It is known that there have been several small schools in this area – at Lunnaness, Lunna and Roadside. The SSPCK did a lot of good work throughout Shetland and in Lunnasting they established a school in 1796 at a croft house, which is still known as “Schoolhouse”. This lasted until the 1840’s and at one time had as many as 44 pupils. The first parochial school for the area of Nesting, Lunnasting, Whalsay and Skerries was set up in Whalsay in 1800 and lasted 2-3 years but another 30 years elapsed before the permanent parochial schoolroom and schoolhouse were erected at Queeness in 1832. This served the community until the 1870’s when it was outgrown and was considered “crowded and ill furnished”. “New excellent premises” were built alongside and entered, by the master and pupils, on 22nd July 1876 “without any formal ceremony or introduction from the School Board”. This building was utilised, with some improvements as necessity decreed, for the next 120 years and was superseded by the building which we now occupy.
This school was constructed around the old school building. The teaching areas are grouped around the Resource Area. The Resource Area and the pupils toilet facilities are accommodated within the original school building. Pockets of stonework and the original roof trusses of the original building have been incorporated in the Resource Area.
1923
1947
1950
1964
