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SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
SCHOOL POPULATION
There was a further small Increase In the school population during the year. On
the 31st December, 1954, there were 29,707 children on the school rolls, as compared with
29,653 on the corresponding day of 1953.
MEDICAL INSPECTION
The School Health Service and Handicapped Pupils Regulations, 1953, require that
general medical inspection shall be carried out at least three times during the school life
of the child, but it is left to the discretion of the local education authority to fix the
ages at which these, and any other medical inspections which may be necessary, are carried
out. In West Ham the practice for many years has been to carry out as a routine three
general (or "periodic") medical inspections at the beginning and end of school life and at
the age of eleven shortly before the child enters the secondary school or department. This
arrangement was continued during the year. In addition, special Inspections or reinspections
are undertaken as required„
A table setting out the work done under this heading will be found in Appendix IV
on pages 127-129. There was a small increase in the number of periodic inspections but a
decrease in the number of special inspections and reinspections.
General Condition. The medical officer's survey at the periodic medical inspections
includes an estimate of the child's general condition. This is classified into three grades;
"Good", "Fair" and "Poor". The proportions recorded during 1954 are set out in detail belov;-
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