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parts of the Borough and holds special
responsibility for the remedial centre and special
infants' unit at Isleworth Town. We were also
fortunate to obtain the services of Mrs M Tagge
(formerly Staines Child Guidance Service) and
Dr I Christianson as temporary part-time
educational psychologists. They greatly helped the
service in the interim period before the
appointment of a full-time educational
psychologist. Mrs M Pears was appointed to her
present post as full-time educational psychologist
in September 1967. She was allocated the Feltham
part of the Borough (as well as part of Hounslow)
in which area it is hoped to develop further
remedial facilities.
Remedial therapy for individual children
'A number of children diagnosed as having
specific learning problems require an individual
approach to treatment. This has been provided
at the child guidance centre by Mrs M Kinnon
(formerly head teacher of the Marjory Kinnon
School, Bedfont), Mrs M Landa, Mrs A Martin,
and Mrs A Grigg, who have part-time
appointments as remedial teachers. Waiting lists,
however, are still in excess of the help available
and further development of this service is
desirable.
Remedial centres (small groups)
'The service runs two remedial centres at
Isleworth Town and Belmont School, Chiswick.
The centres cater mainly for children with a
reading disability who meet for half the week for
this special treatment and return to their normal
schools for the rest of the time. Miss C Duggan,
teacher in charge of the Isleworth Centre, left to
take up an appointment as a deputy head teacher
in July and the centre was unfortunately closed for
the autumn term. Mrs Trembath was appointed
and is due to begin work at the centre in
January 1968.
'Miss Norman was appointed teacher in charge
of the remedial centre at Belmont School in
September. Children attend the centre in four
groups from a number of surrounding schools.
Special infants' unit
'A special class for disturbed infants was set up
at the Isleworth Town School at the beginning of
the autumn term. Miss V Mace was appointed
teacher in charge of the class, which is attended by
8 children. The children are of mixed ability, but
their problems are so severe that they are unable
to be contained in a normal school. Three of the
children also suffer from epilepsy.
Appointment of school counsellor
'A pilot scheme for developing the guidance
services within schools was started at Heston
Secondary School with the appointment of
Mr P Smart as a school counsellor. Mr Smart is
an experienced teacher with a special training in
counselling techniques. He is able to provide an
educational guidance service for pupils and acts as
liaison officer between the school, the school
psychologist, and other special services. It is hoped
that school counsellors will be appointed in the
new comprehensive schools.
Appointment of social worker
'Mrs M A Gaastra was appointed to the parttime
post of social worker first envisaged in 1966.
The post was a joint health-educational
appointment to accommodate the growing need
for a social worker in the school psychological
service. The social worker is able to work closely
with the educational psychologists in order to help
parents whose children are receiving special
educational treatment of the remedial kind. Much
work is done in the homes of parents who may be
unwilling to attend the child guidance centre. It is
hoped that this appointment will become full-time
in due course.
Working party on persistent non-attendance
'The Chief Education Officer requested the
senior psychologist to chair a working party in
order to investigate the problem of persistent
non-attendance in secondary schools in the
borough. The working party met on 34 occasions,
and work is still in progress. Since the working
party consists of the senior representatives of the
major health, social and educational services
connected with the problem, it has proved of great
value in stimulating active liaison and
co-ordination. It is hoped that the work of the
working party will be the first step towards a
comprehensive programme for greater
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