The school was founded in 1813,[2] by Andrew Reed and incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1845[3] under the presidency of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Duke of Wellington and the Marquess of Salisbury.

A notable early sponsor was the Duke of Wellington,[citation needed] a future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

[5] The Sandy Lane site had been purpose-built for the Sandyroyd School in around 1905 by architects Treadwell and Martin, who were also responsible for the design of Scott's restaurant (now part of the Trocadero Centre) and other notable structures.

The new site provided facilities including a heated indoor swimming pool, a nine-hole golf course, and two squash courts.

[17] The major sports at Reed's School are rugby, hockey and cricket with academies in tennis, skiing and golf.

[19] The foundation stone for the 25 metre, five lane indoor swimming pool was laid by Duncan Goodhew on 15 November 1990.