Who We Are

About

The King David Schools, under the auspices of the South African Board of Jewish Education (SABJE) are a network of Jewish day schools in Johannesburg offering nursery through high school education. There are five campuses across Johannesburg: King David Linksfield, King David Victory Park, King David Sandton, Minnie Bersohn, and King David Rosabelle Klein Nursery School in Waverley. Each school has an atmosphere of its own serving their specific community. Most recently, the SABJE has opened King David Ariel - the first Jewish remedial primary school in Johannesburg.

King David aims to deliver an excellent general education together with the study of Hebrew and Jewish Studies and to produce graduates who are menschen, confident and equipped to pursue any opportunity, who are proud of their Jewish heritage and its traditions, who have a love for learning, and a determination to contribute to their society.

The schools write the Independent Examination Board (IEB) examinations for Matriculation and our pass rates are historically very high with our pupils often amongst the top-ranked, nationwide. King David Schools have consistently been ranked in the top 2 feeder schools to the University of the Witwatersrand which is testimony to the fact that we equip our students excellently for post-matric studies.

The King David Schools also achieve in various sporting activities and thrive in the fields of art and culture. Each school is involved in several outreach and charity programs, focused on the broader communities, including educational support and enrichment programs for Schools in Alexandra and Soweto. Many King David alumni are noted for their achievements in South Africa and internationally.

The King David Schools empower our students to navigate their personal journeys through a complex world, instilling a strong sense of community, menschlichkeit, chesed and the shared values of our Jewish people.

Purpose Statement

The schools are guided in practice by 7 dynamic Purpose Statements each addressing a specific area of school life.

Our Purpose

We strive to nurture graduates who are menschen, confident and equipped to pursue any opportunity they wish to, who are proud of their Jewish heritage and its traditions, who have a love for learning, and a determination to contribute to their society.

Our Teachers

We strive to have teachers who are excellent, motivated and who care for, and who are committed to the best interests of each and every student and the core purpose and values of the school system.

Our Curriculum

We are committed to meeting the needs of the national curriculum using educational programmes that comply with the best international standards. We will provide a Jewish education that is relevant and compelling. We will attempt to anticipate the needs of our students over and above the expected curriculum and develop programmes towards meeting these and will promote the optimum health and wellness of students.

Our Infrastructure

We are committed to creating an appealing and safe environment wherein there is an appropriate emphasis on those resources that facilitate and promote the holistic educational needs of our students.

Culture and Milieu

Our schools should be a cultural environment that creates a love for our Jewish heritage, its traditions and the land of Israel and one that creates loyal support of South Africa, and an appreciation of its diversity.

A Community School

We are a community day school and we strive to accept every Jewish child provided that in the process we can deliver on our vision for our students.

Orthodox Judaism

We are an Orthodox Jewish day school that embodies orthodoxy as a standard, but that is tolerant of different levels of observance and affiliation.

South African Board of Jewish Education (SABJE)

Since 1929 the SA Board of Jewish Education (SABJE) has led the pursuit of Jewish Education within the South African community. The SABJE is the controlling body of the King David Schools and represents the Jewish community in educational matters.

Its purpose is to guide the King David Schools ensuring that the strategy, ethos and finances are all sound and in place. The Board, through the office of the Director, represents all Jewish Day Schools in its interface with Government, the Department of Education, The National Association of Independent Schools, as well as the Independent Examination Board.

King David Schools currently has are over 3300 students and 300 educators across 11 schools, located on five campuses (Linksfield, Victory Park, Sandton, Minnie Bersohn and Rosabelle Klein in Waverley)

Under the leadership of Eli Atie (Chairman), Rabbi Seeff (General Director) and a highly skilled and competent Board of Directors and professional staff, the SABJE has a clear vision of the future of the King David Schools. This vision incorporates academic excellence, fostering the Jewish and Zionist ethos of our schools, and providing as many opportunities as possible to allow our students to achieve success in all of their future endeavours.

The King David Schools' Foundation (KDSF)

The King David Schools’ Foundation (KDSF) was established in 1994 and is the fundraising and alumni organisation for the King David Schools. Today, King David Schools face the moral responsibility of being “community schools” offering financial assistance to qualifying Jewish learners whose families cannot afford school fees in these tough economic times. To meet this obligation the King David Schools’ Foundation re-launched in 2011 with the creation of the Dor le Dor Campaign, an endowment fund aimed at raising an initial R100 million, to sustain our schools as institutions of excellence, thereby maintaining the essential role that they play in the Jewish community of Johannesburg.

The KDSF operates independently from the SABJE and has its own trustees and constitution. The KDSF does have representation from SABJE board members.

In addition to its fund raising responsibility, The KDSF keeps in touch with over 11000 King David alumni, organizing and facilitating reunions both locally and abroad, sending out newsletters and maintaining a relationship with our past students.

The King David Schools actively support previously disadvantaged communities by establishing a partnership with schools in their local areas. The KDSF raises funds for and supervises the overall management of the Outreach Programmes.

Website: www.kdsf.org

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ISASA - The Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa

King David School have been an active member of ISASA since 1998. ISASA is the oldest, largest and most inclusive independent (private) schools association in the Southern African region. It is a non-profit organisation and school membership is voluntary. ISASA represents its members and provides them with services to protect their interests, promote best practice and support quality education.

ISASA serves over 750 schools representing a broad spectrum of socio-economic and cultural communities, religious affiliations, philosophies and educational levels, from pre-school to post-matric.

World ORT affiliation

The King David Schools have been working with ORT SA for many years. In 2018, the King David Schools and World ORT entered a formal affiliation which became permanent in September 2020. World ORT is a global education network driven by Jewish values. Founded in 1880, they have been transforming lives through training and education ever since. The focus is now on 21st century skills reaching 300 000 people in 30 countries. Our educators and students are benefiting through various training and international opportunities relating to STEM, diversity and leadership courses.

Find out more about ORT www.ort.org

IEB – The Independent Examinations Board

King David High Schools write IEB exams and consistently receive a 100% matric pass rate. The Independent Examinations Board, or IEB, is a South African independent assessment agency which offers examinations for various client schools, mostly private schools. It is most prominent in setting examinations for the school-leaving National Senior Certificate. The IEB exams are considered by many teachers, parents, students and universities, both within South Africa and abroad, to be a challenging and comprehensive assessment.