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6 Assistant Supervisors, (2 for Special Care Unit not yet appointed)
4 General Duties Assistants, (2 for Special Care Unit not yet appointed)
1 Cook, part-time,
1 Assistant, part-time, 30 hours,
Coach Guides, 45 hours (including Special Care Unit)
Driver-Handyman,
Cleaners, 42 hours.
The children are transported by private coach and escorts are employed for the
purpose of acting as coach guides. The following report has been received from Mr.
R. St. Clair Duncan, Headmaster, who was very kindly seconded to act as temporary
Supervisor pending a permanent appointment being made, following the marriage and
subsequent departure of Mrs. B. Peacock nee Bunce:—
"The year was of special importance to the children of the Junior Training
Centre since it saw their transfer from the old building of Harle House to the new
80 place purpose-built school in Strathmore Road, Teddington. The move was
effected in September and was not without difficulties since building delays of
various kinds were experienced. For this reason, although the whole of the rest
of the new school was in use by the end of the Autumn Term, it was still not
possible to bring the 20 place Special Care Unit into operation. This is now
expected early in 1971.
The accommodation at the school is on two floors and includes five classrooms,
two on the ground floor being for nursery and infant-aged children and three on
the first floor for older children, and two manual instruction rooms, one for Housecraft
and the other for Handicraft. There is a Medical Room, used also for speech
and physio-therapy, a large Assembly-cum-Dining Hall which is also equipped for
gymnastic work, and a fully-equipped Kitchen.
The Special Care Unit is a wing of the main building with its own separate
entrance and consists of two classrooms, a bathroom, a laundry or utility room
and the necessary cloakroom facilities. The School possesses its own purpose-built
motor coach to serve both the Special Care Unit and pre-nursery classes and this
is garaged on the premises.
The School grounds include three hard-surface playgrounds, one each for the
Nursery, Senior and Special Care Unit children, and equipped with climbing
frames, slides, swings and a sand-pit. There are also large grassed areas set with
trees and shrubs and containing a smaller area set aside for the children for
gardening.
There were 28 children attending Harle House in January and by the end of
the year this number had increased to 35 at Strathmore Road, with a further 16
expected early in the New Year.
Unfortunately, not all members of staff at Harle House were able to resume
again in the Autumn Term at Strathmore Road, Miss Burch and Miss Charlton
both going off on courses and the Supervisor, Mrs. Peacock (nee Bunce), having
changed her single status during the summer holiday, moved from the Borough
at the end of September. However, before leaving she had the satisfaction of
settling the children into the new school and of seeing the results of a great deal
of planning and organisation come to fruition. Sincere thanks are due to her for
her hard work and devotion to the children in her care.
The pattern of training and education built up at Harle House during the
previous two years was continued and expanded during 1970 and with the transition
into the modern, more spacious and better equipped surroundings represented
by the new building, an era has now been inaugurated which will undoubtedly
be reflected in the progress of the children in due course.
An important part of their education is the introduction of the children to
experiences and relationships with the community outside the school walls and
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