Mile Oak Industrial School

 

Mile Oak Industrial School

The LCC School: Memories of a "Village Within a Village"

Dominating the local landscape for nearly a century, the Mile Oak Industrial School (later known as the LCC School) was a formidable presence on the hill. For those of us who grew up in the shadow of its brick pillars, it was a place of mystery and discipline—a self-contained world where boys were sent to be "reformed" and taught a trade. While the school buildings have long since vanished, replaced by the modern housing estates around Edgehill Way, the memories of its long driveway and the sound of its choir still linger for many local residents.

1. Introduction: The Presence on the Hill

• Situated approximately where Edgehill Way is now, just off the Mile Oak Road, a few hundred Yards from the former Portslade Secondary School and 6th form college.

•  For nearly a century, this self-contained "village within a village" dominated the landscape, home to hundreds of boys learning trades to "better themselves" in the eyes of the Victorian authorities.

2. The School’s Many Lives

• The Victorian Era (1880s–1913): Built to house and reform "unruly" or destitute boys.

• The LCC Connection (1913–1970s): Note that the London County Council took over in 1913, which is why many records are held at the London Metropolitan Archives.
  The school was originally built by the Brighton and Preston School Board in 1902 but was later sold to the London County Council (LCC) in 1913. This is why it was known locally as the "LCC school".

• Wartime Haven (1940): A poignant detail is the arrival of senior boys from St Nicolas School in August 1940, seeking safety after their own school was deemed to be in a "dangerous position".

• 3. Life Behind the Gates
  We boys of Portslade Secondary school, used to use the LCC school's small pool for swimming lessons. It was there that I learned the first principles of swimming. We had Polystyrene floating boards to help keep us buoyant while learning to kick through the water.

• I remember the brick pillar entrance posts and then the walk up the long drive. I remember the looks we got from some of the reform school boys who were outside at the time we arrived. That was the only contact we had with them. We'd practice swimming, at least trying to swim, for about an hour, then get dressed and walk back down the road to our school.

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• For the “inmates”, Training included "manly tasks" like working on the 26-acre working dairy farm or tailoring, and shoemaking.

• Daily Routine: around the coal-fired radiators, singing lessons (like “Hail, Smiling Morn”), and the efficient class system from Standard 1 through 7.
  Final Years: Before the demolition to make way for the housing estates like Edgehill Way, the site was briefly used by the sixth form of Portslade Community College.

• 4. The End of an Era: Demolition & New Beginnings
  The Entrance Mascot: Above the main entrance that you walked through was a well-known stone carving of a boy reading a book. When the school was demolished in the late 1970s, this carving was saved and is now displayed at Foredown Tower.
  
  Join the Conversation

• The LCC School left an indelible mark on Mile Oak and the lives of the hundreds of boys who passed through its gates. Whether you were a student there, a local who caught a glimpse of life behind the walls, or, like me, someone who walked that long drive for swimming lessons, I would love to hear from you.

• Do you remember the school farm, the stone carving of the reading boy, or the singing lessons around the coal-fired radiators? Please share your stories and anecdotes in the comments below. By gathering our collective memories, we can ensure that this fascinating piece of our local history isn't forgotten.

• Here are photos from when the school closed in 1977 and was demolished to make way for the modern housing estates around Mile Oak Road

• .Photography by the late Bernard Langrish