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Leinster Mentally Defective School.—The certified accommodation at this school is
for 140 children and during the year under review the average number on the roll was 128. The
actual number on the roll at 31st December, 1931, was 134. The average attendance for the year
was 111. There were 2 children awaiting admission to this school at the end of the year.
The staff consists of one Head Teacher, one full-time Assistant Master and four full-time
Assistant Mistresses. There are in addition three part-time Instructors—one for boot-making,
one for handicraft and one for domestic economy.
Six children were allowed to leave school before reaching the age of 16 years.
The Certifying Medical Officer visits the school weekly for the purpose of revision of classification
and for medical examination of the children. The parents are notified of any defects requiring
attention. 85 such examinations were made during 1931.
The school dinner is brought from Furness Road Feeding Centre, and served in the school
hall. On an average 75 children take dinner, and the remainder bring their own meal.
Oldfield Road Physically Defective School.—The certified accommodation at this
school is for 140 children. During the year under review the average number on the roll was 150.
The actual number on the roll at 31st December, 1931, being 156. The average attendance for the
year was 125, and there was 1 child awaiting admission at 31st December, 1931.
The school takes physically defective children between 5 and 16 years of age. The staff
consists of one Head Teacher and six full-time Assistants.
During the year six children were allowed to leave school before reaching the age of 16 years.
Twenty-one children were allowed to attend ordinary elementary schools ; one child was transferred
to an ordinary elementary school at the parents' request. Three children obtained scholarships,
one at an Art School and two at Pitman's College.
The school dinners are brought from Gibbons Road Feeding Centre and are served in the
School Hall. Practically all of the children take the school dinners.
One Trained Nurse is attached to the school. She treats minor ailments as required, and
supervises the personal cleanliness and the care of the teeth and hair of the children. She arranges
for the repair of surgical instruments and boots. She also gives the children the nutritive drugs
ordered by the doctor.
The school is visited by the Certifying Medical Officer once a fortnight, and each child is seen
every six months. The parents are notified of any defects found which require attention.
The majority of the children at this school who are actually crippled attend periodically an
Orthopaedic Hospital or an Orthopaedic Department of a General Hospital ; and in addition, facilities
for treatment of this kind are available at the Stonebridge Health Centre, where a Specialist visits
twice monthly and the requisite nursing staff is in daily attendance.
Convalescence.—Convalescent Homes for children attending the Physically Defective
Schools are arranged by the Invalid Children's Aid Association and by the Shaftesbury Society.
The Education Committee have made arrangements with the Russell-Cotes School of Recovery,
Parkstone, near Bournemouth, for the reservation of places for 10 boys and 2 girls. This home
was provided by the donors as a country residence near the sea for poor town boys and girls who are
anaemic and debilitated, and who are physically defective within the meaning of the Education
Act, 1921 ; and it is recognised by the Board of Education as a Special Residential School. The
boys and girls are selected both from the physically defective and the ordinary elementary schools,
and the duration of the stay is six weeks, except in special cases when an additional six weeks' stay
can be arranged. All the cases which have been to the institution have shown a distinct improvement
on their return home. In all 83 boys and 18 girls were admitted to the school during the year.
The Education Committee have arranged the reservation of places for 12 girls at St.
Patrick's Open Air School, Hayling Island, Hants, and 8 boys at St. Dominic's Open Air School,
Godalming, Surrey. The children are selected both from the Physically Defective and the ordinary
Elementary Schools, and the duration of stay is six weeks. All the cases sent have shown a definite
improvement on their return home. In all 60 boys and 85 girls were admitted during the year.
The Education Committee have made arrangements with the Middlesex Edward VII. Memorial
Fund for the reservation of four places at Collington Manor, Bexhill, for anaemic and debilitated
children. The children are admitted at intervals of six weeks during the months October to May.
In all 8 boys and 7 girls were admitted to this Institution during the year.
Work of the Willesden Branch of the Invalid Children's Aid Association, 1931.—
126 new cases were referred to this Association during the year, 40 of these being referred by the
Willesden Health Department. The majority of the patients were suffering from anaemia and
debility. In addition 22 surgical appliances were supplied.