The Department of Education Services was established to contribute to the development of an integrated and efficient education system in WA. The Department was created through the amalgamation of the Education Policy and Coordination Bureau and the Western Australian Office of Non-Government Education, the integration of the Country High School Hostels Authority and the transfer of responsibility for administrating the Education Service Providers (Full Fee Overseas Students) Registration Act 1991.

The transfer of responsibilities from these agencies was reflected in the organisational structure of the new department. The Department of Education Services incorporated four operational units:

1. Office of Non-government Education

2. Office of Higher Education

3. Office of Country High Schools Hostels Authority

4. Office of Education Policy and Co-ordination

The following Ministerial councils and committees provided advice on strategic issues and policy settings: Rural and Remote Education Advisory Council, Aboriginal Education and Training Council, Early Childhood Education Council, the Ministerial Committee on Middle Schooling (1997-1999), the Western Australian Higher Education Council, the Teacher Registration Cross-Sectoral Reference Committee (1998 - 2001).

In 2006 the Department of Education Services formally assumed responsibility for the Office of the Training Accreditation Council.

Under the McGowan Government, a series of Machinery of Government changes were made to the public sector creating a number of new amalgamated departments. The Department of Education, Department of Education Services and the School Curriculum and Standards Authority were merged to form the Department of Education on 1 July 2017.