The King David School was first envisioned in the 1970s, by several progressive Jews in Melbourne, and rabbis from Temple Beth Israel. The first property was a site on Kooyong Road; purchased in 1978, it was named the Joyce and Mark Southwick Campus, for two key influential figures in the school's opening.
As Australia's first Progressive Jewish day school, it welcomed its first class of 45 students in 1978 under the headship of Principal Norman Rothman. In 1984, the Magid Campus was purchased on Orrong Road; the name honours one of the school's leading supporters, Isadore Magid.
The School rapidly rose in student numbers, and celebrated the centennial year of 2000 by extending to Year 12 for the first time in its history.
Campuses
The King David School consists of three campuses in the Metropolitan Armadale area of Melbourne, close to the city's Jewish community. These campuses are the Junior School (Kinder to Year 5) and the Senior School (Magid Campus) for Years 6 to 12 students), and the Rebecca Magid Center (opposite the Senior School) which is a performing, visual arts and sports centre.[1]
King David School offers co-curricular programs in sport, music, drama, debating, outdoor education, STEM programs and in 2019 they launched their first F1 in schools team. In 2008 they became the first known school to run a teacher sanctioned Dream Team league.