The parents of a six-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by fellow pupils while at school have won a five-figure compensation settlement from a local authority.

The ruling, which is understood to be the first time the high court has approved a settlement relating to sexual assault involving primary school children, did not include an admission of liability from the council.

The girl, referred to by the pseudonym Bella, was repeatedly sexually assaulted by two boys at her primary school and only disclosed the abuse to her mother when she could no longer sit down at the breakfast table because of genital pain.

Between October and November 2015, Bella was assaulted on almost a daily basis and threatened with violence if she told anybody. It emerged that two members of staff had previously witnessed the boys displaying inappropriate sexual behaviour towards Bella in the playground.

One staff member found the girl with her underwear and tights partially removed with one of the boys behind her, but did not escalate the incident internally or tell Bella’s parents.

The local authority responsible for the school, which cannot be named to protect Bella’s identity, agreed to a financial settlement after the parents argued the school had been negligent by failing to protect Bella from the assaults, failing to safeguard the six-year-old and failing to adequately train staff. The boys have since left the school.

When Bella’s parents became aware of the abuse, they sought help for their daughter, but had to pay for private counselling after they were told Bella did not meet the criteria for assessment as a child in need.

Bella’s mother, Anna, said: “The abuse that our daughter suffered at school has devastated her and our family. When she made her first disclosure, it felt like no one knew what to do and that every agency we turned to closed its doors to us.

“Although the litigation has not been easy, we hope that when she is older it will help her understand that there was some accountability for what happened to her; that it should never have happened and that she was badly let down by those who were supposed to safeguard her while she was at school.

“The financial damages will help us to fund Bella’s therapy and help us in trying to ensure that she feels safe in the future. We hope that our daughter’s case will highlight the need for even basic support and guidance for children and young people who are raped and sexually assaulted in schools, as well as greater training for teachers and school staff to prevent assaults happening in the first place.”

From September this year, all schools and colleges must follow revised statutory guidance on keeping children safe in education, and age-appropriate sex and relationship guidance.