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SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
The Inner London Education Authority is responsible for the School Health Service, but
by virtue of an agreement required by Section 32 of the London Government Act 1963 there is
joint use by the Authority and the Borough of professional staff, premises and equipment.
The Medical Officer of Health is the Principal School Medical Officer of the Inner London
Education Authority for the area and is responsible to that Authority for the day to day
running of the Service.
During the year the co-operation received from the Medical Adviser's Department of the
Inner London Education Authority, the local Divisional Education Officer and, especially
from headteachers in fitting in medical examinations, dental inspections, immunisation
sessions and health education sessions into an already crowded time-table, was very much
appreciated.
The School roll decreased from 36,106 in 1966 to 35,123 in 1967.
Special Schools
A new school for partially sighted children, called New River School was opened in
Hackney on 27th February 1967. Pupils from Harborough School in Islington were transferred
there on 1st March 1967.
A new school for maladjusted (autistic) children was opened in the Harborough School
premises, starting with small numbers and building up gradually.
Medical Examinations
13,543 routine, 3,999 special and 8,324 re-inspection medical examinations were held in
schools in the Borough during 1967 and a total of 30,561 health surveys were made by school
nurses. In July 1967, arrangements were made for statistics of health surveys and children
referred for cleansing to be recorded by sex in future.
Statutory examinations
Arrangements were made for children for whom special secondary educational treatment
might be required, to be recommended for statutory examinations at least 12 months before
they reached the age of 11+, so that a final decision could be made six months before transfer.
This was to avoid interviews at and acceptance by secondary schools, purchase by the parents
of school uniforms etc, while in the background was the possibility that at a very late stage
in the school year, a recommendation for day E.S.N, school would be made, thus making negotiations
with the parents all the more difficult.
Selective Medical Examinations
During the year, at the request of the headteachers concerned, arrangements were made
for eleven schools in the Borough to discontinue the Selective Medical Examination scheme
whereby only selected children of 7 years were medically examined after the forms completed
by parents had been discussed. At these eleven schools, the normal routine examination of
all children of this age were resumed. 22 schools in the Borough were still participating in
this scheme at the end of the year.
School Journey Medical Examinations
During 1967, medical examinations by a medical officer were arranged for 62 school
journey parties and 31 parties were examined by a school nurse. All children in the Borough
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