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The school's continuing aim is to provide as full and
normal a school life as possible, together with a planned programme
of such physiotherapy, speech therapy and other remedial help as is
required by the children.
St.Philip's School for Educationally Subnormal Children.
Fleetwood House, Leatherhead Road, Chessington
Thanks are expressed to Mr.J.A.Ainley, Headmaster, for
the following report:
There were 140 children on the roll in September 1972 and
ten more on the waiting list. It is interesting to compare this
situation with six years ago, when there were 115 children on the
roll, but only 80 from Kingston, compared with 130 of the present
total. This represents a 60 per cent increase in the Kingston children.
The increase might be interpreted as due to any, or all of the variables:
Improved diagnosis
Change in attitudes (of teachers, parents, doctors)
The work and achievements of the school
Although the intelligence range for entry is nomally 50-75,
the present actual range is 43-95, with probably more children over
70 than under, and a number being admitted with IQs of around 80.
The pattern of admission ages is also interesting. In
September 1972 of all the children on the roll, 36 per cent were
admitted before the age of 7, and 77 per cent before the age of 9.
Unfortunately a few children still come at 13+ or 14+
years when previous educational efforts have failed, and when the
chances of making progress in amy direction are muoh reduced.
Three boys left before the age of 16 years in order to
start work, and one girl of 13 transferred to secondary school. No
doubt this number will increase as secondary schools become better
able to deal with children who have learning difficulties.
Fourty-four children were considered by the Senior Medical
Officer and the Head to be multiply-handicapped, the largest handicap
being speech. As observed by the Medical Officer of Health in a
memorandum to the Chief Education Officer on 31 October 1972, speech
therapy could make a much bigger contribution if there was additional
accommodation.