In 1894, the school was first opened in Tsim Sha Tsui as Kowloon British College. In 1923, the college was renamed Central British School (CBS) to offer a secondary curriculum, and junior age children were allocated to the new Kowloon Junior School. In 1936, CBS moved to its current Ho Man Tin site. The Peel Block was built at that time. During World War II, the school was used as a hospital for Japanese officers, and shortly after the war, it was renamed to King George V School (KGV) in 1948. In 1979, KGV began its transition into becoming an English Schools Foundation school, which was completed in 1981.