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70
The employment of so many sessional workers is useful in that the more people there are, the more
professional viewpoints that can be voiced, however, it does present administrative difficulties. At Kilburn,
for example, there are ten people filling by sessional work the establishment of four for P.S.W's and Psychotherapists.
At Kilburn there are 18 persons (five of whom are full-time) sharing the ten rooms available. At
Kingsbury there are 14 persons (four of whom are full-time) sharing seven rooms. Kingsbury will be using
the rooms on the ground floor of the Church Lane building when the Maternity and Child Welfare Clinic
moves out. There are no immediate plans to alleviate the pressure on space at the Kilburn Centre.
During the year Mr. Graham was granted three months' study leave, and Mr. Rigby was absent for
two months on sick leave.
Immigration
At the beginning of 1969 Brent's school population consisted of 27% immigrants, largely children
from the West Indies. There seems little doubt that a higher proportion of these children present problems of
learning and behaviour which impinge on the Child Guidance Service. Many immigrants, particularly of Secondary
School age, arrive in this country with low educational attainments. Many, because of their long separation
from their parents combined with adjustment to a new urban environment, exhibit behaviour problems,
often of an "acting out" aggressive nature.
There has been some recent national publicity concerning the number of West Indian children designated
E.S.N, and placed in Special Schools. In Brent there are nearly double the proportion of immigrant
children in E.S.N, schools as compared with the proportion in ordinary schools. This is the same proportion
as found in I.L.E.A. Special Schools.
Children are not transferred to Special Schools lightly. Full psychological and medical assessments
are made on each child. All such children score in the bottom 2% of their age group in both ability and
scholastic attainment tests. However, it is quite likely thrft "intelligence tests" of any type do not adequately
measure the ability of immigrant children.
Exclusions from School
During 1969 there were 31 formal exclusions from Brent schools, compared with 23 in 1968. The
numbers were made up as follows:—
Boys Girls Total
Infant 6 0 6
Junior 12 3
Secondary 7 15 22
Total 14 17 31
The number of exclusions of boys is about the same as last year but the number of girls has doubled, and
now exceeds the number of boys excluded. As can be seen, about half the children excluded from school
are secondary girls. Of the 31 children excluded, 24 were of immigrant origin.
Of the 31 children, nine were returned to the same school, ten were transferred to a different normal
school, three were transferred to E.S.N. Special Schools and nine were placed in Maladjusted Special Schools.
Provision of Special Schools and Classes
Vernon House Primary Day School and Barretts Green Secondary Day School are dealing with
maladjusted pupils in the Borough. Both have 40 places. At the end of the year the Special Infants Class at
Vernon House moved into the new Manor Primary E.S.N. School, thereby allowing more places for maladjusted
pupils.
The schools for maladjusted children must not be regarded as dumping grounds for discipline and
delinquency problems in the ordinary schools. Admission to these schools is dealt with by consultation amongst
the Child Guidance Service, the School Health Department and the headteachers. Particularly for Barretts
Green Secondary School, children are put forward in their last year at school, and where they have never been
referred before. Few of such cases can be helped by a school transfer, and, in any case, it would be quite
unfair to expect the staff of Barretts Green School to deal with such problems.
The six Remedial Reading Classes dealt with 206 children during the year (155 boys and 51 girls).
This preponderance of boys is usual for such classes.
Liaison with other Agencies
Each month at Kilburn the School Medical Officers attend for a case conference with the Child
Guidance staff.
Each month, Dr. Graf and Mr. Graham spend an afternoon at a case conference at the Barretts
Green Reception Centre.
The Brent Consultation Centre as a walk-in-service for adolescents has probably relieved the pressure
of the older cases that might have been referred to ths Child Guidance Service.
In conclusion, the Child Guidance Service is most grateful to Mr. Wyeth and the Education Department,
and Dr. Grundy and the Health Department for their close co-operation.