The Schools Council came into being on 1 October 1964; its first Chairman was Sir John Maud. It took over the functions of the Secondary Schools Examination Council (SSEC) and of the Curriculum Study Group, the staff of the latter forming its secretariat.

The principal responsibilities of the Schools Council in the field of public examinations were: 1. The coordination of secondary school examinations in England and Wales, and 2. The tendering of advice to the government on matters of examination policy. The Council also funded research and development work in the field of examinations.

The Council was granted registration as a charity early in 1969, and on 1 April 1970 it became an independent body, financed in equal parts by the Department for Education and Science (DES) and by the LEAs.

In April 1982, following an independent review of the Schools Council, which recommended that “the Schools Council should continue with its present functions and…should not be made the subject of further external review for at least five years”, the Government announced its intention of disbanding the Schools Council, and replacing it with two bodies, one for examinations, the other for curriculum development.

The Secondary Examinations Council (SEC) and the School Curriculum Development Committee (SCDC) subsequently replaced the Schools Council which closed on 31 March 1984.