St. Rose of Lima's School was founded on 23rd February, 1948 by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary to cater to the needs of Hong Kong society. It is a government subsidised school for girls which emphasises a very strong moral upbringing.

Initially, the school only provided a six-year primary course (Primary 1 to Primary 6) and two secondary level classes (Form 1 and Form 2). More secondary classes were added as time went by and eventually, students began sitting the HKCEE. The first Arts A-level class sat their examinations in 1986 followed by the first Science A-level class in 1991. The Students Union was inaugurated in 1992. Although we did not have a Parent-Teacher Association in the past, there was a very close link with our parents. The Parent-Teacher Association inaugurated in 1997 marks the 50th Anniversary of the school.

To meet the challenge of quality education and the need for more space, the secondary moved to a standard secondary in September, 1999 at 29 Ngan Shing Street, Shatin. When the secondary school moved to Shatin, the school could not use the same name as the primary school. After much discussion and consultation with students, staff and parents, the term "college" was given to the secondary school when the entire building at 4 Embankment Road was given to the primary school.