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available and to experience elsewhere it may be stated that the number of children in Willesden
suitable for admission to the above schools may be estimated on a conservative basis as 2.5 per cent.
of the number on the roll that is to say that there are 600 such children in Willesden. This number
may be divided thus:—
Suitable for a Day Open Air School 480
„ ,, Residential Open Air School 120
Of the 480 children suitable for a day open air school 75 are now on the roll of Furness Road
physically defective school and about 25 will be enrolled at Leopold Road "special" school when
opened for physically defective children. The bulk of the remaining 380 children are weak and
delicate children suffering from anæmia, debility and other ill-defined conditions, who attend irregularly
at school and belong frequently to the backward type. It is proposed in the day open air school
to be erected to incorporate existing physically defective schools and thus free again Furness Road
"special" school for its original purpose.
Of the 120 children suitable for a residential open air school it should be observed that the
School Medical Records of 1915—the last year for which they are complete—shewed that 76 children
of this type were not in attendance at any school. We are anxious that a residential school should
be established to permit of the education of these" children. We are also anxious that the cost per
head for maintenance should be reduced to a minimum and are of opinion that a residential school
for 120 might not prove economical in this respect. In these circumstances we propose to defer the
question of the establishment of a residential open air school and would suggest that favourable
consideration be given to any proposal by which such an institution might be worked in conjunction
with any other institution required in connection with the Health Department so as not to increase
overhead charges and reduce the maintenance costs per head.
In the meantime we are of opinion that a day open air school on the lines suggested by the
Committee in 1914, should be proceeded with.
Plan of Willesden Day Open Air School.
We have duly considered the buildings of the open air schools that we visited. We have also
reviewed the plan of the open air school which was approved by the Board of Education in October,
1914. We are of opinion that this plan should be adopted with certain slight modifications.
Briefly the main points of this plan are as follows:—
(1) Disposition of classrooms on site—The classrooms all face South.
(2) Classrooms—In the Schools visited these were practically always open on the South
and West sides. We are of opinion that instead of roller wooden shutters shewn
on. the original plan there should be provided a small hollow parapet wall around
the building with windows above which would lower into the hollow parapet wall,
and above these lowering windows again a louvred or pivoted window similar to
the arrangements that we saw at the Swinton and Parkfield residential open air
school for children suffering from surgical tuberculosis, Manchester. We are of
opinion that some form of heating should be provided for the classrooms and suggest
that the pavilions should be heated by means of independent boilers and low pressure
hot water.
(3) Verandahs or resting sheds--Having regard to the disadvantages of having only one
large resting shed, we have retained the arrangement in the original plan of having
a small resting shed attached to each pair of classrooms. These sheds should be
provided with ample ridge ventilation.
(4) Kitchen—We are of opinion that this should only be large enough to cook for the
children. The proposed provision for cookery instruction should be separate.
(5) Laundry—We have retained this so that the laundry work necessary may be done on
the premises and the children at the same time receive instruction.
(6) Teaching of laundry and cookery—We are of opinion that the teaching of laundry
and cookery will be of great service to the cripple children attending the Willesden
open air school, while at the same time this form of instruction may be useful in
"hardening" delicate children about to leave school and enter employment. The
laundry and cookery centre should be planned on "open air" lines and would be
available for other schools if required.
(7) Baths—Twenty-eight shower and two slipper baths are provided.
(8) Lavatory basins—Forty basins are provided.
(9) Cloakroom and cupboard accommodation—This has been provided for the children's
clogs, blankets, flannel coats, mittens, etc.
(10) Playground—This has been provided on the North West corner so as not to interfere
with possible future developments. A portion of the playground should be set aside
for the cripple children. Ample space is left for the school gardens.
(11) Massage and physical exercises room—This is an additional room not shewn on the
original plan and having regard to the cripple children who will attend this school
we consider its provision important. This room should be about 25 feet square.