[2] The school in Longyearbyen was established in 1920 as a cooperation between the Church of Norway and the mining company, Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (SNSK).

The first teacher was vicar Carter Desbarats, who taught in a 4-by-3-meter (13.1 by 9.8 ft) barracks near the church.

It had two classes, the vicar was no longer responsible for teaching, and operations were taken over by SNSK, who received a 25,000 Norwegian krone per year subsidy from the government.

From 1978, upper secondary education was introduced, for which a 148-square-meter (1,590 sq ft) extension was built.

In 1995, an additional 750 square meters (8,100 sq ft) was added and the following year, Svalbardhallen, a multi-purpose indoor sports complex, was opened.

Due to the low population, the school emphasizes friendship and dealing with conflicts properly.

When children reach the age of 16 or 17, most families move to mainland Norway for improved school access.