LORNE STREET PRIMARY SCHOOL OPENING
* The land for the school was ‘secured’ from the Governors of George Heriot’s Hospital by the Leith School Board.
* Construction was during 1875 and 1876.
* The main 2 storey building was for boys and girls, each with their own entrance, stair and classroom.
* The back single storey building (our dining hall) was an infant school. Each infant child paid 2 ½ pence a week.
* The school was designed to hold 500 children.
* The first headmaster on opening day, 21 February 1876, was the Reverend James Forsyth.
ENLARGING THE SCHOOL
* The school was enlarged twice.
* The biggest change was in 1898 when a third storey was added.
* More land was secured from the George Heriot’s Hospital Trust to add to the back playground.
* There were temporary classrooms in the back playground.
* The old public well now became part of our playground.
* Tenements were built to replace the old work yards and Jameson Place was created.
In 1901 Lorne had 900 pupils…
more than 3 times the number of pupils we have today.
SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945
*The building was closed as a school and became a Civic Restaurant feeding locals bombed out of their houses or anyone who had used up their ration or had other social needs.
*The head teacher was responsible for the evacuation of children to other parts of the city and out to the villages in the Lothians.
*Some children stayed and were educated in local homes with a teacher from the school touring around and teaching for a short period before moving on to another home.
LORNE STREET PRIMARY CLOSES 1960
- New housing estates on the outskirts of the city attracted young families away from Leith
- Dr Bell’s Primary was also suffering for a lack of new infants coming into the school
- Lorne closed 23 December 1960 and the pupils started at Dr. Bell’s after the Christmas holidays
ROOF FIRE – 17TH MAY 1962 – 4:17PM
FIRE STARTS IN VENTILATION DUCT IN WOODEN ROOF SPACE
RAMSAY TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
* Lorne became an annexe for the Ramsay Technical Institute, Portobello about 1963 until 1971.
* It was their engineering wing and students could be full-time or on day-release from their paid work as joiners, welders etc.
* When Telford College took over the Ramsay Institute they wanted to be rid of the many annexes around the city and bring them onto fewer campuses.
* Lorne was therefore surplus to requirements and closed.
LORNE PRIMARY RISES FROM THE ASHES
* The school name dropped the word street
* Lorne re-opened on 18th April 1973
* There were 282 pupils
LEADING TO THE CREATION OF OUR SCHOOL BADGE
1970’s and 1980’s 1990’s 2000’s and 2010’s
2015 until Present Day
