Student charged with arson after school fire 

A student at a top private school on Auckland's North Shore has been charged with arson after a fire last month that damaged two classrooms.

Kristin School, in Albany, say three other pupils faced disciplinary action over the incident but they have chosen to leave before they were expelled or withdrawn.

They were all part of a group gathered at the school before the fire broke out.

Year five children lost most of their work in the blaze, which was started in rubbish bins.

There was considerable smoke and structural damage to the classrooms.

A school spokesman says he did not believe the students intended to set fire to the classrooms, but "they foolishly lit a few things and it got out of control".

The student made an appearance in the North Shore District Court on October 23.

He was granted bail and remanded to appear again next week.

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