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Recreation.
Cricket, football, rounders, and other games are played on
the ten-acre playing field at week-ends all the year round and
during the evenings from about March to October. Walks,
picnics, and rambles are conducted when the weather is favourable,
and flower gathering and blackberry picking expeditions
are organised. During the winter months indoor games, such as
draughts, dominoes, and other table games are played in the
dining hall, while table tennis is very popular in the rest room.
There is also an excellent library of boys' books for those who
prefer to read. On one evening weekly throughout the winter
lantern entertainments are given, the boys selecting the subjects
from the hirers' catalogues.
Bank and Tuck Shop.
Money brought to the School by the boys or sent to them is
placed in the School Bank, which is conducted by one of the
teachers. The boys are then allowed to withdraw a small sum
twice weekly, which may be spent at the School Tuck Shop,
where sweets and chocolates of good quality are supplied at
approximately wholesale prices.
Discipline.
As an aid to discipline mark system is used, whereby each
boy commences the week with 20 marks, some or all of which may
be lost by breaches of discipline. If a boy goes through the week
without losing a mark he is allowed to go to the neighbouring
town of Ongar for an afternoon in the following week, and to
spend some of his bank money there. About 50 per cent, of the
boys often win this privilege. At the end of each month the best
two boys, as shown by the mark list, are given a special treat.
Occasionally a boy who has lost an unduly large number of marks
is not allowed to attend the lantern entertainment, or is withheld
from football or cricket on Saturday afternoon. A number of
boys act as monitors.
(10) Physical Training.
There is no organiser of physical training, but drill, physical
exercises and games are organised and supervised by individual
teachers in the Elementary Schools.
There is a well-organised Schools Sports Association, composed
of members of the Education Committee and Teachers, who
superintend the various sports sections among the children, such
as swimming, football, netball, cricket, boxing. Notable
successes have fallen to West Ham in these various branches of
sport among its scholars.
Scholars for whom an opinion of fitness to participate in
sports is required are examined by the honorary Medical Adviser,
Dr. F. B. Skerrett. During the year 220 boys were examined,
and of these 216 certified as fit in this connection.
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