Founded in 1953, the school was originally based at Welbeck Abbey near Worksop, where it provided A-level education for boys planning to join the technical branches of the British Army.

The second method was preferred by the council, who appointed a second committee which selected Welbeck Abbey; previously an army college for adults, as the site for the new school.

The report was approved by the council, and in the autumn of 1952, work commenced to convert the abbey, which was let by the Duke of Portland to the Ministry of Defence,[9][10] into a teaching facility.

[13][12] The purpose-built site was selected for its proximity to the M1 motorway and the East Midlands Airport, and reportedly cost £38 million to develop.

[14] The school officially re-opened as Welbeck – The Defence Sixth Form College, on 7 December 2005; 19 years ago (2005-12-07).

[15] In a parliamentary debate called by then-Conservative MP Nicky Morgan on 30 April 2019, Defence minister Mark Lancaster said that "the scheme as it stands has consistently failed to deliver the required number of engineers and technical officers to Defence since its establishment in 2005", and that, "on average only 53 per cent of entrants have completed [the scheme] successfully, and a proportion of those have not achieved STEM degrees".

[16] The site has been retained by the Ministry of Defence, and in September 2021, converted to a military establishment, renamed as MOD Garats Hay.

[7] It was governed by a board, including senior armed forces personnel, civil servants, individuals with technical and industrial experience, directors of Minerva, as well as staff and parents.

The board acted as an advisory, rather than a proprietorial body, overseeing the day-to-day running of the school, the facilities, and the provision of education and pastoral care.

[21] All students' parents were expected to contribute toward maintenance costs, including board, lodging, uniform, and any other services provided, though the amount varied based on gross annual household income and several other factors.

[18] Pupils of the school were given preferred entry to the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS), which aimed to further prepare students for careers in the armed forces.