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47
Convalescent
camp schools.
They went in two parties for a fortnight each, from 3rd to 17th July and 4th to
18th September. The accommodation thus utilised was designated for the period,
"The Holiday School."
Only a very small residue of children failed to receive a holiday for various
reasons, such as removal from district, private arrangements for holiday failing to
materialise, etc.
The numbers of children spending a period of stay at the residential convalescent
camp schools during 1936 were: boys, 2,863; girls, 1,678; total, 4,541.

The actual number of children away at these schools at one time in 1936 was:
Bushy Park, 249; Margate, 63; St. Leonards, 63; Bournemouth, 30; Broadstairs,
20; Hastings, 10; Sandon, 20. Total, 455 children, of whom 206 were girls and
249 boys.
The small home at Sandon accommodates the children needing a country
holiday from the various types of special schools.
The report of an interdepartmental committee on "Length of stay at residential
open-air schools" was issued in June, 1936. Amongst the recommendations
were: increase in the provision for girls, and a uniform stay of six weeks at the
ordinary residential open-air schools for both boys and girls. Separate provision
for children under eight years was also recommended.
As a result of the Education Committee's consideration of the report, the length
of stay of boys at the King's Canadian camp school, which was limited during the
summer months to four weeks, is to be increased to six weeks throughout the year.
This will result in reducing the number of boys who will be sent during the year,
but will, it is believed, give more lasting benefit.
Open-air
classes in
parks and
playgrounds.
The number of open-air classes held in connection with the elementary schools
in 1936 was 224. Of these, 12 were of type A (children selected on medical grounds
from a group of schools); 106 were of type B (children selected on medical grounds
from the various classes of a single school); 25 were of type C (consisting of a single
class from one school, educated continuously at one open-air station); and 81 of
type D (consisting in a rotation of classes from one school occupying one open-air
station).
Ten classes are permanent, that is to say they are outside the yearly programme
and do not need re-authorisation each year. In addition, 79 of the 224
classes were continued throughout the winter, where the suitability of the sites had
been approved by the school medical officer. Of the 224 classes, 75 were held in
parks, gardens, playing-fields and other open sites, while 149 were held in school
playgrounds, of which 34 were roof-playgrounds.
Remarkably fine work has been done, among other schools, at the Columbiaroad
junior boys' school in Bethnal Green, where the headmaster and his assistants
have shown great enthusiasm. The open-air class conducted on Hackney marshes