Bankura Zilla School was established by Dr. G. N. Cheek, a Civil Surgeon, and indigo-planter and Mr. Francis Goldsberry, the then Bankura District Sessions Judge as the first English school of the district, Bankura Free School in the year 1840, which later renamed to Bankura Zilla School. The school started in 'Sepoy Barrack Hospital' building which was established in the year 1809. Nowadays this building is termed as 'hall' in the school. It is converted to Zilla School in the year 1846 and renamed to Zilla School. After being converted into govt school, the eastern and western part of the main building were extended. The office room of the existing school was made with the financial assistance of Maharaja Mahatabchand Bahadur of Burdwan in 1851. This school is affiliated to West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education. Bankura Zilla School has been consistently producing several top performers in West Bengal Madhyamic examination as well as Higher Secondary Exam. For Example in 2017, six students from Bankura Zilla School were in the top 10 in the state of West Bengal. Few schools in the state have ever boasted of nurturing more Madhyamik toppers in a batch than Bankura Zilla School. The school students have traditionally done well in board exams and other National level entrance exams which attributes the astounding success to a family-like environment where students are observed, groomed and supported.