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Before a pupil leaves school at the age of 16 years, a full medical and
psychological investigation is carried out. A case conference is held during a pupil's
last year in the school. The headmaster, careers master, Principal Medical Officer,
Senior Medical Officer, educational psychologist, Youth Employment Officer and
social workers attend, and a decision is made regarding the type of employment or
training best suited to the pupil. In some cases pupils may not be accepted into
employment immediately on leaving school, or may drift from one job to another.
In these circumstances a recommendation is made that the pupils should be supervised
by the Director of Social Services who may arrange for the pupil to have training in
a sheltered workshop prior to taking up open employment in the community.
It is regrettable that children ascertained as being educationally subnormal
cannot be admitted to Carew Manor E.S.N. School before the age of 7 years.
Many children are ascertained between the ages of 5 and 7 years and a number have
been placed in E.S.N. schools in neighbouring Authorities. There is no doubt that
these children should attend a school as near their homes as possible and it is hoped
that additional accommodation in Carew Manor E.S.N. School will be made available
for children under the age of 7 years as soon as possible.
(b) Sherwood Park E.S.N. School
This school provides education for 40 severely mentally handicapped
pupils in temporary accommodation at 18 Stanley Park Road, Wellington.
It is unfortunate that there has been a delay in transfer to the new school
in Robin Hood Lane, Sutton.
The new school will accommodate 70 pupils and will include a
swimming pool, part of the cost of which was contributed by the Sutton & District
Society for Mentally Handicapped Children.
When the new school opens it will be possible to arrange for the
attendance of 9 children resident in a private community home in the borough who
at present attend an E.S.N. School in a neighbouring borough. It is also hoped that
there will be a nursery class for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years.
(c) North Downs Unit
This unit caters for three groups of maladjusted children. The children
remain on the register of their ordinary school and attend the Unit for varying periods
from one to 4½ days each week. The children recommended for admission to the Unit
are carefully selected in conjunction with the child psychiatrist and head teacher of
the Unit. Many maladjusted pupils require continued contact with their homes and
parents which can only be achieved by provision of day school places. The head teacher of
the Unit continues to have close contact with the parents of children attending the Unit.
At North Downs Unit the child can continue with his or her normal school curriculum.
The primary purpose of the Unit is therapeutic and an environment is provided in which
the child is helped to come to terms with his disabling emotional difficulties.
The number of new admissions to the Unit during 1971 was 15 (22).
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