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Private Play Groups which are inspected and supervised by the Health Department are
providing supervised play sessions and are relieving the Day Nurseries of children who do not need
their special facilities.
During 1966 24 new students were admitted to the Nursery Nurses Course and 22 completed
their training, sat for and obtained the certificate awarded by the Nursery Nurses' Examination
Board.
Four of the Nurseries have continued to receive help from children and staff in Secondary
Modern Schools, including the building of an excellent Wendy House in the grounds of one Nursery
and mending many broken toys. This work is greatly appreciated and the fifth Nursery will shortly
be included in the long list of places where the children give so much help.
During the year, 66 children between the ages of 5 and 16 attended the Junior Training
Centre. Unfortunately it is impossible to have more children in the premises so only the children
who could benefit from the training available could be admitted this year. One child after making
consistent improvement in the Centre for three years was able to transfer to a Special School where
his progress has been maintained. The children in the Centre are happy and affectionate, many
have brought unexpected joy to their parents and others who meet them. One of the happiest
sounds heard just before Christmas was a group of them singing "Jingle Bells" making up with
volume for what they lacked in tunefulness. The happiness of their faces and their "joyful noise"
brought pleasure to all who heard them. Some children will never reach this stage and will never
learn even slowly as these do. They will remain infants all their life, and although loved and
wanted by their parents, will become a heavier burden as they grow bigger. Eventually many of
these will be admitted permanently for institutional care. Meantime some of the parents accept
short term care in hospital or private homes so obtaining a period of time to re-coup for the very
difficult task of caring daily for severely handicapped children. Other children were able to attend
one morning a week at special sessions held in clinic premises where they were looked after by
members of the Waltham Forest Society for Mentally Handicapped Children. All who care in this
way for these children in Hospital, Home, Training Centre or Clinic do a great deal to help keep
the children with their parents as long as possible.
This year for the first time two young students were admitted to the Staff of the Training
Centre and have proved to be very capable and excellent in their approach to the children. The
children obviously feel happy and safe with them. After two years of practical work application
will be made for them to continue their training in College. This is a new venture and the calibre
of these young people indicates that when they complete their training they will continue the high
standard of care already found in the Centre. In addition, students from the Chiswick Polytechnic
College attended the Centre for four weeks practical work and were examined on their practical
ability there. All passed their examinations as well as providing extra hands to help the children.
In addition to the children learning by play and where possible learning to recognise
money and read a little, using different new methods, the children are taken out when possible.
If children are liable to be worried about travel they are taken individually or with a friend to
visit shops, go for short distance on the Underground or to purchase their own cup of tea in a
cafeteria. More adventurous outings for the older children included a visit to Loughton Police
station followed by a visit to Chigwell Station to see Police horses and the dogs and a visit to
Loughton Fire Station where they were allowed to sit on the engine, ring bells and sirens and
watch the firemen use their pole and hoses. It is important that they regard the Police and
Firemen as friends. Most of the children enjoyed a day at the seaside in the summer and a visit
to the Circus on Christmas Eve. Plans have been made for a visit to the Bethnal Green Children's
Museum and the Children's Section of the Whitechapel Art Gallery, and a reply is awaited to see
if the children can go to an experimental farm next year.
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