings which are not always fit for purpose."

The school declined to comment.