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The Royal Engineer training establishment was founded in Chatham, Kent in 1812 by Major (later General Sir) Charles Pasley and renamed The School of Military Engineering in 1868 before being granted the "Royal" prefix in 1962.

Over the following 35 years, The Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) continued to grow and in 1992 it took on the responsibility for Royal Engineer Training delivered at Gibraltar Barracks, Minley.  A rationalisation in 1995, saw all Combat Engineer Training being delivered from Minley while Chatham remained the home of Artisan Engineer Training.

Located north of the River Medway at Chattenden, and part of the RSME since 1961, the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal School merged with the Army School of Ammunition at Kineton, Warwickshire and the National Search Centre at Lodge Hill, Kent. This merger took place in 1998 becoming the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search School - DEMSS (South) while still remaining within the RSME. In 2013, DEMSS (South) moved to a new, purpose built facility at St Georges Barracks, Bicester and the organisation was renamed the Defence EOD, Munitions and Search Training Regiment.

In recent years, The RSME Group has been expanded to encompass the Defence Animal Training Regiment, the Royal Military School of Music and the Defence Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centre.