82 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF LEICESTER AND DISTRICT 
qualified children. The examination revealed the extraordinary differ- 
ence in attainment of children of the same age in the elementary schools. 
In accordance with the new Act, the Leicester Education Authority— 
like other Authorities,—prepared a scheme to cover the developments 
proposed for the next ten years. The core of their scheme lay in 
grouping the schools in the several areas of the town. This grouping 
allowed the bringing into certain schools of sufficient children over 11 
to allow at least duplication of classes (boys and girls separately) for 
those of approximately the same year of age, the schools from which 
they were transferred becoming Junior Schools with a similar duplication 
of classes. Moreover, it was found possible to reserve one school in an 
area for children who had qualified for a secondary education but whose 
parents for one reason or another could not permit them to go to the 
secondary school. In these intermediate schools children were to 
follow a curriculum similar to the conventional secondary school curri- 
culum, that they might easily be transferred to secondary schools should 
their parents on second or third thoughts wish this. 
The Geddes axe came down upon many of the proposals made under 
the 1918 Act, but that portion of the Leicester scheme which affected 
‘ grouping ’ was put into operation, area by area, till in 1929 all the 
Council schools and most of the non-provided schools were reorganised. 
Meanwhile the Hadow Report in 1926 gave national recognition of the 
principle on which Leicester had worked since 1921. 
About the same time that the Authority began to reorganise their 
schools they began to provide playing-field facilities for the senior 
children. To-day every child over 11 has one organised game per week 
on the 87 acres owned or rented by the Authority, or on the parks and 
recreation grounds. 
As one result of the duplication and triplication of classes and the 
consequent modification of curricula to suit different categories of 
intellect and interest it has been found possible to reduce the number 
of those transferred to special schools. On the other hand, it became 
very apparent that there was need for a school of a special type to deal 
with cases of special disability as to reading, writing, behaviour, etc. The 
Committee, therefore, opened an ‘ experimental ’ school at Haddenham 
Road, where such problem cases could spend 3, 6, 9 months, 1 year, 
2 years, as the case might be, until the disabilities were removed and the 
children could return to the normal schools. 
Infant departments were unaffected by grouping, but, during the 
last five years, nursery classes to the number of 23 have been provided 
where children between 3 and 5 can be educated as in nursery schools 
in good social habits. 
The school for the deaf and semi-blind is accommodated in a mansion 
situated in beautiful grounds in Stoneygate. A new school for the 
mentally deficient has recently been built. The much larger premises 
hitherto occupied by them—also a mansion in extensive grounds,—have 
been appropriated by the experimental school. 
The Leicester Education Authority have made very complete provision 
for the medical inspection and treatment of children in the elementary 
