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Handicapped Children
The object of the School Health Service in relation to the handicapped child is
to ensure that the handicap interferes as little as possible with the child's education.
Section 34 of the 1944 Education Act requires the Council to ascertain, at the age of
2 years, children likely to need special education but the procedure in the borough is
that medical officers and health visitors report handicapped children to the School
Health Service at the earliest age they become known to them. By this means there is
a fairly complete record of all disabled children in the borough in advance of the time
when we are required to assist them. When such a child approaches school age he is
examined by the school medical officer who decides whether he should be classified
as handicapped in the statutory sense. If this is the case the child is "ascertained"
as in need of special education. Various types of special education are available
including special classes at ordinary schools, home tuition, or education at special
schools.
The borough's own special schools and classes are as follows:Brentside
Speech Class
Reference has already been made to this class at Brentside Infants' School for
ten children aged four to seven years who have speech defects of such a severe
nature as to interfere with education.
Day Schools for the Maladjusted
These consist of Aston, a junior school for 25 children at 1 Aston Road, Ealing,
and Newlands, a senior school for 35 children, within the curtilage of Oldfield
School. The school health services available to these schools are in general
the same as for ordinary schools with certain additions. These extra facilities
consist of a routine medical examination annually instead of at the usual
intervals, and the attendance of a psychiatric registrar at the school for one
session every fortnight.
Day Schools for Educationally Subnormal Children
These are Belvue and Acton Schools. Belvue School is a purpose built school
in Northolt, providing places for 180 children, Acton School is for 40 children.
The additional school health facilities available to these schools are an
annual medical examination and assessment and a speech therapist who attends
for 4 sessions weekly at Belvue and 1 session weekly at Acton.
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