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Children whose school attendance is a problem are visited at home to
evaluate the reasons for their non-attendance. The Medical Officers, the Teachers
and the Care Committee Workers work in close liaison to help these children.
The reasons for their non-attendance are varied but may be social, physical or
emotional difficulties.
Statutory Examinations
A total of 146 children were examined under the Sections 34 and 57 of the
Education Act 1944 for assessment of possible need of E.S.N. schooling. This
total was 21% lower than the previous year. Of the children examined, 24% were
recommended to continue at ordinary schools but with extra remedial help.
A greater number of children, than in previous years, (who were referred
by either the Head Teachers or the Principal Medical Officer to the Educational
Psychologists) were found to require short term educational help only.
The close co-operation and liaison between the Medical Officers and the
Educational Psychologists have proved to be very beneficial to the children.
School Health Social Work
There has been little change in the structure and responsibilities of the
Social Workers in the School Health Service.
They have been working particularly with families attending the Special
Investigation Clinics, and with families with deaf children.
One Social Worker was attached to the School Health Clinic of the Royal
Eye Hospital, and another acted as a Liaison Officer between the paediatric and
children's psychiatric services of Guy's Hospital, and the Local Authority
School Health Services. The use of these Social Workers in these capacities
proved a great help to the functioning of the services involved.
The Social Worker for the Deaf monitored a successful scheme for deaf and
partially hearing children at two of the Inner London Education Authority's playgroups
for normal children during school holidays. These were held in ordinary
schools where teachers of the deaf were responsible for each group. Hence deaf
children were, for the majority of the time, integrated with normal children but
could appeal to the teachers of the deaf when necessary. A group of young deaf
children (under 7) attended a special holiday playgroup. The Inner London Education
Authority arranged transport.
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