It was founded in 1886 by Bishop William Fitzjames Oldham as an extension of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

[1] Founded on 1 March 1886 by Bishop William Fitzjames Oldham as an extension of the Methodist Church,[2][3] the school was a shophouse at 70 Amoy Street, Singapore with 13 pupils.

Between 1914 and 1920, under Reverend J. S. Nagle, the school introduced religious (or "chapel") services and physical education classes.

The school opened again in 1946, a year after the Japanese surrender, once the buildings at Cairnhill and Coleman Street had been made safe following damage sustained during the war.

The pre-war principal, T. W. Hinch, who had been interned by the Japanese during the occupation and had been sent back to England to recover, returned to the school in June 1946.

At the same time, the Anglo-Chinese Primary School abandoned its Coleman Street premises (the old building now housing the National Archives of Singapore) to share premises with the new secondary school at Barker Road, now named ACS (Barker Road).

Established in 1951 at the old Coleman Street campus, it moved to its former premises at 25 Peck Hay Road at the end of 1984.

After receiving its independent status, the school had outgrown the Barker Road campus and plans were made to construct a new building.

It moved to the former Swiss Cottage Primary School while awaiting completion of the Barker Road rebuilding project.