On January 1st, 1880, The Wesleyan Female Educational Institution was inaugurated.  However, the actual work did not start till January 9, 1880 under the supervision of its first principal, Mrs. E.H.C. Weymouth assisted by several deaconesses of the Methodist Missionary Society.  Due to ill health, her administration was cut short. The school was located at what is known as Lightfoot Boston Street.

In 1901, the indefatigable James Taylor died after struggling to keep the school afloat for twenty  years. The school was moved to a house donated by Mr. James Macfoy located at George Street. There were about 130 students from kindergarten to class 10, the highest grade then. The Board of Governors decided to hand over the school to the Wesleyan Missionary Society in 1905 and Mrs. W.T. Balmer, wife of the principal of the Wesleyan Boys’ High School, devoted her time to the improvement of the school which was open to both boys and girls.  Staff was recruited from the Wesleyan Deaconess College in England and the name was changed to Wesleyan Girls’ High School. The Old Girls’ Association firmly established the existence of the school in 1906.

In 1921 the school was moved to its permanent location at Wilberforce but  the war (1944-1945) dislocated the school temporarily back to the city at Bathurst Street.  Also the distance from the city and the hardship caused the Board of Governors to institute a boarding department in 1925 and many of the deaconesses and teachers lived at the school.  By then the school was attracting students from Nigeria, Ghana and the Gambia and other countries.

In 1932, the name was changed to the Methodist Girls’ High School.