[Report 1928] / School Medical Officer of Health, Lancashire County Council.

  • Lancashire (England). County Council.
Date:
1928
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1928] / School Medical Officer of Health, Lancashire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    resumption of the Committee’s assistance to managers should have the effect, in many schools, of improving the amenities of the children and of obtaining a better standard of cleanliness in the schools where such improvements are carried out. During the year negotiations for the purchase of land for playing fields at Burtonwood, Denton, Littleborough, Orrell and Ulnes Walton have been entered into. In the new schools projected the policy of the Committee is as follows :— Size of Sites for Schools. The areas given below are considered as the minimum requirements for sites for new Elementary Schools. It is assumed that the shape and situation of the site provide facilities for economical planning of the building, playgrounds and playing-fields. The schools are grouped in three divisions according to the number of children accommodated :— (I.) If provision is made for 200 children— Area required : Minimum area for building and play¬ ground (as required by Board of Education) Add: School Garden and Infants’Plot Special Subjects Rooms Playing-field . J-acre 1000 sq. yards 200 2 acres Total ... ... ... ... ... 2J acres A playing-field of this size would give room for one football or hockey ground, and for minor games such as rounders or net-ball. (II.) If provision is made for 400 children— Minimum area required : 3| acres. This will give a larger area for the building, playground, school garden, and Special Subjects Centre, with one football or hockey ground, a cricket pitch, and space for minor games. (III.) If provision is made for 600 children— Minimum area required : 4| acres. This allows for separate football and hockey grounds, in addition to the facilities given above. Additicm for a Group of Schools. If a playing-field is to be used for Organised Games by a number of schools in addition to the school to which it is attached, about three acres additional to the figures given above would be needed. Central Schools. As all the pupils will be eleven years of age or over the minimum area of a site for this purpose should be five acres. SCHOOL HYGIENE. There is room for great improvement in the cleanliness of the schools. Care¬ takers are frequently untrained and, in non-provided schools at any rate, only give part time service. In addition their work is frequently undone by the use or misuse which is made of the schools out of school hours. Occasionally structural defects like unplastered walls, uncovered rafters, rough floors, inaccessible ledges and heavy furniture give rise to an accumulation of dust which is merely disturbed by spasmodic efforts aimed at its removal and soon settles again in the same situations. The following list shows some of the minor improvements in school premises which have been carried out during the year :— Note.—The item “reflooring” is intended to cover either the whole school floor or a classroom. District No. Name of School. Particulars of Improvements. 1 Dalton-in-Furness Nelson Street Provision of shed and additional entrance Council in connection with the Child Welfare Centre. Coniston C.E. Reflooring. Urswick Grammar ... Reflooring. Dalton-in-Furness, Lindal and Marton Council Installation of electric light. Ulverston, Sandside Council Removal of gallery and reflooring.