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94
SCHOOL MEALS SERVICE.
Further progress was made during the year with new Canteen
provision and in April, the Kitchen and Dining Room for 375 meals
daily at Valley Primary School was completed and taken into use.
In September, an extension of the container service of meals to
St. George's School. Bickley. was arranged to supply the temporary
Junior Department opened at the former Day Nursery in Holwood
Road.
By the end of the year arrangements were complete for opening
of the Canteen at Pickhurst School at the beginning of 1954. Until
the new Junior Department is built the canteen will be equipped to
serve 250 meals daily.
It is becoming increasingly necessary to provide alternative
Canteen Accommodation at Burnt Ash School and negotiations
have been undertaken with the London County Council for the
acquisition of land required for the purpose. It is hoped that the
Ministry will give early approval to the erection of the new buildings
so that the existing kitchen can be released for classroom purposes
The provision of new Canteen accommodation at the Girls'
Technical School, mentioned last year, is provisionally included in
the 1955/56 Building Programme. Plans are also being prepared
for a Kitchen for 500 meals daily at the proposed new Technical
School for Boys, which is included in the Building Programme for
1954/55.
Early in the year, the Ministry of Education decided for
economy reasons that the cost of the mid-day meal should be
increased to 9d. with effect from 1st March. 1953. This increase
may be partially responsible for the drop in the number of children
taking the mid-day meal but an additional factor may well be the
relaxation of certain food controls during the year. Towards the
end of the year the daily average number of meals dropped to 6.530.
a reduction of approximately 500 a day compared with the corresponding
period last year.
A return to the Ministry of Education showed that on a single
day in October. 68.12% of the pupils in attendance at Primary and
Secondary Schools received a mid-day meal.
EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS.
One hundred and forty-seven children were examined by the
School Medical Officers in respect of fitness for employment out of
school hours. Fit certificates were issued in all but two cases.
BROMLEY SCHOOLS' BOOT CLUB.
The work of the Club progressed satisfactorily during the year
1953.
Contributions received from members £536
Cost of purchases made during year £595
Number of purchases made during year 575
Total number of members at 31st December, 1953 595