The University Primary School was established in a temporary premises at Achimota in 1955 with an initial enrollment of 36. The school moved to its premises in 1958. In those days it was a department of the Institute of Education of the University and was then called The Demonstration School being a school used by the Institute for demonstration in teaching methods.

When the institute was moved to Cape Coast in about 1967, the school’s name   became the University Primary School. Its present name is of course the addition of the JSS in 1987.

The school started with one stream, expanded to two streams in 1967, three streams in 1972 and four streams in the year 1996.

The first Headmaster of the school was Mrs. M. E. G. Black 1955-1960. She was   succeeded by Miss Janet Eavis, 1961-1965.Mr. K. O. Budu-Seidu became the Acting Head teacher in 1970.

He retired in 1982 and was succeeded by Mr. E. Y. Attua-Afari in January 1983 -1977. Mrs. Esi Mensah -Bonsu was appointed Headmistress from 1997  to 2006 and was also succeeded by Miss Cecilia Morrison from 2006 – 2013. With the introduction of the educational reforms in 1986, the Junior High School

was added to the school with an initial enrolment of 68, some of these, not sure of the future for the system, left for traditional secondary schools year after year with only 45 of them in form 3. These came to be referred to as the ‘Gallant 45’ that is the 45 who braved the odds and finished. An appreciable number of these were among the first batch of SSS graduates to enter the Universities (and have proved the skeptics wrong).

From the small beginnings of an enrolment of 36, the school now has a population of 2,221 with a staff strength of 96 personnel comprising, 3 Administrators, 71 full-time teaching staff and 22 Non-teaching staff.