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number of children whose hearing acuity is much greater and when special methods of teaching
are required.
Two children entered day nurseries because of deafness. Here a child is surrounded by many
small children with normal hearing, whose method of communication is simple speech expressed
in oft repeated loud tones; he soon learns to adapt to the variety of sounds of normal life and
naturally acquires speech, his auditory experience being widened by daily contact with other
young children.

Of the 147 new cases of educationally subnormal children reported during 1971, most were
transfers into the education system from Hillingdon Junior Training Centre.
This large group of children is made up of those whose achievements in academic work is
much below the average for their age. This may be due to lack of ability, or lack of opportunity,
or some other factor, and which indicates that they require some specialised form of education
either entirely or partially in place of the normal education given in normal schools.
In April 1971, the children formerly deemed as unsuitable for education at school were
transferred into the education service. Previously the responsibility for the care and training of
these children devolved upon the Health Department of the Borough. From the inception of the
Borough in 1965 until 1st April, 1971, both the Junior Training Centre and the Adult Training
Centre were under the supervision of the Mental Health Service. Hillingdon Junior Training Centre
was rebuilt in 1969/70 and opened in April 1970. It continued the tradition of enlightened teaching
and the supervision for which the Middlesex County Council was well-known and following the
passing of the Education (Handicapped Children) Act, 1970, became Moorcroft Special School
on 1st April, 1971. These pupils are now considered to be children in need of special educational
treatment as educationally sub-normal pupils.
There are, therefore, three day schools in Hillingdon for the education of this category of
handicapped pupil, namely Meadow School, Hedgewood School and Moorcroft School.
36 pupils attend residential schools, the majority being received into Swaylands School
(boys), and Wavendon House, Bucks, (girls).
Meadow School, Royal Lane, Hillingdon
Mr. Everett, Headteacher, has kindly sent the following report:
"Our roll is 157. This number includes 13 children from the former Ruislip Gardens Diagnostic
Unit who are staying with us temporarily.
This year has been a very full one. The out-of-school activities include camp, both in this
country and abroad. The senior pupils spent a week on the Borough's narrow boat "Pisces", in
the charge of two members of staff who have acquired qualifications as master and mate. We have
had a successful games year and a new fixture has been against Longford School, Gloucester.
Together with a number of other schools, we have been experimenting with the use of a
new reading teaching machine called the "Talking Page". We have also been fortunate in working
with Brunei University. Among other things we have been given the use of their television studios.
Recently, all the school leavers were given a mock interview by a personnel officer of a local
factory. The interviews were telerecorded and after the playback, there was much fruitful discussion.
I am pleased to report that at a time of considerable unemployment, our school leavers have
been successful in finding jobs. At the end of the Summer Term, 17 pupils left school. Of these,
14 were found employment by the Youth Employment Officer, or found it for themselves. One
went to the Industrial Training Unit at Perivale and two went to the Adult Training Centre."
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