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which often resulted in a psychiatric setback and caused resentment on the part of both
parents and children.
Rose Cottage is in semi-rural surroundings on the Kent county border. The playground
is partly asphalt and partly grass, whilst there is a greenhouse for educational
purposes. For those of primary school age, the experiment of having washing, water
closet and cloakroom accommodation immediately adjoining each classroom has
proved most successful. The secondary block is of two storeys, with woodwork,
metal-work and housecraft rooms, the last having a dining alcove and needlework
section. A large assembly hall provides a good stage and all ground floor rooms open
directly on to the playground.
Although the number of day E.S.N. schools has decreased from 29 in 1939, the
number of pupils in that year was 3,464, as against 3,553 on roll at the end of 1958. The
slight change in relativity is due to improved accommodation in bigger, though often
old schools, whilst two new schools have been built since the war.
Other school buildings and facilities provided follow the same pattern as ordinary
schools, with similar slow improvement in siting and accommodation. The provision of
adequate playground space in the congested area of London is a persistent problem.
In the inset are shown class activity in a typical primary school and practical workshops in
a mixed all age school.
Boarding Special E.S.N. Schools—Eight boarding schools accommodate 635 pupils and, in
addition 20 pupils are maintained in boarding schools most of which are run by Roman
Catholic orders or other local education authorities. Numbers of children admitted to
boarding schools have shown a large increase since the end of the war.
Year No. of schools No. of children
1939 1 (plus 2 homes) 459
1946 3 393
1952 6 561
1958 8 635 including 15
county pupils
Evacuation showed that the children appeared to develop better both mentally and
physically in a rural or sea-side environment. Some of the school premises used during
the evacuation were retained or replaced by new boarding schools situated in similar
surroundings. This experiment proved highly satisfactory and accounts for the disproportionately
large increase in the number of children in residential accommodation.
At the end of 1958 eight boarding E.S.N. schools were so situated :
Bowden House Seaford, Sussex Primary Boys
Bradstow Broadstairs, Kent Primary and Secondary Girls
and Boys 5-9 years
Burrow Hill Frimley, Surrey Primary Boys
Ditton Place Balcombe, Sussex Secondary Girls
Grafham Grange Bramley, nr. Guildford, Surrey Primary Mixed
Great Stony Chipping Ongar, Essex Secondary Boys
Stockgrove Park nr. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire Secondary Boys
Gorseway Hayling Island, Hampshire Nursery, 2-7 years
Scenes at Ditton Place appear opposite page 175.
In addition there are certain schools for pupils with special handicaps, where the
proportion of E.S.N. pupils with the additional disability for which the school is
appropriate is high.
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