During its long history, the Belfast Model School has been located on three sites:[1] Building of the Belfast District Model School began in Divis Street in 1854, on a 100-acre tract of land leased by the Commissioners of Education in Ireland,[2] and the school was opened on 19 May 1857.

On 22 December 1879, Prof. John Perry, president of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, highlighted the Belfast Model as an example to be followed in a proposed reform of technical education in England.

[4] During riots and arson attacks surrounding the consideration of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in May 1922, the Divis Street premises were burned down.

[6] The Belfast Model remained on Cliftonville Road until implementation in 1954 of the Tripartite System, under the Education Act (Northern Ireland) 1947, caused the school to split into separate boys' and girls' schools.

[6] The Belfast Boys' Model School began operations in Ballysillan Road in 1957,[1][7] while the Cliftonville Road premises became the site of present-day Cliftonville Integrated Primary School.