Established in 1915 as the Garden City Theosophical School, it has long been a flagship of progressive education.

The subject was "Education as Service", and Arundale referred to a book with that title by Jiddu Krishnamurti.

In 1919, a new building was built at the junction of Spring Road and Broadway, and the school adopted its current name.

[2] Key principles from the outset were vegetarianism, physical health achieved through exercise, a belief in the benefits of beautiful surroundings, and racial toleration.

[5] By 1918, all children were members of a pupil forum called the Moot, which greatly influenced the running of the school.