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SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE IN KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA
ANNUAL REPORT BY DR. J.H. WEIR,
Borough Medical Officer of Health and
Principal School Medical Officer.
I have pleasure in submitting the following summary of the work of the school
health services undertaken in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Because of the changes resulting from the London Government Act, 1963, it is
not yet possible to present comparative figures, but it is hoped that the facts provided will
prove informative.
Excluding children attending schools outside the ordinary jurisdiction of the
authority, 9,769 children were contained in thirty primary schools, and 7,231 of senior
school age attended eleven secondary schools. A further 171 children were attending nursery
schools and spastics of infant age were cared for by the Cheyne Hospital School.
The medical staff is composed of five full-time medical officers together with
seventeen other medical practitioners employed on a sessional basis. The equivalent wholetime
medical staff engaged directly on school medical work was approximately four. In
addition, the services of specialists were available when necessary.
ROUTINE MEDICAL INSPECTIONS
In the ordinary course of events, all children are medically examined four times
during their school life - on entjy to the infants' school at about five years of age, on entry
to the junior school at about eight years of age, on entry to the secondary school at elevenplus,
and during the term before leaving the secondary school.
During the period under review, 783 sessions were held, and 7,014 children
examined. Of this number, 45.48% were referred for treatment and 16.3% had defects
which were reported.
The parents of 48.6% of the children exercised their right to be present at the
examination of their children. This relatively low percentage is probably due in part to the
fact that the older pupils prefer to be examined in the absence of their parents.
Care Committee representatives were present at 84.5% of the sessions held.
SPECIAL MEDICAL INSPECTIONS
A child may be specially examined at the request of teachers, parents and other
interested parties, or as the result of defects discovered at routine medical inspections.
During 1965, 132 children were referred for the statutory ESN examination and
59 were recommended as a result for education at an ESN school. One child was found to
be unsuitable for education. The number of children referred for education at Open Air
Schoolswas 34, while 133were seen for miscellaneous reasons. 284 secondary school pupils
seeking employment were examined as were 678 who wished to go on school journeys.
HANDICAPPED PUPILS
There are no schools for the physicalIy handicapped pupils in the area, but twentyseven
such pupils attend day special schools in other boroughs, while nine others are placed
in boarding schools.
Attending ordinary schools are thirty-seven epileptic children, forty-five with
orthopaedic and postural defects, twenty-one suffering from diabetes, seventeen from