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HEALTH EDUCATION AND HOME SAFETY
Every good wish is offered to Mr. J. Bretton, who retired in April 1972, and who has been responsible, since
the formation of the London Borough of Bromley, for Health Education and Home Safety. His pleasant and
enthusiastic disposition, coupled with his untiring energy, will be greatly missed by children and adults alike.
Mrs. M.E. Eves, S.R.N., S.C.M., H.V. Cert, was appointed Health Education Officer/Home Safety Officer, in
July, 1972. With an extensive and varied career in nursing, midwifery and the public health field, including considerable
experience with assisting health education in schools, the forward looking approach to health education will be
continued and expanded.
The adoption of the 'Health and Social Education Working Parties' suggested scheme of education for
health and personal relationships in Secondary Schools, has established a closer link between health and education
departments, resulting in the better promotion of united health education for the London Borough of Bromley.
Many teachers have sought the advice of the Health Education Officer in compiling their programmes. Talks
by Public Health Inspectors, Health Visitors and the Health Education Officer have been given in the schools and the
loan of visual aids from the Health Department have proved very popular with teachers.
At the one-day conference on Health Education for Primary Schools in October, 1972, it was the unanimous
wish of those attending that a policy similar to that adopted by the Secondary Schools should apply and, accordingly,
an in-service training course on Health Education will be arranged for the Spring Term 1973.
Home Safety is also promoted under the umbrella of Health Education. The Schools and the Health
Education Section by following the National Home Safety Campaigns suggested by R.O.S.P.A., are showing a more
united publicity of the dangers within the home. The gratifying result of no reported firework accidents produced by
the intensive Campaign organised within the Borough by the Health Education Officer and supported by the Schools,
proves that a combined effort from all levels will encourage the desired effects of reducing home accidents.
Mr. D. R. Barraclough, Chief Education Officer, has submitted the following report:
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
In a year which has seen many signs of change in Bromley on the broad educational front there is little in
Physical Education that is new to report. However, if there is not much breaking of new ground there is certainly an
intensive cultivation of the tried and approved that gives much pleasure especially in that part of the planned
programme which is bringing into existence many more games halls in the new larger secondary schools. These large
structures enable the staff to carry out a more elastic programme and at the same time provide a welcome antidote
to the problem of games coaching which so often suffers from the vagaries of the English climate.
Major sports continue to flourish in schools and it is fair comment to say that more Hockey, more Cricket,
more Rugby, more Soccer, more Basketball, more Netball and more Volleyball are being played by the young people
of Bromley in schools than ever before. This contradicts the often repeated statement that the major games are no
longer popular and that the young are more attracted by the individual pursuits. In support of this claim about the
major games it should be noted that in one secondary school last year the various school teams played three-hundred
and forty games and in another they had played over a hundred by just half term this present season. This intensive
use of school grounds makes it impossible to provide any further use for the general public of any school grass area.
One school possesses an all-weather porous pitch and others are planned. If they possessed simple floodlighting, it
would be possible to use the facility until ten o'clock at night without detriment to the surface. One major development
is that of larger sports halls in place of or, sometimes, in addition to the traditional gymnasia. These new
structures are the largest spaces yet built in the service of education and much time and thought has gone into
their planning so that they can be used for a very wide range of activities. These Games Halls can be used if
necessary for any major school gathering and the sacrosanct nature of a fine wooden gymnasium floor has given
way to a multi-purpose surface which is capable of withstanding even the ravages of stiletto heels. Before very
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