A sample of what would have greeted the pupils from the previous post on their arrival at the new building in August 1964.
The entrance hall with janitors’ office and stairs leading up to the school office and staff room.
The assembly hall. The seats were just about bearable for morning assembly, less so for the end of term show/opera or a two-hour Film Society screening.
The gymnasium, big enough for a full-sized basketball court, could be split in two.
Historically the school had a lot of success at swimming galas, which may have influenced the decision to furnish the new building with a swimming pool.
In such a large school a single morning/afternoon assembly or registration was impossible so the 8 houserooms (4 houses, each with boys & girls) allowed these functions to take place in smaller groups – though by the peak school roll in the early 70s this still meant over 150 or so packed into each room. The houserooms doubled as dining halls and, again during the 70s, would also be put into use as classrooms.
(Interestingly – and possibly not known by many pupils – during the first few weeks of July each year, from 1965 to at least 1974, the school would host ‘summer camps’. Pupils from schools outwith Edinburgh would come to Portobello. Abercorn & Duddingston houses would be used as dormitories; Brunstane was used for dining, assembly & recreation.)
The technical block is covered in an earlier post.
New-fangled technology appeared in the form of a Language Laboratory where pupils would sit in a booth and practise their spoken language skills, which would be recorded on tape.
The library was on the third floor. The shelves look a bit sparse in the image here.
The Art & Craft department was on the 6th floor.
[Images extracted from the brochure produced for the Official Opening on 1st December 1964.]
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Blazers on for S6 (show off that gold braid!) Staff \u2013 come as you are."},{"id":"1697","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/the-last-s3-at-park-avenue\/","name":"the-last-s3-at-park-avenue","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1-6.jpeg","alt":""},"title":"The Last S3 at Park Avenue","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:55:15","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:56:05","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:56:05","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":14},"status":"publish","content":"1963-64 Third Year. Seven classes from the last year at Park Avenue. As posted previously, the images uploaded are the complete collection that we have"},{"id":"1687","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/world-war-two-memorial\/","name":"world-war-two-memorial","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/a-1.jpeg","alt":""},"title":"World War Two Memorial","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:47:08","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:47:08","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:47:08","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":48},"status":"publish","content":"WWII Memorial. In 1949 a committee of staff and former pupils was set up to compile a list of names of FPs who lost their"},{"id":"1664","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/1963-64-4th-year\/","name":"1963-64-4th-year","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"1963-64 \u2013 4th year.","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:44:15","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:45:56","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:45:56","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/\" rel=\"category tag\">150years<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/\" rel=\"category tag\">150years<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":15},"status":"publish","content":"The school leaving age at the time was 15 (it was raised to 16 in 1973). These pupils would have stayed on to sit Scottish"},{"id":"1672","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/an-assortment-of-s6-photos-1985-1990\/","name":"an-assortment-of-s6-photos-1985-1990","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1-5-scaled.jpeg","alt":""},"title":"An assortment of S6 photos 1985-1990","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:41:57","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:41:57","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:41:57","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":3},"status":"publish","content":"1985, 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990 sixth years."},{"id":"1662","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/the-last-s2-at-park-avenue\/","name":"the-last-s2-at-park-avenue","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1-3.jpeg","alt":""},"title":"The Last S2 at Park Avenue","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:33:46","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:57:23","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:57:23","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":5},"status":"publish","content":"1963-64. Here are the second year photos that we have from the last year at Park Avenue."},{"id":"1648","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/1963-64-5th-6th-year\/","name":"1963-64-5th-6th-year","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"1963-64 \u2013 5th & 6th year.","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:26:35","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:28:10","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:28:10","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/\" rel=\"category tag\">150years<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/\" rel=\"category tag\">150years<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":26},"status":"publish","content":"These are the last of the photos we have from 1963-64, taken to mark the last year at Park Avenue. We know that many of"},{"id":"1634","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/arrival-at-the-new-building-august-1964\/","name":"arrival-at-the-new-building-august-1964","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/k.jpeg","alt":""},"title":"Arrival at the new building, August 1964","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:20:47","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:21:18","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:21:18","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":36},"status":"publish","content":"A sample of what would have greeted the pupils from the previous post on their arrival at the new building in August 1964. The entrance"},{"id":"1627","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/a-seventies-assortment\/","name":"a-seventies-assortment","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"A Seventies Assortment.","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:14:06","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:17:33","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:17:33","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorized<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":20},"status":"publish","content":"A bit of a mixture here from original 8 \u00d7 10s that we have found in the archives. The 6th year from 1972 (we posted"},{"id":"1630","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/the-last-first-year-at-park-avenue\/","name":"the-last-first-year-at-park-avenue","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1-1.jpeg","alt":""},"title":"The Last First Year at Park Avenue","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:08:52","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:57:54","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:57:54","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":3},"status":"publish","content":"1963-64: the last First Year at Park Avenue (until the old school had to be reopened as \"The Annexe\" in 1968). Until 1972 there was"},{"id":"1575","price":"","sale":"","sale_percent":"","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/sixth-year-2011-2014\/","name":"sixth-year-2011-2014","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"Sixth year 2011 \u2013 2014.","author":{"name":"Portobello High","link":"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/author\/portobellohs\/"},"date":"Aug 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-08-05 09:47:29","modifiedDate":"2026-08-05 10:05:44","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-08-05 10:05:44","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/portobellohighschool.org.uk\/category\/150years\/porty-150-archive\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Porty 150 Archive<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"acf_fields":[],"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":3},"status":"publish","content":"Below are a few of our 2011 - 2014 year photos."}]
With credit to Iain Small
