[Report 1930] / School Medical Officer, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset Council
Date:
1930
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1930] / School Medical Officer, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    36/48 (page 34)
    FollDwing eacjli of these Teachers' Classes, vvell-atleiidecl conferences of Head 'i'eachers were held in each area. Henionstrations of the work were given, and these were' folio-wed, where possible, by visits to the schools, where help and guidance were given il)y the Organisers in arranging the Physical Training to suit the conditions jiecidiar to the particular school. Postural exercises to classes of selected children have been conducted by Miss Smith during the past year atW'eston-super-Marc, Banwell, and Clevedon schools, and also at certain schools in the Bath district, and demonstrations of this work have been included in each teacher's course of lectures. A residential vacation course in Physical Training and games was held at Taunton School, August hth to August 'dttth, J98t). The course was arranged to prepare Somerset teachers in the new Senior School 'syllahuses which have been issued by the Board of Education. The Committee’s Organising instructors of Physical Training, Miss M. A. Smith and Caiilain (i. J. O. Fitzgerald, were in charge and the course was attended bv 47 Certificated teachers. It) women and 28 men, oif whom .3 were Headmistresses and 9 Headmasters. Practically the whole of the main building of the school was ]mt at the disposal of the course, including a well-equijiped gymnasium, sw'imming pool, covered playground, two hard tennis courts and ample jilaving fields. The bedroom accommodation for women was provided at Weirfield, a girls’ hoarding school near by. The 'Work in the morning commenced with a combined lecture for men and women, after which separate programmes of work for men and women were taken in Practical Gymnastics, group jiractice, discussion, and games; the afternoons were devoted to games, sports, and excursions. 'I’lie organisers have, ex'en at this early date, noted the marked keenness and improvement in the J’hysical 'rraining in those schools from which teachers attended this Taunton course. Further expansion has taken iplace in the recreative side of Physical Training and there are now over 8()() schools athliated to the Somerset County Schools Games Association; additional blanches have Ix'en formed in Pughy football. Swimming, and Netball. A very successful County Final Athletic meeting was held at Bridgwater in July, at which more than 1,809 children took part. The growing need for playing fields is emphasised by these activities.