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99
Bickley School, equipped to serve 150 meals daily, was opened at
the beginning of the Spring Term.
During the summer holidays, the kitchen at Pickhurst Primary
School was enlarged to enable the output to be increased from 250
to 500 meals daily to cater for the additional numbers of meals
likely to be required when the erection of the Junior School is
completed.
As part of the new Technical School for Boys being erected
in Oakley Road, a kitchen to serve 550 meals is being provided, and
work on the construction started towards the end of the year. In
addition, plans have been approved for a kitchen to serve 450 meals
daily for the new Hayes Mixed Secondary School, on which it is
hoped construction will start next year.
It is of interest to note that for the first time since the School
Meals Service started in the Borough in 1941, a Ministry of Education
inspection of the Service was carried out in November, 1955,
as part of a General Survey taking place in the North West Kent
area. The report on the local survey had not been received from
the Ministry by the close of the year.
At the beginning of the Autumn Term the daily average
number of meals being served amounted to 6,806, which showed
a daily increase of approximately 430 meals over the corresponding
period last year. A return to the Ministry of Education showed
that on a single day in September/October 67.39% of the pupils in
attendance at Primary and Secondary Schools received a mid-day
meal.
The school canteens are under regular supervision by the
Sanitary Inspectors, and a very high standard of hygiene has been
maintained throughout the year. At the end of the year, arrangements
were being completed for instructional classes to be given
to the canteen staffs with a view to further improving the standard
of food handling.
A return to the Ministry of Education showed that on a single
day in September/October, 1955. 87.54% of the pupils in attendance
at Primary and Secondary Schools received milk.
EMPLOYMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN.
The number of children examined by the Medical Officers in
respect of fitness for employment out of school hours showed a
considerable increase over the number for the previous year. Two
hundred and two examinations were carried out and in every
instance but one. fit certificates were issued. The figures for the
year 1954 were 146—all of whom were fit for employment.