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(f) Delicate Children.
Five children are at the following institutions:—
One boy at Farningham Home for Little Boys, Swanley;
one boy at St. Catherine's Home, Ventnor; one boy at St.
Patrick's Open Air School, Hayling Island; one boy at St. John's
Open Air School, Woodford Bridge, Essex; one girl at West
Wickham Hospital and Home of Recovery for Children.
(g) The Education Committee has its own Special School.
There is accommodation for 50 children in this school and this
is sufficient to meet the requirements of the Borough.
At the end of 1931 there were 38 children, 16 boys and 22
girls in attendance. In addition 5 boys were attending the
Littleton Street Special School and one boy was at Besford
Court.
The total number of Wimbledon children attending Special
Schools at the end of the year amounted to 44.
At the end of 1931 there were the same total number of
children in attendance at the Queen's Road Special School as
at the end of 1930.
3 boys and 3 girls were admitted during the year. Every
child attending the school is examined at least once a year in
addition to the routine medical inspections. Children attending
this school receive a bath once a week and a special bathing
attendant is employed by the Education Committee for this
purpose. A cooked mid-day meal of excellent quality is also
served. On an average 33 children stayed for this meal, for
which a charge of 3d. is made. In some cases the charge is reduced
to 2½d. and in 6 cases it was found necessary occasionally
to forego the amount owing to the financial circumstances of the
parents. One child also received milk in school on medical grounds.
The School Medical Officer visited the school on an average
once a week for the purpose of examining the children. In
addition to the routine class teaching a considerable amount of
special handicraft instruction was given. Carpentry, gardening,
cookery, and laundry-work were taught.
A list is kept of all retarded school children in the district.
These children are examined on an average every six months
in order to ascertain their suitability for transference to the
Special School. In addition every school is visited periodically
by the School Medical Officer with the view to ascertaining from
the Head Teachers the number of backward children in
attendance.
Children who have left the Special School on attaining the
age of 16 and who are in need of supervision and care are notified
to the Local Authority under the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913,
as amended by the Act of 1927. Two boys and one girl were
notified for this purpose. One boy, and one girl who attended
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