Founded in 1893 by Emily Hensley and Alice Taylor, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and caters for 1,010 students from Early Learning to Year 12, including 90 boarders.

[12] Merton Hall, now the main senior campus, was named after the house in Cambridge, England, where Newnham College began.

Morris Hall, the Junior Years campus, incorporates learning studios, specialist art, music and science centres, an oval and sustainable gardens.

[citation needed] A Strategic Planning Framework was commissioned for the Anderson and Caroline Street sites from the architectural firm ARM.

The student bases also enjoy a strong association throughout the secondary years as many MGGS girls attend Grimwade House (Melbourne Grammar School's co-educational primary campus).