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special groups into which children can be placed who are unsuitable
for attendance in normal schools. The Maladjusted Classes have
become a larger unit as there are now two teachers who take groups
and Mrs. Shaw who has taken on some children for individual tuition
in the same building. We have found this invaluable as she is preparing
one boy for full time attendance at the Special Classes after
he had broken down at his boarding school and another child is being
supported back to what we hope will become full time attendance in a
normal primary school. Although this scheme has only been operative
this year we have found that as soon as one child is ready to go we
have another urgent case to fill the gap.
Mrs. Bowman started this Autumn with an observation group of
5 children of Infant school age who appeared to be either very dull
or possibly ineducable, but who could not be assessed accurately
by a test because of their emotional disturbances. Having completed
the course for teachers of Maladjusted children she has been able to
observe, assess and help these children so that a decision can be
made about the type of school they should attend when this comes
up for consideration. Although this class is not directly connected
with the Clinic, one of the Social Workers runs a group for the parents
of these children so that they can be given support and an assessment
of the home situation can be made.
We are fortunate in having students who come to the Clinic
because it enables us to keep in touch to a certain extentwith current
training schemes so that we feel the help gained is reciprocal, Mrs.
Bowman came regularly to the Clinic last year to give individual
remedial teaching to three children and to run a small group of
difficult children in a normal infant school. We were very glad when
she was able to open the new infant observation class because we
already knew her very well and she has been able to join the Friday
afternoon discussion group with us at the Clinic together with the
staff from the Maladjusted Classes which provides a most useful link
for all of us.
University College send us one of their Educational Psychologists
in training each year for three weeks or so to gain direct
experience of the day to day type of work both of Child Guidance
Clinics and the School Psychological Service. Mr. Davey came last
year, and has since been appointed to the Chelmsford Clinic, and
the previous year Mr. Cranmer was with us which proved particularly