The foundation stone for Scarborough College was laid in 1898, and the school opened on 18 September 1901. The building was designed by Edwin Cooper and later became Grade II listed. By 1907, the school had 70 boys. Following the German Navy's Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby in December 1914, the headmaster decided Scarborough was too unsafe for pupils so the school evacuated to Park Hotel, Keswick for a year. During World War II, pupils were evacuated to Marske Hall, Swaledale, from 1940 to 1946. The Royal Air Force (RAF) commandeered the school site and used it as the base of No. 17 Initial Training Wing, which provided basic training in aircraft mechanics, navigation, meteorology, drill, and physical fitness. Among the trainees who graduated No. 17 ITW was Michael Beetham, later Chief of the Air Staff during the Falklands War.