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6. Birmingham—Uffculme Day Open Air School—Visited 15th April, 1920. Deputation:—
Councillors W. M. Bolton, Mrs. Moore, Miss Royle, the Rev. H. Martin Thorpe, and Dr. Buchan.
This is a permanent building of brick and tile, designed for 120 delicate children. The school
is in charge of a head mistress. It is for day scholars only, and is easy of access by tram. It stands
on 1½ acres, but in addition has the use of a park of 25 acres when not in use for Sunday school and
other holiday treats. The school has been open nine years, and was presented to the City of Birmingham
by Mr. and Mrs. Barrow Cadbury. The school has four classrooms, three of them are arranged
corner to corner, thus allowing all four sides to be separate, but only three sides open. The fourth
classroom is attached to the dining hall, and two sides open. The sides open right up to the ceiling,
so as to prevent pockets of air forming.
The desks provided are movable and the seats are separate.
The kitchen is placed on the first floor, the idea being to prevent the smell of cooking entering
the school proper.
The girls' cloak room, which is the same size as the boys', is too small.
There are ten spray baths and ten lavatory basins provided for 130 children in attendance.
Ample cupboard accommodation is necessary for the clogs worn by the children out of doors, the
blankets, jerseys, woollen mittens and caps provided by the Committee and used by the children
in cold weather.
The resting shed is separate from the class rooms. One large resting shed as shown at this
school is not recommended, the head teacher thinking that two smaller sheds would be much better.
Further, the sheds should not be too deep as free ventilation under these conditions is not practicable.
This is a mixed school, the children ranging from 6 to 14 years. The average stay of a child
at this school is about 1 year.
The staff consists of one head teacher, four class teachers, one nurse, one cook, one kitchen
maid, one additional maid and one caretaker.
The school is open from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. in the Winter and 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. in the Summer.
The school is not closed during the holidays. All children are given three meals a day at
the school, and in respect of the additional cost pay sums varying from nil to 4s. 6d. per week.
B.—Day Schools for Cripple Children.
7. Manchester—Lancasterian Day School for Cripple Children.—Visited 13th April, 1920.
Deputation:—Councillors W. M. Bolton, Mrs. Moore, Miss Royle, the Rev. H. Martin Thorpe, and
Dr. Buchan.
This is a school of the same type as the Furness Road physically defective school, Willesden,
although the accommodation is better. It is in charge of a head mistress; 150 children are taken
to this school daily by bus or tram.
The children admitted are those suffering from infantile paralysis and healed tubercular conditions
of the bones and joints, such as hip joint disease and spinal disease.
The classes are mixed and the number attending permits of sufficient classification for educational
purposes. The training given is largely manual.
There is a bath room attached to this school and all the children are bathed once a week.
Great attention is paid to the condition of the teeth and the healthy condition of the mouth.
A room is set aside for massage and remedial exercises and is under the supervision of a trained
Masseuse.
C.—Day Open Air Schools for Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
8. London—Kensal House Day Open Air School for Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Harrow Road,
Paddington.—Visited 18th March, 1920. Deputation:— Councillors W. M. Bolton, Miss Royle,
and Dr. Atkinson.
This day school under the control of the London County Council and in charge of a head
mistress, provides accommodation for 100 boys and girls, all children attending being notified cases
of tuberculosis.
The children travel to school by tram-car.
The school consists of a large old fashioned house surrounded by ¾ acre of land and accommodation
is provided for teaching, treatment, and domestic purposes.
The classrooms are ordinary large rooms, doors and windows being open constantly, the
room temperature being regulated by fires.
A rest room for boys and one for girls is provided for compulsory rest twice daily, each child
being provided with a stretcher bed. Unless the weather is very unfavourable the rest interval is
always taken outside.