IES was inaugurated on June 21, 1970 under the auspices of the Oriental Cultural Education Society, (a subsidiary unit of the Vyasa Bharatha Kaladi Sadas Samajam, a registered body founded by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam). The first Annual Report presented by Sri. S.K. Sivaraman, the then Joint Secretary of the Managing Committee acknowledged with deep gratitude the fact that “the School owes its inception to the inspiration of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya Swami of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, and that His blessings have been its greatest moral asset all along”.

In 1972, The Indian Education Society was formed to take over the assets and liabilities and also the management of Sri Sankara School. The Managing Committee of the Society negotiated the purchase of the Vasantha Press building from the Theosophical Society. This is where the Adyar School is now located.

Sri. P.R. Pattabhiraman, the first General Secretary, was responsible for finalizing the purchase of the land and building in Adyar from The Theosophical Society. He was instrumental in guiding the affairs of the school during its formative years successfully.

The Committee was reconstituted in 1977 with Sri. R. Venkataraman (Former President of India) as the President of the Governing Body and Justice Krishnaswami Reddiar as the Vice President. When Sri. R. Venkataraman laid down office on his joining the Union Cabinet, Sri. K.S. Narayanan took over.