Hove in the Past: West Hove Schools, Portland Road, Aldrington, Hove.

Judy Middleton 2003 (revised 2023)

Background

The schools were built as a result of the amalgamation of Hove and Aldrington. In 1894 the new School Board of Hove and Aldrington was constituted, and it was specified that school accommodation must be sufficient for 758 children. The site was chosen and approved in 1895, and cost either £2,100 or £2,300, according to two different sources. Presumably, the site was purchased from the Duke of Portland, since a plan of the proposed schools records him owning land on either side. The surroundings then were quite rural with a pig farm further to the west, but the remoteness posed a problem for the school authorities because the purchaser bore the cost of laying a road in front of the premises. Thus the School Board was obliged to borrow £3,000 to finance the road works. It must have been galling having to lay out so much money when it was evident that other parts of Portland Road were still in an appalling state. Indeed, it was stated that the ‘rough and unfinished state of Portland Road is one cause of the absence of children’.

Originally, the School Board had grandiose plans for the site envisaging two blocks accommodating some 1,190 children with a third block to provide a workshop, laboratory, kitchen, laundry, and swimming baths. In fact, these plans received formal approval in December 1896. Then came a slump in building operations in the district, and not surprisingly the School Board had second thoughts about the scale of the enterprise.

Instead, they obtained permission to go ahead with one block only, and this would be for a junior mixed school of 310 pupils, and an infant school of 270 children. The architects were Charles E. Clayton and Ernest Black, while the school was built by the Jay Brothers because they had submitted the lowest tender of £7,995. The final cost came to £8,044. But that did not include the furnishing and other costs amd so the Board was obliged to borrow £8,942 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners at three per cent interest spread over 30 years.

Mixed and Infants Schools

On Monday 27 September 1898 at 11.30 a.m. Mr Leatherdale and Miss Holdup, the headmaster and headmistress of the new schools, marshalled their small charges into line for the formal opening ceremony in the big hall. The gentlemen of the School Board were seated under a canopy; also present were Mr Clayton, architect, G. M. Jay and H. A. Caxton Jay, contractors, and Mr D. Amory, clerk of the works. The children sang We are but Little Children Weak, while Mr Leatherhead accompanied them on the piano. Mr Leatherdale had been a teacher in local schools for the previous fifteen years, and all the teachers were said to be ‘tried and tested’. Mr G. Gladstone, chairman of the Board, gave an address before declaring the schools open. Some people grumbled that the special occasion was somewhat low-key, and would have preferred a grander event.

During the first week 78 boys and 48 girls were admitted, but by 7 October the numbers had grown to 119 boys and 70 girls. By November 1898 there were 222 children on the register. The numbers steadily increased until by 1904 the average attendance at the mixed school was 345, although according to the set standards, there was only sufficient space for 310 children. The building slump proved to be temporary, and perhaps the School Board came to regret their caution because in 1906 they were obliged to build a second block as a girls’ school to alleviate the overcrowding.

In November 1898 Mr Leatherdale graciously allowed the children who brought packed lunches to school to eat their food indoors when there was bad weather. There was no separate room for this, and the children had to eat in the cloakroom, but Mr Leatherdale was having some benches made so that at least they could sit down.

In 1898 an interesting part of the décor was a painting on the ceiling showing the cardinal points of the compass with geographical north indicated by 17 degrees to the right. Perhaps the caretaker was fascinated by the artwork and neglected his duties because in March 1899 he was told he must be ‘more particular in the dusting of desks and ledges’.

On 19 June 1899 Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools paid his second visit, and he was most complimentary. ‘This school has been lately opened but its condition already reflects great credit upon Mr Leatherdale and his staff. Discipline is highly commendable and instruction thoroughly efficient’.

Sometimes, discipline was imparted with too much vigour. In June 1899 pupil teacher Mr Rees was told not to strike the children with a pointer.

On 13 July 1899 attendance was very poor owing to the presence of Barnum & Bailey’s famous circus at Hove.

In November 1899 the teacher in Standard 1 was asked to ‘manage the little ones in other ways, then by sending them out for the cane so much’. The cane could not be randomly administered, and only the headmaster had the authority to wield it, but when he was away in December 1901, the task was delegated to Mr Sweetman.

The HMI continued to write glowing reports, thus on 29 May 1900 he commented, ‘Really good methods are adopted in the boys’ instruction and are skilfully and successfully followed. Clay modelling is well carried out in the school by boys and girls’. It seems that clay modelling was something of a forte at the school, and in 1900 pupil Thomas Page won a prize for his efforts. Herbert Humphreys won a prize for freehand drawing at the Hove Industrial Show, while Henry Brouitt won prizes in 1902 and 1903.

The school was obviously gaining a good reputation, and in 1900 twelve boys amd five girls were admitted, having previously attended Connaught Road Schools. But even a good school suffered its share of truancy and poor attendances. In October 1898 two boys were obliged to promise in front of their classmates that they would not play truant again.

On the other hand, sometimes children were sent to school in no fit state, and should have stayed at home. In January 1899 Dr Dovaston asked the teachers to send home all children with swollen necks. In June 1900 two unfortunate lads called Nicholson and Ansell were sent home for ‘being in such a dirty condition and for having sores on their faces’. In November 1901 there were many absences because of an outbreak of measles and poor William Pullen died after his bout of measles was followed by pneumonia. In March 1907 the school closed for a fortnight because of measles.

On 24 May 1900 the children were given a day off school to celebrate the Relief of Mafeking in the morning, and the opening of Aldrington Recreation Ground in the afternoon. In February 1901 a few children managed to stagger into school through a snowstorm.

In 1901 there was a novel excuse for absence from school when parents sent their offspring hotfoot to Hove beach to gather up fruit being washed ashore. The Hove Echo (9 March 1901) reported ‘Hove has shared in the general feast of oranges and lemons, which the sea has been providing in such a lavish way since the wreck of the ill-fated Indiana beached off Worthing on Friday’. In June 1902 the school was closed for a week to celebrate the coronation while in 1903 there was poor attendance due to Hove Regatta.

Physical Exercise

In the early days it seems physical exercise consisted of little more than dumb-bell drill and marching drill – the boys were complimented on their smartness in the latter in May 1902. But the HMI was not satisfied and in July 1903 he wrote ‘Physical Training is not taught in accordance with an approved scheme. If the training be not based on the Model Course, I am to request that an alternative scheme, set out with sufficient detail to make it intelligible, may without delay be submitted to the Inspector for approval’. In 1904 the HMI remarked that ‘the surface of the playground must be rendered fit for Drill’.

Football was introduced at some point, and in September 1903 the school joined Brighton & Hove Elementary Schools Football Association. In 1908 the school won every match except one, and carried off the cup. The football colours were dark blue and red.

Music

Singing was taught, and in May 1900 a grand piano arrived and was placed in the central hall. This proved useful in July 1900 when the children of the upper school had extra singing lessons because they were to sing at the Prize Distribution at Hove Town Hall.

Prizes and a Medal

Prizes were a regular part of school life in those days. For example, in June 1903 at Hove Town Hall no less than 130 children were awarded prizes for their Religious Knowledge, while thirteen gained prizes for regular attendance. A star in the latter category must be Henry Beauchamp who had the distinction of not missing a day’s schooling in seven years, and consequently in October 1906 he was awarded a medal.

A popular activity was to enter a prize competition where children wrote essays on improving topics. For many years the favoured subject was Kindness to Animals, and there was the added excitement of going to the Royal Pavilion to receive their prizes. In 1901 six children from Portland Road Schools competed successfully, in 1903 nine boys and two girls won prizes, and in 1905 twelve won prizes and certificates, there were eight in 1906, and in 1908 thirteen boys won prizes. The competition ran until 1920 and then the committee of the RSPCA decided to discontinue it.

In June 1905 fifteen children were awarded certificates for their essays on Effects of Alcohol on the Human Body. When the First World War broke out, there were topical subjects such as Thrift and War Savings and The Importance of Strong and Healthy Children to the State. Essays on the latter were forwarded to the committee of National Baby Week. (No doubt to our minds, this subject carries a whiff of eugenics).

Literature

Literature and poetry were an important part of the curriculum:

1898-99

The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare (extracts)

The Slave’s Dream by Longfellow

The Homes of England by Mrs Heman

Village Blacksmith by Longfellow

1900-01

Mark Antony’s oration to Julius Caesar

1903-04

The Charge of the Light Brigade by Tennyson

Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge

Pipes of Lucknow by Whittier

1906

My Native Land by Scott

Minstrel Boy by Moore

The smallest children were taught All Things Bright and Beautiful.

Separation

The children were taught as a mixed school until September 1900 when it was decided to separate the boys and girls of the upper standard. Miss Holdup was in charge of the girls.

Meanwhile, the number of children continued to grow until in February 1904 the school was told not to admit any more children. In 1902 there were 356 names on the school register, but in July 1904 the HMI warned that the average attendance must not exceed 310 or else next year’s grant might be jeopardised.

The Infants’ School received a mixed set of reports from the HMI. For example, in 1904 he thought the school was thoroughly satisfactory and ‘the young scholars are well behaved, intelligent and interested in their lessons’. But in 1905 he found a large number of scholars were backward for their age, while in 1906 he commented ‘Generally, the children might be brighter and mores responsive … than they are at present’.

In September 1906 the new building was opened, and at last there was space to breathe. The authorities recognised the new school as providing sufficient accommodation for 320 boys, but at the time there were only 208 on the roll.

The girls’ department was now recognised as a separate school, and in 1906 started its own Log Book.

Boys’ School

In 1906 the boys were given a severe talking-to on the way they ran about the streets in the evening. Most probably they were simply bored. At any rate, some of the boys then asked to be given ‘home lessons’ as homework was called then.

But at least the boys appeared to be a clean bunch. When the school nurse examined 225 heads of youthful hair, she could only report that there were just five dirty ones – by that she probably meant head lice. However, in 1913 an RSPCC inspector visited the school to examine two boys, and found lice in all their clothing.

Books

The provision of books for the children had taken something of a back seat because in June 1907 there were precisely 38 books in the school library. Most of the books were in a good state, but two of them were beyond repair. This state of affairs lasted until 1911 when the HMI picked up on it. He wrote ‘In the highest classes the boys are able to read a book by themselves with profit … (but) there are some very antiquated books still in use … (and) their ideas of chronology are hopelessly at fault and mistakes such as connecting Nelson with the [Spanish] Armada are not uncommon’.

It was surely no coincidence that in March 1912 the Education Office despatched a box of books for the school library.

Teachers

With regard to the teachers – their names never appear in the Log Book if they are doing a sound job, but only if something unusual happens.

For example, in November 1901 Mr Higham was absent from school in the afternoon because he had put his knee out of joint ‘whilst at play with the boys this morning’. He did not return to his duties until thirteen days later. In September 1902 his knee ‘went’ again, and then he resigned and took himself off to college.

In February 1909 Mr Ellman went to Winchester for an interview, caught a cold and reported sick. But it was seven days later that he thought of consulting a doctor, and nine days before he returned to the school. Evidently, such conduct could not be tolerated, and the head reported him for poor work and lack of discipline in his class to the chairman Mr A. R. Sargeant. On 8 March 1909 the chairman descended on the school in person, to enquire into the matter. Although things were smoothed over for a while, in June 1909 Mr Ellman resigned.

On 28 June 1905 there was a happy domestic note when the head was absent in the morning to attend his parents’ Golden Wedding celebrations.

John Perring Sweetman taught at the school from 1898 when he was appointed first assistant at a salary of £125 a year. In 1916 he played his part in the war effort by becoming a special constable. In March 1921 he retired; there was a ceremony at the school when Mr A. R. Sargeant, chairman of the Hove Education Committee, presented him with a gold watch and chain on behalf of the teachers and scholars.

Gardening

In January 1909 there was an entry in the Log Book recording that preparations were in hand for a school garden. Such an idea obviously received the backing of the Education Committee because Mr Sargeant was willing to offer a prize for the best kept garden and produce. The HMI mentioned this enterprise in his 1913 report ‘Nature study is actively pursued and small garden plots are cultivated in the playground by selected scholars’.

First World War

The war proved to be a major disruption in the children’s lives because the school buildings were requisitioned to serve as a military hospital, and they had to go elsewhere for lessons. The heads were duly informed in March 1915 that the schools would have to close shortly, and in June 1915 the Portland Road site opened as the 2^nd Eastern General Hospital. It was not until February 1920 that the schools resumed full-time activity on the site.

There was a fire at the Portland Road Military Hospital in 1915, and E. Fryer Ballard, Lieutenant RAMC, resident medical officer, was most impressed by Hove Fire Brigade; he took the trouble to write a letter of appreciation to the Watch Committee.

He congratulated them on the ‘excellent manner in which the Hove Fire Brigade performed their duties on the night of the fire in the Dispensary store and adjacent parts in this Hospital. They arrived and had their hose playing within a very few moments of the alarm and very quickly had the fire under control. After the fire was subdued they were indefatigable in salvaging the undamaged and partially damaged stores, in sorting them out and placing them in a position of safety. They then cleaned up all the debris, advised and assisted in the removal of undamaged stock from the vicinity of the fire; and finally made a thorough inspection of the site, leaving a member of the brigade in charge for the night.’

Hove Fire Brigade was kept busy during 1915 because there were thirty-three fires at Hove, not to mention fourteen chimney fires.

Meanwhile, the children had to trek to Ellen Street Schools where a double-shift system was in operation. The Ellen Street children were taught from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and the Portland Road children had their lessons from 1.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. This timetable was followed for a few weeks, and then the children changed over. The infants from both schools received three hours of schooling a day.

As regards the staff:

George Ralph – He joined the school in 1909, and in 1916 he was called up to the Army. He was fortunate enough to survive his experiences, and re-joined the teaching staff in 1919.

Hugh William Sparkes – He started at the school as a pupil teacher in 1907. In 1914 he joined the Royal Field Artillery, and served throughout the war, returning to teaching in 1919.

In the Log for 9 July 1917 there is a somewhat frustrating entry that states an Old Boy has been awarded a DCM but does not mention his name. In December 1917 school-teacher Mrs Pearce was absent for a week because her husband was home on leave.

During Tank Week 1918 the total war savings made by the boys came to £31-3-3d. The school was closed from 25 October to 18 November 1918 because of the influenza epidemic.

Sporting Matters

In July 1920 the first annual Sports Day was held at Hove Recreation Ground. In November of the same year permission was granted to hold organised games in Aldrington Recreation Ground.

Swimming lessons were started in 1925, and in September of that year scholar Ronald Blanden won the 100-yds swimming championship of Sussex elementary schoolboys. Blanden was also the school captain, and the one chosen to lay a wreath at the War Memorial on Armistice Day.

A model of MTB777 crafted by Ron Blanden

Ron Blanden stayed on an extra year at school, and did not leave until he was fifteen. He spent his working life doing sterling work on behalf of the Gas Board. He started off in Littlehampton, but progressed to becoming foreman, and occupied a house in Arundel with his family at 1 Ford Road. His career was interrupted by the Second World War in which he served aboard MTB777, and by all accounts he enjoyed the experience, and no doubt made many friends. Why else would he have spent time afterwards carefully crafting a model of MTB777 that has survived the years?

The crew of MTB777 – Blanden is the man wearing a woolly hat

It is amusing to note that in the photograph of the crew, Ron is the only one sporting a woolly hat. Apparently, all the crew had one just like it, but had carefully removed their headgear in honour of the photograph being taken; Ron meanwhile was busy below decks, and he was only summoned at the last moment, not having time to remove his hat. (Information kindly supplied by R. Peters)

This drawing of MTB77 is by an unknown artist

The full definition of the vessel was HMS Motor Torpedo Boat 777. She was an up-to-date vessel, a Fairmile D, having been commissioned in 1943, and she was built down in Wales by A. M. Dickie & Sons, Bangor. She was commissioned on 21 October 1944. Commander N. A. Breeze was the captain until mid-1945. Since this gentleman was RNVR, rather than RN, it would be fascinating to speculate whether or not he received his training at HMS King Alfred, Hove. Imagine him in full-dress uniform, sporting the special insignia of a RNVR-trained man – a wavy line on his sleeve, hence the nickname – the Wavy Navy. The vessel was sold in 1951.

In 1926 Portland Road Schools won the cup, shield and medals for being top of Division 3 of the Brighton & Hove Elementary Schools Football Association.

In 1927 young Alexander Castle became the 400-yds champion of Sussex.

In 1929 the school took part in the newly-formed cricket league, and Mr Sparkes was in charge of the school cricket team.

Entertainment

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
In 1915 children eagerly wait outside the Empire for their special matinee. (Brighton, Hove & South Sussex Graphic)

In September 1921 some boys went to the Dome to hear Sir Ross Smith talk about his flight from England to Australia.

In 1922 180 scholars went to the Regent cinema to see Through Three Reigns.

In 1925 some of the older scholars went to see the Battle of Zeebrugge at the Empire cinema, Haddington Street, Hove.

Staff Members

The 1920s saw the loss of some long-serving staff members. In March 1899 Arthur Albert Packham and his wife Alice Ellen had been appointed caretakers, and their combined wages were only £1-2s a week; Mr Packham died in 1923.

Francis Leatherdale had served Hove Education for an astonishing 41 years, and he had been headmaster at Portland Road for 24 years. In February 1926 he had moved house from Portslade to Hassocks, and in September he resigned, having reached retirement age. As a parting gift he presented a portrait of himself to hang in the school hall.

Miss Bessie Denroche spent nearly 22 years teaching at the school, and retired in March 1926. She was presented with a ‘wallet of treasury notes and an album containing all the names of the subscribers’.

On the other hand, Charles George Tobutt was only at the school for seven years – he came from Ellen Street Schools in 1927, and transferred to Knoll School in 1934. But he was a reminder that for some people the war was not over yet, and his shrapnel wounds continued to play him up. In November 1928 he had an operation and was away from school for ten months, while he spent a good part of 1930 in hospital.

In 1928 George Ralph, another war veteran, left Portland Road after eighteen years to become head of East Hove Boys’ School. He was given a small oak bookcase.

More Essays

The Brighton & Hove branch of the Navy League ran an essay competition and in 1925 the boys and girls at Portland Road performed the best out of Hove council schools. In 1928 the boys did even better when they won all three prizes:

1^st prize – Alf Benzie

2^nd prize – Alex Castle

3^rd prize – James Bartley

General Strike

In May 1926 the General Strike began, but it had little effect on school life. The scholars walked to school as usual, and arrangements were made for the three female teachers in the boys’ school so that they reached school on time.

Re-organisation

The first of the re-organisation of Hove schools began in 1929. At Portland Road the schools were arranged on a senior and junior basis with the break being made at the age of eleven years. There were now 280 boys on the roll.

In November 1931 several masters and 160 senior boys transferred to the new Knoll School, while Portland Road Schools were re-named as West Hove Junior Boys’ School.

Girls’ School

It was in 1904 that Hove Education Committee decided it was time to finish building the Portland Road Schools, but not quite to the original plans of the 1890s, which had involved three blocks. One had been built, and now work was to start on the second one, but the third block was put on ice. The estimated cost of the second block was £9,000 but, very unusually, the building work, only cost £6,551 and was carried out by Messrs Norman & Burt of Burgess Hill. The architects were Edward Black and Charles E. Clayton, and the latter came along to the official opening to offer a few words of advice and encouragement to the children.

Councillor J. Bagshaw opened the school, and naturally he was very pleased that such accommodation had been provided at such a moderate cost – it worked out at around £11 a child. There was official recognition that the schools could provide places for 320 boys and 280 girls. The new girls’ school started off with 151 girls transferred from the mixed school together with 33 newly-admitted scholars. The dimensions of the rooms were as follows:

Room 1 – 25-ft by 25-ft

Room 2 – 25-ft by 22-ft

Room 3 – 25-ft by 24-ft

Room 4 – 29-ft by 22-ft

Room 5 – 24-ft by 22-ft

Some Grumbles

Perhaps Councillor Bagshawe’s evident satisfaction was a little premature because the Log Book contains a catalogue of complaints. For example, a single hand-towel was supposed to do duty for a whole week. Then it transpired that no drinking cups had been supplied, which meant that if the girls were thirsty, they were obliged to ‘apply their mouths to the taps’. The playground was uneven and full of stones, and when it rained there were pools of water an inch deep.

But the most persistent complaint concerned the fireplaces. It was difficult to light the fire in the first place, and when it was lit, it belched out smoke. By 31 October 1906 smoke was issuing forth from the hot-air vents in every classroom. A representative of the architect arrived to review the situation, quickly followed by the foreman of the builders and the clerk of the works. By 14 November sulphur fumes were so bad that three classrooms were unusable, and the children had to decamp to the hall. By the end of the month the hot-air pipes had been stuffed with paper, which at least had the virtue of keeping back the smoke. In January 1907 Mr Clayton came to inspect the problem, and the following month workmen began to open up the fireplaces. By March 1907 the problem seemed to have been overcome.

But the grumbles kept on coming. There were complaints that no pokers, shovels or scuttles had been supplied for each room. This meant that the caretaker had to use his own equipment, which was against the regulations. One visitor to the school was horrified to find not a single fireguard in sight. By March 1909 all rooms were fitted with a fireguard.

The windows also proved to be problematic. They had not been designed to open at a lower level, which made adequate ventilation in summer rather difficult. In 1909 after three cases of measles, one classroom was thoroughly disinfected but the lack of ventilation meant that the room stank so much it could not be used. It was also difficult for the girls to see the blackboard properly because of the glare of sunlight through the windows, and in 1909 ground glass was fitted to cure the problem. But not being able to open them all, still had to be endured with the heat during July 1911 being particularly trying.

Literature

Appreciation of poetry was considered as important for girls as much as it was for boys. The following works were studied:

1908

The Sands of Dee by Charles Kingsley

Young Lochinvar by Scott

The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson

1909

Song of the Children by Kipling

The Fairies by W. Allingham

To Florence Nightingale by Longfellow

His Majesty’s Inspector for Schools viewed the selection with a somewhat jaded eye because he though they were too much of the same kind, and there was not enough variety.

In 1907 for literature studies three dozen copies of A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, and four dozen copies of Cranford by Mrs Gaskell were delivered to the school. It seems the girls had a more substantial library than the boys, and in 1912 the Education Committee sent them 87 volumes.

Other Lessons

Arithmetic was an important subject, and there was a good standard at the school. The same could not be said for history where the unfortunate girls of standard V were expected to study the entire gamut of history from the Norman invasion to the present day with the result that they ended up with only a hazy impression of it all.

Some of the senior girls had their own little garden to tend in 1907, two years before the boys had theirs. The girls enjoyed growing flowers such as mignonette and sweet peas. However, school gardening came to an abrupt end in 1928.

Domestic Arts

The domestic arts were taught exclusively to girls. Sewing was seen as being an essential skill. In 1906 it was noted that seven older girls had been darning the thin part of sheets. In 1907 every girl cut out a pair of knickers from paper and calico. In 1920 the girls made simple dresses out of a navy-blue material suitable for drill costume.

But for lessons in cookery and laundry, the girls had to go to the Connaught Road Schools where such facilities were available.

Attendance

Truancy was not marked among girls, but sometimes their attendance rate could be a problem due to ‘neglectful parents’ who did not think twice about keeping their daughters at home to mind the baby or to run errands.

In 1913 it was noted that there was a tendency for girls to leave school before they were fourteen years of age, and some of them even embarked upon their working lives before that age. If permission were granted, it was possible for girls aged 12 or 13 to undertake paid work and attend school part-time. The cause was of course family poverty. For example, it was noted in 1908 that out of 170 scholars, the fathers of over 70 of them were either unemployed, or doing odd jobs.

In spite of everything some girls managed to attend school regularly. In 1909 there were 21 scholars who had notched up full attendance for a whole year. Later on, girls were given a tangible reward for good attendance. For example, in 1914 Annie Ticehurst received a silver medal for full attendance for seven years in succession, and in 1918 Alice Green also carried off a silver medal after eight years of perfect attendance. Two years later, Alice Green was the proud recipient of a watch after nine years without missing a day’s schooling.

In 1929 Elsie Phillip was dubbed the proudest girl in Hove by the Brighton & Hove Herald after she had achieved ten years of perfect attendance.

Health

The year 1907 was a particularly bad year for attendance because of outbreaks of measles, mumps and whopping cough. Neither were the teachers immune to these diseases, and in 1911 the headmistress was off for five weeks with whooping cough.

In 1910 poor Edith and Ethel had endeavoured to be admitted to school three times, but the headmistress would not allow them entry; the reason being that their heads were verminous, and their dirty underclothes smelled.

In 1913 it was recorded that Jessie had at last managed to come to school, having missed three years because of ringworm.

On one occasion six of the younger girls came to school with their hair still done up in curling rags or in little 2-in plaits tied with cotton. After that, the girls were given a lecture on keeping themselves clean and tidy.

In 1912 there was a sad entry in the Log concerning young Miriam, just up from the Infants’ School, who was suffering from tuberculosis of the brain, and nothing could be done. But she enjoyed school life, and so she was allowed to continue there, although sometimes she acted strangely, and could even become unconscious.

On the other hand, in 1911 Ivy threw a good old-fashioned tantrum lasting for three-quarters of an hour. She was held to prevent her from harming herself, while she kicked, bit and scratched. In 1912 Ivy swallowed an open safety-pin.

Class Sizes

Class sizes soon became a major problem. It was not the fault of the headmistress who had applied to have an additional teacher, and been turned down. At any rate in 1907, Standard II taught by Miss Bull, had no less than 66 scholars. The HMI was horrified at such large classes, but in 1912 there were still 66 girls in two of the classes.

Sometimes, large classes were caused by a student teacher leaving abruptly, or if a teacher were off sick. For instance, Miss Luckins did not appear to be in good health, and she also managed to get in some scrapes, like the time she fell off her bicycle in June 1909 and was late, and the occasion in March 1912 when she got on the wrong train, and found herself at the Dyke junction.

Innovations

In 1909 basket-ball was introduced for the older girls. Another innovation was in 1911 when an Open Afternoon was held at the school and 120 parents and relations turned up to see inside the classrooms for themselves.

In 1922 two girls transferred to Connaught Road Schools in order to learn shorthand and book-keeping.

Just before the First World War disrupted school life, the HMI wrote a favourable report. ‘A very good School in many important aspects’ and ‘their manners and conduct deserve all praise’. However, there was a weakness in arithmetic, and he felt that freer scope should be allowed in English composition.

The First World War

On 19 March 1915 a note in the Log recorded that the school would be taken over at noon on Tuesday so that it could become a military hospital. The girls had to share premises with the Connaught Road School children on a shift system, and normal lessons were not resumed at Portland Road until 2 February 1920.

In 1916 homework was set for the keener girls in the top class, while in 1918 the manuscript-style of hand-writing was introduced.

It was amazing that standards were maintained during such difficult times, and especially in 1920 when there was such a desperate shortages of desks that in one class there were three girls to a desk, while in another class girls had to write on upturned boxes.

The HMI was able to record in 1922 that ‘in spite of a long ‘half-time’ period during the war and changes on the staff during the last eighteen months a creditable standard is reached in general attainments’.

Essays

During the war, essays were written on subjects such as thrift and war savings. In 1925 Olive Gauntlett became a star pupil when she wrote the best essay out of all the schools in Brighton and Hove, both public and private, her subject being The Navy – Our Sure Shield.

Also in 1925, another essay led to a fascinating note in the Log, quoting a letter from Miss Gordon of 27 Wilbury Road, Hove, niece of the renowned General Gordon of Khartoum. She wrote that ‘having read with interest several very good essays on self-reliance’ she noticed one girl, Irene Perks, wrote especially about, and quoted, General Gordon, and therefore Miss Gordon would like to invite Irene to take tea with her so that she could show her several items belonging to the late General, which might interest her.

Sports

In 1931 the result of the County Sports Day held at Eastbourne was that Hove children won the Sussex Championship with 39 and a half points with sixteen points coming from the Portland Road Girls, and nine from the Portland Road Boys.

Re-organisation and the 1930s

In September 1929 all girls who were aged eleven by 1 August were arranged in a senior school.

In 1932 the senior girls enjoyed sole possession of their premises, instead of having to share them with other departments as had been the case for the previous three years. There were 496 girls on the roll aged from 8 to 14 years, and they were arranged in twelve classes. But by May 1936 the senior girls’ school had closed, with the girls moving to the new Knoll School.

This meant a re-arrangement of the junior girls who vacated the north block and three rooms in the east block, and took up residence in rooms 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 on the south and west side of the central hall.

On 1 October 1934 the school milk service was introduced, and 308 bottles were sold.

Second World War

In September 1939 evacuees from London arrived on the scene with their own staff, and were allocated rooms in the girls’ school as follows:

Sister Therese – three rooms

Miss Pierotti – two rooms

Miss McGuire – one room

A double-shift system was introduced – similar to the timetable in the First World War. This meant that Hove children had their lessons in the mornings, and the evacuees had theirs in the afternoons, and the following week, they changed over.

Later on, further accommodation for classes were found in unusual places such as in the Granada cinema, the Elim Tabernacle, and Holy Cross Mission Hall, while in 1940 Miss Hambly’s class was to be found in the billiard room of the YMCA.

There were frequent interruptions when the children were obliged to go in the air-raid shelters. But the headmistress had to complain because the seats were so rough they tore the girls’ dresses, and ventilation was inadequate – both problems were rectified.

On 15 July 1940 a normal timetable was resumed because the evacuees had been removed to safer parts of the country. Soon it was time for some Hove children to become evacuees. On 16 March 1941 Miss Bulbeck and Miss Hambly left Hove with 47 children bound for Birstall in Leicestershire, and a further fifteen were evacuated with brothers and sisters in the Knoll group.

Meanwhile, in February 1940 the school’s official title became Portland Road Junior Girls’ School.

In May 1943 Empire Day celebrations were still being held. The Mayor of Hove arrived to give a talk, and every child was presented with a bar of chocolate bearing the message ‘a gift to British children from the Optimist Clubs of Canada and the United States. Best of Luck!’

During the summer holidays of 1943 a Morrison table shelter was placed in each room with the exception of room 16, which was being used as a kitchen. Emergency exits were created in the outer walls of rooms 6 and 9, ready for when Anderson shelters were erected in the playground.

A school meals scheme began operating on 15 November 1943 when hot meals were brought into the school inside insulated containers. The children ate in two shifts – infants and girls first, then boys. Ninety girls took the meal on the first day.

Another Re-organisation

On 1 April 1945 Hove Schools became part of the Hove and Portslade division under the jurisdiction of East Sussex County Council,

By September 1949 meals were no longer taken in the hall but in the newly-built canteen east of the infants’ school.

The Log closed with the last note being written on 4 September 1951 stating that the school had re-opened as a Junior Mixed School. The head was Mr Worthing, previously head of the boys’ department.

This was not the last of the changes because the school later became a Middle School, then reverted to West Hove Junior School on 4 September 1985.

In September 1989 the National Curriculum was introduced.

Military Hospital

The Military Hospital opened at Portland Road in June 1915 as a branch of the 2^nd Eastern Hospital, which was under the general command of Lieutenant-Colonel Rooth, but had its own commanding officer. At first it was used as an ordinary medical and surgical hospital with outside wards for those suffering from tuberculosis. Ultimately, it became a centre for mental and epileptic cases.

A reporter from the local newspaper went along to inspect the new hospital, and came away full of admiration. First of all, there was practically a eulogy to the site itself, the hospital being ‘situated in an incomparable position on the high ground in Portland Road, Hove, with a glorious sea view’. As many as 250 patients could be accommodated in a single block, and moreover the wards were situated all on one level, which must have made life easier for the staff.

There was also a large recreation room and a dining hall where patients who were up and about could take their meals, rather than having to eat their food on the wards. The reporter described the calibre of the men serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps as ‘being beyond all praise’. Such surroundings undoubtedly helped the ‘bomb-battered and nerve-shaken’ soldiers to regain their health.

The reporter found the ‘outside’ wards of great interest. They were not of course completely out in the open air, and were referred to a ‘huts’ or ‘bungalows’ but they were designed to admit ‘the fresh air that blows so bracingly’ not to mention the ‘generous sunshine’. This experience was the standard treatment for cases of tuberculosis in those days. The second such ward even had its own bathrooms to the astonishment of the reporter who remarked that they were ‘after the style of the American suites’. It should be remembered that many of the poorer people living in the back streets of Hove did not have the luxury of an indoor lavatory, and never mind a bath with running water – it was the tin tub for them.

Another structure in the grounds of the hospital was known as the ‘Gift Room’ and was set up through the generosity of General Marsland and Mrs Stephen Ralli. It was used to store all the many generous gifts showered upon the soldiers by the richer people of Hove. In 1916 the girls from the Portland Road Schools brought fruit and cakes from their Harvest Festival.

In addition, the congregation of St Barnabas Church provided the hospital with a little wooden church, fully equipped, and the energetic vicar Revd Francis Smythe, prepared over 400 soldiers for confirmation. After the war was over the little building was given as a mission church to Cinder Hill, Horsted Keynes.

One benefit of the hospital being situated there was that in April 1915 the Lieutenant Administrator requested Hove Council to carry out repairs because he feared the road’s rough surface was likely to cause increased pain to wounded men being conveyed there by ambulance.

Commanding Officers:-

Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Jowers

Lieutenant Colonel E. Hobson

The hospital closed in May 1919.

Another Re-organisation

By 2021 it was forecast that in future years there would be a reduction in the demand for primary school places. This, together with concerns over the cost of maintaining school buildings, lead to an analysis of the best way forward. It was stated that from 10 September 2021 West Hove School and Hove Junior School would be run by the Hove Learning Federation.

There were suggestions too that the present infant school located at Connaught Road should be moved to Holland Road where there is a junior school. There would be a public consultation on the site move with a decision expected to be made in November 2021. (Argus 23/7/21)

Sources

Brighton Herald

Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Mr. G. Osborne

Royal Pavilion & Museum, Brighton & Hove

The Keep:-

R/E5/1/29 – Portland Road Schools 1896

Portland Road Schools Log Book, Mixed / Boys, 30 September 1898 to 6 May 1942

Portland Road Schools Log Book, Girls, 3 September 1906 to 10 August 1942

Portland Road Schools Log Book, 4 August 1942 to 4 September 1951

Portland Road Schools Log Book, 2 September 1982 to 23 September 1992

Portland Road Schools Admission Register, Boys, 1926-1947

Portland Road Schools Admission Register, Girls, 2 volumes, 1925-1962

14 August 2021

West Hove Schools, Portland Road, Aldrington, Hove.