Teen rushed to hospital after fall

A teenager remains in hospital after falling about 3m while climbing on to a school roof.

Tauranga Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross said police and St John were called to the aid of a 14-year-old boy who fell off a shade sail connected to the roof of Arataki Primary School about 6.45pm on Monday.

The boy hit spouting and railing on the way down and hit his head on concrete at the bottom.

A St John spokesperson said they transported a teenage boy to hospital in a serious condition with head injuries.

A Tauranga Hospital spokesperson said the boy was in a serious but stable condition in the intensive care unit yesterday morning but was later moved to a general ward in a stable condition.

Arataki Primary School principal Dene Langley said he did not know about the accident until he read media reports of it yesterday morning but had since contacted the police to find out more.

Mr Langley said he had sent information about the accident around to all the teachers so they could remind students about the dangers of playing on roofs.

The boy was too old to attend the school but Mr Langley said he did know him. He said there were often children playing at the school after school hours and he encouraged them to do so although they needed to be sensible.

"I have no objection to children playing at school because it's a safe place to play," he said. "There's been a bit of damage which we're having to repair. He was running around on a shade cloth.

"He was running up it. It was a canvas one. He was running up it and it's come away from one of the poles."

Mr Langley said the boy would have fallen about 3m and landed on concrete.

He understood there were a number of children and parents around who attended to the boy quickly. It was believed the boy was not knocked unconscious.

"[The accident's] a bit of a shame," Mr Langley said. "I feel for the child."

Mr Glencross said the matter would be referred to youth aid.