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There axe many secondary disabilities or handicaps. (
Number of children receiving treatment for:
E^ye defects 30
Heart murmurs 6
Minor hearing defects 3
Neurological disease 2
Brain damage 5
Mongols 5
Hydrocephalus 1
Autistic 5
Under treatment for psychological, emotional & behaviour
problems 10
Controlled epilepsy or petit mal 6
Children from broken homes, problem families, poor 1 omes
or socially deprived 13
Immigrant children unable to keep pace in ordinary school 6
Physical deformities 3
Asthma and other chest complaints 3
All the children have learning difficulties but not all because of the above
secondary disabilities and they all work at their own level and speed. The aim is
for the majority of school leavers to be placed in employment suited to their limited
capacity where they can cope with a reasonable degree of success.
There were 10 school leavers during the year who obtained jobs in industry,
super-markets, commerce and outdoor work under supervision.
The Speech Therapist gives all new entrants an initial screening and has
weekly sessions with all those who have speech difficulties.
Physical education, swimming, woodwork and pottery are popular activities,
and the cover for the heated outdoor swimming pool is in the process of being built
which will enable swimming to take place all the year round.
"Old" boys and girls of the school meet the two senior classes once a month
at the St. Nicholas Club held in the school during an evening, and a link is
maintained with the school, staff and friends for as long as they would like to
belong to the Club.
Grovelands School, St. Paul's Cray.
There are now 121 children on roll including thirty-two who were admitted
during the year. Of thoso who left, nine entered employment, one is unemployed
and no information available about onej one child was transferred to a Training
Centre and another went to a Residential School. Eight left the area and five went
went back to normal schools.
The 121 children at Grovelands cover a wide range of ability. I.Q.'s are
between 46 and 80 with ages of 7 - 16 years. Many children have multiple handicaps
including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, poor sight, various physical handicaps and a
high proportion have difficulty with speech.
The Welfare Assistants have divided their time between helping in Class I,
carrying out speech practice as instructed by the Speech Therapists and contributing
to the general physical well-being of the children. This included assistance on
outings in the minibus. They also arranged hair dressing sessions for the senior
girls.
There have been no staff changes this year which has done much to maintain
continuity of lessons.
Drama has been less practical than usual but there has been considerable
interest in Art. Pupils have visited exhibitions and taken part in outings for
painting and sketching subjects of their choice. The corridors in school have
been enlivened by some of the results.
Independence has been encouraged by allowing pupils to find their own way
to and from school, and going shopping in Sidcup and Orpington to purchase the
ingredients for cookery classes with the purpose of giving some idea of home
budgeting. One class combined Cookery with Geography by preparing and eating a
traditional dish from the area being studied. This was a great success. Boys
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