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from a second. This provision was wholly inadequate but by stages,
the situation was improved, first by the part-time employment of
two qualified teachers who, although not specialists in teaching the
deaf, had experience with hearing impaired children of their own,
and later by the additional appointment of two qualified Teachers
of the Deaf. One of the Borough's primary teachers entered the
Manchester course during the year and is expected to be available to
take up duty in September, 1968.
There were 130 hearing impaired children in the Borough
during the year, as follows :—
Children under five years of age 17
Children at Ordinary School—
with hearing aids 37
without hearing aids 41
Children at Residential Schools 13
Children at Day Schools for the Deaf and Partially
Hearing Units 22
Nursery and Infant Units were established at two primary
schools and 14 of the children named above were in attendance.
The remaining children in special schools and units attended outside
the Borough. A small number attended private nursery classes
within the boundary.
A new three classroom unit for partially hearing children is
expected to be open in September, 1968, at one of the Borough's
new schools. Two additional Teachers of the Deaf have been
appointed to take up duty at that time.
A room at the former Beckenham Town Hall was adapted as
an Audiology Clinic for the use by Teachers of the Deaf and School
Medical Officers. In addition, the Visiting Teacher of the Deaf
was given access to the Clinic at Sydenham Children's Hospital for
the testing of Bromley children.
A total of ten Speech Trainers was purchased during the year,
for use in classes, in the children's own homes, and by the Peripatetic
Staff. A service of spare parts and batteries for individual
aids was also begun. A number of commercial aids for individual
children were bought during the year.
Handicapped Pupils
Every effort is made to ascertain the handicapped child at as
early an age as possible. Many of these children come to the
attention of the School Health Service through the Health Visitors,
the Chief Education Officer, Parents, Teachers, or some other
person or organisation. Handicapped children from the age of 2
years become the responsibility of the School Health Service.