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30
Proposed Expansion.
During the year, preliminary discussions have taken place with
regard to the expansion of the present Clinic to serve a larger area
in West Essex. This would involve a considerable increase in
staffing, and a re-organisation and expansion of premises.
The volume of work would be more than doubled, as the
school population would be in the region of 40,000 children instead
of 15,000 as at present.
Clinic Premises.
The space at present available in the Old Education Offices is
at present adequate, though not satisfactory for the purposes of the
Clinic. Any increase in staff would, however, need an increase in
available space, as there is no spare room at present.
Extensive re-organisation and re-equipment of the Clinic
premises will be necessary before any increase in work or staff can
be achieved.
General Comment.
The proportion of new cases referred, 170 during the year,
to a school population of 15,000, indicates that the Clinic advice
is asked for on behalf of many children, and from a variety of
sources. This is a higher ratio than in some areas.
There is no evidence to suggest that Walthamstow has a higher
proportion of difficult children than other areas, but rather that the
Clinic is used extensively by those dealing with children, in
particular the Head Teachers and School Medical Officers.
Practically all cases referred are suitable for Child Guidance
investigation.
Miss Hammond, Educational Psychologist, contributes the
following report:-
The great majority of the children seen by the Educational
Psychologist were referred for backwardness, but as in 1945 there
was a variety of attendant problems, e.g., nervousness, inattention,
laziness, occasional truanting, spitefulness, contra-suggestibility,
solitariness.
The educational problems include failure to learn in all subjects,
or one special group of subjects, irregular attainments where
intelligence is believed to be good, paucity of output, with difficulty
in beginning work.