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Special School Provision
(a) Day Special Schools
There are two day special schools situated in the Borough - Vale Road School for Physically
Handicapped Children and Blanche Nevile School for the Deaf, which includes units for partially-hearing
children at Devonshire Hill Junior and Markfield Senior Schools.
Of the 90children on the roll at Vale Road Special School, 49 were Haringey children and 41 children
from other Boroughs. Of the 113 children on the roll at Blanche Nevile School (including the Devonshire
Hill and Markfield units), 29 were Haringey children and 84 from other Boroughs.
Day special school facilities for children in other categories have to be sought outside the Borough.
It is a matter of particular concern that places must be sought for educationally subnormal children at
either Durants or Oak Tree Schools, Enfield, or Oak Lodge, Finchley. At present there are 43 Haringey
children at Durants, 56 at Oak Tree and 55 at Oak Lodge, and it would seem that there is a need for
educational provision for these children within the Borough.
The other categories of handicapped pupils requiring day special schooling are placed in the
following schools outside the Borough:-
Blind Dorton House School, Sevenoaks or
Lindon Lodge School, Wimbledon
Partially-sighted Joseph Clarke School, Walthamstow or
Harborough School, Islington
Delicate Hazelbury Open-Air School, Edmonton
The number of children placed in these schools is quite small in each case.
(b) Residential Special Schools
The one residential special school belonging to the Borough is Suntrap Residential Open-Air
School, Hayling Island, Hants. The School accepts delicate and physically handicapped children, most
of whom are cases of asthma, rheumatic heart, minor degrees of emotional disturbance, and varying
degrees of nervous and physical debility. Suntrap School belonged to the former Borough of Tottenham
until 1945,when as the result of the Education Act 1944 ownership was transferred to the former Middlesex
County Council. The re-organisation of London Government resulted in the transfer of the School to the
London Borough of Haringey on 1st April 1965. Suntrap School offers a very wide range of educational
facilities and is situated in very pleasant surroundings which are extremely conducive to the improvement
of the health and well-being of the children. There is a residential fully-trained nursing staff, including
a night nurse. A medical practitioner attends twice a week as a routine, and a dental officer once a
week.
The number of children placed at Suntrap at the end of the year was 96, of whom six were Haringey
children and 90 children from other Boroughs. In future preference will be given to Haringey pupils who
will not have to be sent to other authorities' schools.
Children in the other handicapped categories who require residential schooling are placed in schools
administered by other local authorities or independent bodies (apart from epileptic children who are placed
in hospital special schools). The only category involving a large number of children is that of maladjusted
pupils.
Hospital Classes
These classes are provided at St. Ann's and the Prince of Wales's Hospitals, under Section 56 of
the Education Act 1944. At the end of the year 33 children were receiving tuition in the classes.
Special Classes attached to ordinary schools
In addition to the units for partially-hearing children already mentioned, there are five 'Opportunity'
(or Remedial) inter-school Classes, for children with a normal range of ability but with learning difficulties.
Placement in these classes is temporary.
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