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SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
The Borough has a duty to provide for the medical inspection at appropriate intervals and to make arrangements
for securing the provision of free medical and dental treatment to pupils in attendance at Maintained Schools.
The School Health Service, under the direction of the Principal School Medical Officer, administers these services on
behalf of the Borough.
It is the aim of the School Health Service, in collaboration with the Education Department, to be satisfied, by
means of these medical examinations, that every child is able to receive the type of education best suited to his age,
aptitude and ability.
There are 34 Secondary Schools (including 2 Direct Grant) and 90 Primary Schools in the Borough; also 4
special day schools for educationally subnormal children, and one hospital school.
In January there were 48,174 pupils (an increase of 55) on the registers of the Maintained Primary,
Secondary, Special and Nursery Schools.
It is the aim to give statutory routine medical inspections to all pupils entering the infants' school and to
repeat these when they reach the age of 10 years and 14 years. In addition at 8 years of age pupils are given routine
tests of vision and hearing alone; a full medical examination is undertaken at this age only if, for any reason, it appears
necessary. Further, when at any time during a child's school career the head teacher, parent or doctor is concerned
about the health of a particular child in relation to school education or activity, arrangements are made for special
examinations to be carried out. Private schools may participate in the School Health Service at request.
The total number of children attending both Maintained and Independent Schools who were examined in
the routine age groups was 14,646. The physical condition of all the pupils inspected was satisfactory and 1,819
pupils (12.4%) were found to require treatment.
A further 5,199 children were given routine tests of vision and hearing, as a result of which 215 pupils (4.1%)
were referred for treatment because of visual defects and 47 pupils (0.9%) were referred for treatment because of
hearing defects.
Follow-up examinations, referrals to General Practitioners, specialist clinics and to Hospital Consultants were
arranged as and when necessary. Further details of these examinations will be found later in the report.
It will be appreciated that Medical Officers devote about half of their time to the School Health Service. The
arrangement of identification of an area based around the Child Health Clinics has worked very satisfactorily, as it
enabled a continuity of service to be given to the family.
It will have been noted in the figures reported above that an increased number of children have been routinely
tested for vision and hearing. Whereas in previous years sweep testing in the 8 year old children was carried out by
Medical Officers at special vision and hearing sessions, this service has now been taken over by the Audiometrician
and School Nurse — the first to be appointed to the School Health Service. The former received training at the
Audiology Clinic and during this year has completed audiometric testing of all 8 year old children within the Borough,
details of which are enumerated later in this Report.
Particulars of the numbers of children issued with free milk certificates under the Education (Milk) Act 1971
since it became operative in the latter part of that year are shown under School Meals and Milk Service.
It was possible during the year to release several Medical Officers for attendance at formal Courses, in
addition to which some were able to attend either one day or half day Conferences.
There has been continued difficulty in filling the post for a part-time Psychotherapist as only 2 applicants
were interviewed and both subsequently withdrew from the appointment.
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