Pupil hit by a piece of apple costs school £600 as taxpayers face £10million compensation bill for injuries in schools Schools now making payments to children injured in playground fights In Pembrokeshire one received £1,925 after punches were thrown New figures show the full scale of our compensation culture in schools One pupil was handed £7,800 for falling off his own skateboard A teacher received compensation £8,000 after they were hit by a ball Schools have been accused of 'wrapping pupils in cotton wool' More than £10million has been spent settling compensation claims in schools, including £600 after a child was hit by a piece of apple. The legal action was one of thousands taken out by pupils and staff against their schools in England and Wales in the last three years. Somerset County Council has so far racked up £575 in legal fees fighting the case after the pupil who was hit by the apple in March 2010 sued. Compensation culture: Millions of pounds have been spent by schools setlling claims made by pupils and teachers Other payments included one student who was handed £7,800 after falling off their own skateboard, £8,000 to a member of staff who was hit with a ball, and £55,000 for a primary school child who bumped his head. In one Middlesex primary school a pupil received £50 after falling out of a tree. Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show schools are even paying out pupils who become embroiled in playground fights. In Pembrokeshire one student was handed £1,925 following a fight, while at Central Foundation Girls' school in Bow, London, another was paid £43. Despite the huge sums of money spent on the cases most were found to be baseless when investigated. And now critics have slammed the 'ridiculous' compensation culture in schools, saying it harms children's education because teachers are wrapping kids up in cotton wool to avoid payouts. Chairman of Campaign for Real Education Chris McGovern said: 'There is a compensation culture in schools. While there is negligence, and schools need to ensure children are in a safe environment, they should be able to exercise a degree of common sense. Sheffield City Council: £1,148,185 Lancashire County Council: £794,815 Essex County Council: £785,485 Liverpool City Council: £709,314 Coventry City Council: £437,860 North Somerset District Council: £234,350 Durham County Council: £192,634 Staffordshire County Council: £189,744 Hertfordshire County Council: £174,466 East Sussex County Council: £171,015 The courts should protect schools from spurious claims, because too often the claims are against events which are a normal part of the rough and tumble of everyday life. 'The problem is that schools are now spending a lot of time worried that they might be sued and so they're wrapping children in cotton wool. The real price is not just financial. The real price is that these children are losing what we would consider to be a "normal" childhood because it's a risk-averse childhood wrapped in cotton wool so children don't take any risks. 'That's no preparation for adult life. Schools are obsessed by the need to ensure that there are no claims and therefore children are missing out on the adventure and magic and childhood. Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance Matthew Sinclair, said: 'Our worrying schoolyard compensation culture is not only a burden on taxpayers but is also undermining children's time in the classroom. 'Some of these incidents range from the sublime to the ridiculous, with many either nobody's fault or easily avoidable. Every penny spent on payouts for a bump or thrown apple means less cash for textbooks and sports equipment. A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'Compensation payments are agreed on a case by case basis and the department has no role in the process.' Topping the list of local authorities that have had to fork out the most cash was Sheffield City Council, which racked up a bill of £1,148,186 settling claims. Worried: Chief executive of the TaxPayers Alliance, Matthew Sinclair (right), said every penny spent on compensation was one less spent in the classroom. Left, a model plays hopscotch A huge £2,430.604,62 was claimed on behalf of primary school children, £2,363,275.55 from secondary school children and £5,550,056.04 claimed by staff working at schools. A director at Lancashire County Council, which had the second-largest total at £794,815.18, said accidents were inevitable. Bob Stott, who is responsible for schools, said: 'We would prefer it that no one was ever hurt in an accident while at school. But in a county with nearly 10,000 teachers and well over 160,000 school-age children it is inevitable that there will be some incidents resulting in injuries, thankfully mostly minor. When the county council receives a claim for compensation it has to make a decision regarding its liability, and defend or settle the case as appropriate. This may lead to a compensation payment being made. A spokesman for Essex County Council, which had the third-highest total at £785,485.31, said: 'Essex County Council takes its health, safety and wellbeing responsibilities seriously and is committed to complying with its legal, moral and financial obligations. When a claim is made it is investigated thoroughly and payment made if the claim is successful. It is also worth noting that Essex County Council is one of the largest local authorities in the country with a greater number of schools within its boundaries so the numbers will be naturally higher.