View report page

SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Dr. Mary Douglas, Principal Medical Officer

Medical Examinations in Schools
The re-organisation of the system of medical examinations in school has now been completed. There
is a full medical inspection of each child on school entry. The maximum number of children sent
for at each session does not exceed 15. There is also a full medical inspection of each child
during the final statutory year at school, with an examination by selection during the child's last
year in the primary school. The selection of children for examination at this age is made by the
school medical officer as the result of questionnaires sent to parents, and after consultation with
the head teachers of the schools concerned. The hearing and vision of the children in the group
are screened, whether or not the children are eventually selected for medical examination.
We continue to develop closer relations between the school health service and the schools. Drayton
Comprehensive School continues to have a weekly visit by the school doctor to carry out medical
inspections and to be available to discuss problems with pastoral heads. This scheme was
extended to Wood Green Comprehensive School during the year and it is hoped that eventually all
comprehensive schools will have the same service. Similarly, in infants schools, the medical
officer visits where possible once a month throughout the school year, particularly to meet the
needs of new entrants.
The Blanche Nevile School, including the Partially Hearing Units, is visited by a medical officer
once a month, and the School for Physically Handicapped Children has bi-weekly visits. It is
hoped that the reduced number of routine medical inspections will leave more time for regular review
of children with handicaps.
The following table shows the number of children inspected by years of birth and the classification
of their physical condition:-
72