Now turn to 1917. By this time the Ragged School Union had become the Shaftesbury Society, but its aims and objects remained the same and when the opportunity came to enter the educational field once more, it was ready. It was the crippled child who was to benefit on this occasion. The Society had compiled a list of over 8,000 London cripples, half of whom were under 16. Among these were many who though mobile in the sense that they could get about with the aid of crutches, sticks or instruments, were not well enough to attend any of the special schools opened by the education authorities. Some needed continuous non-operative treatment; some were spastics requiring special care; some were incontinent. In order that these children might have a chance in life, the Society's holiday home at Bournemouth was transformed into a residential school for cripples under the age of eight, and, from the first, the venture had the blessing of the Board of Education and the Ministry of Health. The results quickly justified the experiment and before long three more schools were opened, available for children up to the age of 16.

Non-residential certificated teachers are employed and in co-operation with the residential nursing staff, they have achieved some remarkable results. There is no indication that the Board will take over these Schools under the new Education Act. The tendency, in fact, is rather the other way, for it is recognised that voluntary bodies can contribute to this type of work something which cannot be provided by statutory undertakings.

The Hall

We come to 1943 and a new experiment. Many applications were being received for admission to the four residential schools from cripples who were too seriously disabled to benefit by the education or treatment provided. Other organisations were faced by the same problem. A conference called by the Central Council for the Care of Cripples emphasized the urgent need for a new type of school and once more the Society volunteered to meet the need if the capital cost could be found. The Central Council set to work at once and in a few weeks were able to announce that nearly £4,000 had been raised, including a generous gift of £1,000 from Her Majesty the Queen out of monies placed at her disposal by the "Bundles for Britain" Fund. This enabled the Society to open negotiations for the purchase of Hinwick Hall, near Wellingborough, a beautiful Tudor residence standing in 40 acres of land. Very little structural alteration was needed. The cost was £13,500 including equipment, and with nearly £6,000 raised by a broadcast appeal and generous help from friends in the Wellingborough area, the major part of the money was soon found. It was decided to reserve the whole of the accommodation for boys aged 11 to 16, since investigation showed that the number of girls needing a home of this kind was considerably less than the number of boys. Applications for admission poured in from all parts of England and Wales. One medical officer of health wrote: "It would be a great blessing if George M. could be admitted to Hinwick Hall. We have tried unsuccessfully every cripples' home in the country."

On January 1st, 1943, the first boy took up residence. By August 31st the home had its full complement of 46. The result of the first year's working can best be judged by the following extracts from the report of the Headmaster (a graduate of Edinborough University) and the Superintendent (whose wife, a State registered nurse, is Matron).

One of the schoolrooms at Hinwick Hall

"The general behaviour in the home has been very good; I think this is due in part to making sure that the first five boys admitted had a good training from the day of arrival here. They had a good influence on the other boys as our numbers grew, and anything unseemly is challenged at once. Our boys spent most of the summer out of doors, and we feel that the great benefit derived from this open air life did much to keep them fit this winter. With the exception of Albert Gamble and Arthur Tompkins, we have had nothing worse than minor colds.

"Recreation in the house is very difficult, because so many of our boys have not the use of their hands. One or two boys do a little knitting and embroidery, quite a number are philatelists, and recently we have instituted a library. Joseph is the librarian, with two assistants, and I can assure you he runs his library in a very efficient and official manner. Our latest venture is trying to build up a choir, and I think we shall be successful.

"Jack was admitted wearing only a gorgeous canary pullover and a blanket. He was verminous, filthy, and devoid of all manners. He had had a shocking home influence, one of his sisters being on probation at the time of his admission. All this is now very dim in his memory, and he is a very fine boy, well mannered and really interested in the higher things of life. His mother visited him in September, and asked him if he would like to go home, but Jack was very definite when he said 'No.' His mother asked to see the 'keeper' when she came to the home, which gives some idea of his people. Bertie, from Northampton, and John, from London, are both nice boys, but neither of them have ever possessed a Bible. Now they are very keen Bible students. I asked Bertie's mother if she had a Bible for him, and she told me they had never had one in the house. We have numerous cases very similar to Jack, that have been lifted from a sordid atmosphere to a realisation that they really are human beings, living a life with a purpose, and I know they deeply appreciate the change.

"In spite of many difficulties, we are proud of our first year's work, and feel that all of our boys have greatly benefited.

"Above all they have an interest in life such as most of them have never had before. We are happy that we can humbly play our part in such a great work."

J. Riding, Superintendent.

"Reviewing the first year's school work at Hinwick Hall affords one a gratifying sense of achievement. The difficulty of the task lay not so much in the variety of the crippling ailments from which the boys were suffering as in the variety of the stages of education to which they had attained.

"There were those whose levels of attain­ment and age were fairly normal; those again who had not reached a standard proportionate to their ages; and there were the most unfortunate group who had received little or no schooling, though aged 11 years or more. At the beginning of November it was possible to separate these three groups with a teacher each, and since then the rapidity of progress has been accelerated. The members of the advanced class take special pride in their position in school. Quite a few will, if their enthusiasm lasts, reach scholarship standard in another year. There is one boy, whose reading, counting and spelling have developed at such a phenomenal speed as to make his case unique in the experience of his teachers.

"Ronald, in the junior class, is confined to bed in his plaster jacket, yet his keenness in his school work, especially in reading and arithmetic, make it a pleasure to teach him.

"Although these outstanding cases are specially mentioned, almost without exception each boy has benefited from the regularity and continuity of the school routine to such an extent as to be a challenge to many a normal healthy boy, who may not take full advantage of the opportunities afforded him."

William M. Day, M.A., Headmaster.