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BENTRY SCHOOL
Last year, the Bentry Special Schools, both Physically Handicapped and Educationally
Subnormal, were the subject of a long report and this year there is nothing new
to add, except for the appointment of a physiotherapist for 5 sessions per week to the
school, which has already in the last 3 months of the year made considerable difference
to the spastics and hemiplegics.
Mr. Hurton, the headmaster, has continued to give the medical and nursing staff
every help. The school nurse attends three times a week and also goes swimming once
a week with the physically handicapped children, and the medical officer has a regular
weekly session in the school. During the year a second school medical officer has attended
regulary to help to complete the review ascertainment of all the children in the
educationally subnormal school.
The children had their poliomyelitis and diphtheria immunisation at the school,
and for the last few months of the year those urgently requiring dental treatment were
transported to the Oxlow Lane Dental Clinic at a weekly session.
Physiotherapy
The following is the report of Mr. A. Brand:—
The year 1959-60 was a successful year for physiotherapy at Bentry School. Over
1,000 treatments in all were carried out up to the autumn term, and considerable improvement
noticed. In the autumn term we were fortunate enough to secure the services
of another physiotherapist, Mrs. Cocker, who was able to treat the children three times a
week while I devoted myself to sessions at the swimming bath.
At these swimming sessions my aim is to teach the children to swim so that they
have at least one sport or hobby at their command. Even the most severely disabled
can then feel that there is something from which they are not barred. We have been
quite successful again this year and four of the most severely handicapped children are
aow swimming by themselves.
Once again I would like to thank Mr. Jones, Sports Organiser at the South-East
Essex Technical College, the bath attendants and also the voluntary helpers for their
and co-operation and help.
Mrs. F. Cocker reports:—
As I have been at the Bentry School for only three months I cannot give a very full
report on physiotherapy here or report much progress, but I have great hopes for the
uture. The children are very happy and co-operative and mostly very keen to help
hemselves, but as in all physiotherapy departments, lack of time is my greatest enemy
is so many of these physically handicapped children could benefit from daily treatment,
i am seeing as many of the parents as possible and trying to instruct them in a scheme
if physical activity so that they may help their children at home.
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