The school was founded by the Methodist Church as Anita Play Center for tiny tots in 1964, inside an already renowned Balar Kalvi Nilayam (BKN) Campus founded in 1886. Alongside other institutions, its original purpose was to help uplift the lots of poor women and their children in the north Chennai neighbourhoods. Set amidst a cluster of wood apple trees, the school grew to be a Primary School by 1980, a High School by 1984 and eventually a full-fledged Higher Secondary School by 1996. Today Anita Methodist School serves 1970 boys and girls (AY 2022-23) from age 3 to 17. Engaged in this mission are 88 professionally qualified trained teachers and 42 administrative staff. The school has more than fifty spacious classrooms besides science labs, a communication centre and a well-stocked library.