The school was established on 5 January 1936 by Tengku Mahmood Mahyideen, after a discussion with A.C. Baker and J.A. Harvey at the British Adviser's residence.[4]This discussion led to the formation of the Kelantan Education Committee, specifically tasked with managing the establishment of an English school in Kelantan.[2]
The school, named Ismail English School (IES),[5] after the reigning Sultan of Kelantan at that time which was Sultan Ismail. The school was placed under a separate administration from the Malay Schools, which were managed by the Kelantan Islamic Religious Council. Its objectives were to provide education aligned with the Junior Cambridge Standard, select scholarship recipients, and fill vacancies in the Lower Grade Clerical Service.[6]The school was housed in a building of the Padang Garong Malay School in Jalan Hospital, Kota Bharu. At the end of 1936, the school moved to a new building in Telipot. The school has developed into a secondary school with forms 4, 5, 6 Lower and 6 Upper in the arts, science and commerce streams. The school also equipped with dormitory facilities, teachers' houses, a large hall, science laboratories, canteens on an area of land measuring 20 acres.
Its opening was officiated on 7 April 1955 by Sultan Muhammad IV, the sultan of Kelantan who ruled at that time. In conjunction with its inauguration, the name of this school was changed to Sultan Ismail College (previously known as Ismail English School).
In 1955, the school received the first religious teacher in Kelantan.[7] In 1959, the school started accepting Form 6 student intake.[8] In 1965, the school were renamed from its english name to Maktab Sultan Ismail.[9]
