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HEALTH OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN WEST HAM
IN 1958
SCHOOL POPULATION
On the 31st December, 1954, there were 28,379 children on the school rolls, as
compared with 28,815 on the corresponding day of 1957. The variation in school population
during the past four years has been slight.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
Periodic Examinations
The medical examination of school children was carried out in accordance with the
provisions of the School Health Service and Handicapped Pupils Regulations, 1953, in which
a minimum of three inspections during school life is advised. In West Ham it has been the
practice for many years to carry out the three "routine" (or "periodic") medical inspections
as follows:- infant school entrants are examined at five years within their first year at
school, junior pupils at 10 years of age in their last year at junior school, and senior
pupils at 14 years of age during their last year at secondary modern school. At the
grammar and technical schools the pupils are examined at 14 years and, in addition, in the
last year of their school li£e.
For the Ministry of Education returns children are generally regarded as falling
into one of the three prescribed age groups (entrants, leavers and others). This year
in accordance with the Ministry's request the number of pupils inspected is recorded by
year of birth, and not as entrants, second age group, leavers and additional medical
inspections as previously.
There was an increase of 888 in the number of periodic medical examinations,
and an increase of 2l6 in the number of special examinations, but a decrease of 77°
re-examinations. On balance there was a moderate increase in the amount of work carried
out this year compared with the previous year.
Tables setting out the work relating to medical examinations will be found in
the appendices at the end of this report.

The latest available figure for the country as a whole is:England
and Wales:-
1957 98.28% 1.72%
85