THE TOP SCHOOLS

in Nairobi - Kenya

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Braeburn

Started in 1968 by an English lady who called it Braeburn House International School, the school has been around for more than 30 years. Braeburn Limited (the present company) bought it in 1979.

In 1979 the school consisted of a classroom block - still recognizable as the main school corridor - an old two-storey house with a carport. The origins of the name 'Braeburn' being from "Burnbrae", which was the colonial name for this part of Nairobi. Burnbrae, in turn, came from the Scottish "burn" for stream and "brae" for hill.

Location

Braeburn is situated along Gitanga road in the posh estate of lavington area, where it is surrounded by trees and nice cool air and less traffic flow.

Braeburn is an international school, which runs thirteen schools in both Kenya and Tanzania. The curriculum followed is;

The National Curriculum of England and Wales, which is supplemented in the later stages of students’ education by offering;

·        I.G.C.S.E AS level; A Level, IB Diploma, National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programs (dependent on the educational institution attended).

·        The curriculum is all about identifying and developing talents, whether academic, sporting, dramatic, or any of the other avenues which are presented for children to show what they are capable of.

·         Indeed, the extra-curricular programs in all their schools are extensive and wide-ranging in what they offer. By supporting the academic aspects of school life with a plethora of other cultural, social and interesting events and activities, they ensure your children and students are prepared for the experiences and challenges adult life brings.

Braeburn School offers;

1.       Theatre

2.       Fitness Centre

3.       Swimming pools

4.       Business Centre

5.       Life long learning

6.       Facility hire

Fees Structures:

Primary level;

Secondary level;

N/b; Application, Enrollment and Exam fees are charged individually.

Contacts;

Braeburn schools

Phone; +254-20-5018000

Fax; +254-20-3872310

Email; admin@braeburn.ac.ke

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Braeside Schools

One of the Braeburn Schools Kenya Limited schools, Braeside School is a co-educational international day school open to students of all religions, races and nationalities.

The school opened in 1994 as a primary school and has now developed into a full-fledged learning institution offering academic programs based on the British National Curriculum. Classes cover Early Years and Primary School, with a Braeside High School leading to IGCSE examinations located on the same campus.

The School’s classrooms are attractive and stimulating, well-resourced and designed to facilitate the school’s aims. In addition there are a number of excellent facilities within the school enabling the staff to effectively deliver the curriculum and a wide range of extracurricular activities.

 Braeside School has a well-equipped;

1.       music room

2.       A well-stocked library

3.       A 25-m swimming pool and a training pool

4.       large playing fields

5.       A modern kitchen

6.       A large dining hall which also caters for indoor games

7.       Fully equipped classrooms for each teaching group

8.       A new assembly hall able to fit 300 people seated

9.       A sick bay.

10.   Text books and stationery are provided.

The school is divided into the Early Years Unit, catering for children aged 2 - 5 years, and the Primary School.

In the Early Years Unit, children aged 2 years may start school part-time and build up to staying for lunch and afternoon sessions, using school transport if required.. Children encounter additional activities such as;

·        Music

·        ICT

·        PE and Swimming

·        Library time

·        Pet-keeping

·        Role play and cooking.

Location

The Braeside campus is located in the up-market area of Lavington, Nairobi, near Lavington Green shopping Centre along Muthangari Road.

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Kenton College Preparatory School

Kenton College was founded at Kijabe in January 1924, taking its roots from a school called Kenya Grange at Lumbwa.  The original owner and Headmaster, Finlay Cramb, took over an empty building which had been a German sanatorium on a saddle of Kijabe Hill overlooking Mt. Longonot and Lake Naivasha.

Kenton College aims to provide a purposeful and happy environment, with opportunities for children of all races between the ages of 6 and 13 years to discover and exploit talents and strengths, and so develop academically, culturally, physically, socially, and spiritually.

The caring and supportive character of the school enables children to flourish in a community where values of honesty, self-reliance, co-operation, respect for and consideration of others are nurtured. Their well-balanced curriculum ensures that every child leaving Kenton will gain access to a secondary school of their choice, in Kenya or overseas, and move on in the World as a competent, self-assured individual.

Location

Kenton College Preparatory School is located on Gichuru road in Kileleshwa Nairobi.

Kenton College is a multi-cultural, day, co-educational preparatory school.  The British National Curriculum prepares children for the Common Entrance examination, for entry mainly to Independent Senior Schools in Kenya, U.K., or South Africa.

Pupils are taught in small classes and as a result, nobody is overlooked and individual attention is provided whenever required.

In addition to the academic curriculum, everyone participates in a range of cultural and sporting activities. 

Kenton College is well known for its sporting tradition and pupils play;

1.     Cricket

2.     Rugby

3.     Hockey

4.     Tennis

5.     Rounder’s

6.     Netball

7.     Swimming.

Above all, Kenton College is a happy school where pupils enjoy themselves while working hard.

Admission Process:

§         Kenton accepts children after their 6th Birthday. They would join the Year 2 Class.

§         Kenton School fees are Ksh.355, 000 per term. (with effect from September, 2011):

§         School Fees are due at the beginning of each Term; there are 3 terms per year.

§         School Fees are marginally increased at the beginning of each academic year. (September)

In order to start an admission process, they need the following:-

1.       Full Names, Date of Birth and Gender of the child

2.       Details of the current school the child is attending

3.       Names and contact details of the parents; please include email address and cell numbers

If accepted then the next steps include;

a)       An appointment is made for an interview for the parents only, with the Headmistress.

b)      At this stage a Registration Form may have to be completed and a non-refundable Registration Fee of KShs 10,000/- paid to the school.

c)       Year 2 sibling assessments are held in November prior to the year of entry.  Year 2 non-sibling assessments are held in the January of the September year of entry.  An Induction Day is held in June. 

d)      After the assessment is complete, the Headmistress will communicate with the parents as to whether the child has been accepted into Kenton or not.

e)      If accepted, there is a non-refundable Admission Fee of KShs 100,000 payable to the school.

f)       Please note that final confirmation of acceptance of admission is not given until the Admission Fee has been received in full.

g)      Parents and children are welcome to attend their Open Afternoon, usually held at the end of November.

h)      Assessment for pupils other than Year 2 will be arranged with the Headmistress.

Contacts

Phone: +254-20- 4347000, 4347371, +254-722 259996

Fax: +254-20- 4347332

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International School of Kenya

The International School of Kenya is an international school for pre-kindergarten to grade 12. It was established in 1976 and has a 25 hectare campus.

 Students can study for a North American High school diploma or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. It is accredited by the MSA, and is the largest international school in Nairobi. ISK is also a member of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA).

The school formed from the 1969 Nairobi International School (NIS), but financial troubles prompted the United States Embassy and Canadian High Commission to take over operations of the school in 1976, renaming it the International School of Kenya.

ISK, as it is more commonly known, is divided into three schools;

1.       Elementary School that teaches from pre-kindergarten to grade 5

2.       Middle School teaches grade 6-8

3.       High School teaches from grade 9-12

Each school has its own principal and counselor, and largely its own teaching staff, though some subject staff is shared. Teachers are predominantly from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with several other countries also represented.

Location

International school of Kenya is located on Kirawa road, Nyari, Kitusuri areas of Nairobi’s posh estates.

Facilities

The School is located in a rural area on 49 acres of property approximately 8 miles from Nairobi's city center. Facilities include;

1.     An art and technology complex

2.     A 500-seat theatre

3.     A Pre-K – grade 12

4.     Library

5.     Media center

6.     A gym

7.     4 fixed computer laboratories 

8.     3 mobile laboratories

9.     Science laboratories

10.  A student center

11.  A kindergarten complex

12.  A solar-heated swimming pool

13.  3 tennis courts

14.  Extensive playing fields

15.  Classrooms and a multi-sports court.

16.  A new high school complex was built in 2007.

N/b; Current facilities with a capacity of 800 students are being replaced in stages between 2010 and 2025, as part of a $25 million Master Plan to create a state-of-the-art campus for up to 1,200 students.

. Fees Schedule

1. Application Fee US$125

• Payable in full on submission of the completed application form.

• Non- refundable

2. One Time Capital Levy US$ 5,500

• For new entrants (Kindergarten grade 12)

• Reduction of $500 for every additional student enrolled from the same family.

• Payable at the time of enrolment.

• Non-refundable if student is enrolled.

• No discount is available on capital levy.

3. Tuition Fee (Per year to cover Operational and Educational expenses)

§         Pre-Kindergarten US$ 7,850

§         Kindergarten US$ 15,250

§         Grades 1 - 5 US$ 17,050

§         Grades 6 - 8 US$ 18,000

§         Grades 9 - 10 US$ 18,400

§         Grades 11- 12 US$ 18,800

4. Annual Capital Levy US$ 375 to contribute to facility development

5. Bus fees US$1,850 for students who elect to use school transport.

(No discount is available on bus fees.)

Contacts

Phone; +254-20-418 3622

Office mobile; +254-733 639 363

Fax; +254-20-418 3272

Email; iskaadmin@isk.ac.ke

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Brook House Schools

Brook house is a co-educational day and boarding school for students aged 2-19, offering an adapted form of the British National Curriculum to Kenyan and international students. The school strives to develop each student's intellectual, emotional, physical and social growth to their full potential.

The school was opened in 1981 and now occupies a 13-acre (53,000 m2) site which includes a kindergarten, junior and senior schools.

Location

Brook house is located in a pleasant, leafy suburb about 10 kilometers to the south-west of Nairobi city center. The school is next to Nairobi National Park. Access from the city is via Langata Road, turning left into Magadi Road. The school is a hundred meters along Magadi Road on the right.

The preparatory and secondary schools are separated by playing fields.

Facilities;

§       Swimming pool,

§       gym 

§       Indoor sports center for tennis and basketball

These facilities are in the southeast corner of the campus. Irrigated playing fields provide a year round playing surface for;

1.     Soccer

2.     Rugby

3.     Netball

4.     Cricket 

5.     Field hockey

The secondary school is built around three sides of a landscaped quad, where students often study in the shade of mature jacaranda trees. The building complex is a modern two-storey construction with balconies overlooking the quad.

Classrooms are purpose-built, with all the facilities one would expect in any major international school, including;

          I.           Science laboratories

        II.           Computing laboratories

      III.           Fine art and music studios

     IV.           Libraries

       V.           State-of-the art performance auditorium.

The preparatory school is a delightful “castle” style building with a courtyard adventure land designed to stimulate every child's imagination and desire to learn. The landscaped quad provides play areas that reflect various ecosystems of Kenya. Brook house is in a quiet location, conducive to learning and a safe place for our boarders to live.

FEE STRUCTURE:

The following outlines the fees charged for the academic year, 2011 -2012:

Prices are in KShs

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Peponi School

Peponi School was established in 1989, to be a first class, independent, co-educational boarding school with an international intake of pupils working for internationally recognized school-leaving examinations at 16 (IGCSE), 17 (A/S) and 18 (A2) Years.

It provides a peaceful, caring milieu in which pupils can achieve their full potential, can enjoy learning and develop their talents in a community where excellence is expected; where they can develop an awareness of the spiritual and creative elements of life, and a sense of self-confidence, self-reliance and service.

It incorporates much that we consider good about the British type of private school while identifying clearly with the school's Kenyan environment.

Location

Peponi is located Off Thika Road in Sukari Ranch Ruiru Kenya, and shares a 44, 00 acre piece of land with Broke-side dairy Ltd. The school is set up on what is eagerly a Ranch.

The school is set at around 5,600 ft. (1,707m) above sea level in a magnificent countryside ranch. The campus is within a kilometer of the main Nairobi-Thika road near Ruiru town, within easy reach of the amenities of Nairobi city life and culture.

 The original farm house accommodates:

·        The Headmaster's Study

·        The Staff room

·        All administrative offices.

Custom-built complexes houses;

§         The five laboratories

§         Class-rooms

§         Art and Music rooms

§         A capacious dining-room, which at present serves as the school Hall.

ACTIVITIES

Community service; Peponi School gives time and money to support a local orphanage, the Ruiru Rehabilitation Centre. A group of students make weekly visits to the center, to play with and read to, the children help with cleaning and maintenance of the center. Proceeds from their Christmas Charity Event go directly to the Centre. They are also exploring other opportunities to engage in Community Service initiatives.

Flying: Peponi has been given a unique opportunity to offer students at Peponi, Flying Instruction.

The lessons will be the theory of flying but with opportunity to use a simulator. The training sessions will be taken by Captain Chana a very experienced pilot who was with the Royal Air Force and later Kenya Airways and who is a qualified flying instructor and has spent many years training pilots. The content of the course will cover amongst other topics:

• Theory of flying

• How an aircraft flies

• Basic techniques used to fly an aircraft

• Plus many individual topics related to the above

More Activities include;

1.     A Model United Nations(juniors and seniors) for community service

2.      Computer Club

3.       Tae Kwando

4.       Kayaking

5.     Roller blading and other skating activities

6.      Gardening Touch typing

7.      Critical thinking

8.      Flying

9.     Choir

10.  Band, Guitar club

11.   Board games

12.  Drama, Magazine as well as recreational sport, squash, swimming, basketball, football.

During Michaelmas term the following team sports are played:

        I.            cricket,

      II.            soccer,

    III.             girls basketball,

    IV.             rounder’s,

      V.             cross country

    VI.             athletics

  VII.             Swimming

Fees structure

Annual day fees: 181,500 - 226,500 (Kenyan Schillings)

Contacts

Phone: +254-20 3546456, + (254) 067 25058

Mobile: + (254) 0733 615193, + (254) 0722 287 248

Fax: + (254) 020 2321616

Email: office@peponischool.org

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St. Marys’ School

St. Mary's School, popularly known to many Nairobians as Saints, is a day school owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi. It was founded in the Parklands area of Nairobi in 1939 and was long run by Holy Ghost Fathers from Blackrock College in Dublin in Ireland.

It was Started primarily to offer Catholic education to the many White settlers just as the Second World War was beginning the school gradually become a great school that embraces all races, religions and cultures.

A walk round the school buildings with the famous twin towers, the staff quarters, the swimming pool, the vast neatly kept sports fields, the rich flora and fauna found in our forest and camping site gives you the serenity that beckons you to be a “Saint”.

Location

Located in the Leafy Suburbs of Westlands Nairobi, Saints rests on an 85 acre piece of land that observes both silence and tranquility.

The Saints guided by the love of God and neighbor, the school motto ‘Bonitas, Disciplina, Scientia’ and the school song strive for excellence in all spheres of life after receiving an all round formation.

With the varied curricula on offer:

1.     The Kenyan 8-4-4 system

2.     The International Graduate Certificate of Secondary Education

3.     The International Baccalaureate Diploma

Students are well equipped to embrace the world and contribute to its well being after their sojourn in this great school.

Sports

Rugby: In line with its Irish origins, Rugby is a central concern and a key activity designed to foment "spirit". Their rugby team have recently won the Prescott Cup twice in a row (2008 and 2009) but lost to Mang'u High School in the 2010 finals.

They also host and have won the Blackrock Rugby Festival 11 times so far (1993 to 1999, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011) and have been runners-up twice so far (2003, 2006), recently winning the 28th edition final, alongside many other cups.

Football: is also a popular sport in the school, with recent honors in the recent past, such as the Umbro Plate runner-up finish for the high school team in 2010 and the Strathmore Under-11 Football Cup win for the Under-11 team in 2008.

The current (2011) high school team has been noted as the team to progress the farthest in all tournaments, including the Nairobi Provincial Schools' Tournament.

Swimming: Under the guidance of some of Kenya's finest coaches, the school has consistently produced strong swimmers who have dominated local competitions and gone further to represent Kenya in Continental and International championships.

Motto: The school Motto, which appears underneath the crest on the school badge, is 'Bonitas, Disciplina, Scientia', which is Latin and means 'Goodness, Discipline, Knowledge'

Fees start from 120,000 to 200,000 depending on the grade one is at.

Contacts

Phone: +254-20-4446220/4444569/4444733/4444732

Safaricom: +254-721-490140 Zain: + 254-735-337809

Fax: +254-20-444754

Email: info@stmarys.ac.ke

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Cavina School

Cavina School is a British Preparatory School located in Nairobi, Kenya for children aged three to thirteen years of all nationalities and backgrounds. Founded in 1950 by H Massie-Bloomfield, the school has steadily grown from a small group of boys taught in the Headmaster's home into a co-educational facility of over 200 children cared for by a highly qualified and deeply committed staff, covering a wide range of subjects and extracurricular activities.

Following the Common Entrance Syllabus, students in their final year sit a series of exams, which gain successful candidates entry into certain Secondary Schools both in Britain and Kenya.

Location

Cavina is located on the corner of Arwings Kodhek road kilungu road in the leafy suburbs of Kilimani Nairobi.

Cavina aims to develop many qualities in the children who come through her gates – academic excellence, an inquiring mind, a sense of moral and social responsibility, and most of all recognition of their relationship with their Creator who has revealed Himself through His son Jesus.

 Cavina is a Christian School – Christian Truth providing the foundation upon which the school stands and becoming an integral part of each child’s daily experience. Consequently, the pupils hear of the Good News of Christ’s redeeming love for mankind – a love that cuts across all barriers of race and religion – so that an awareness of that love forms the vital bond which unites such a mixed community. All students take an active part in morning assemblies and scripture lessons that are centered on the Bible, the inspired word of God.

The school is divided into FOUR main sections:

1.       Pre-prep Unit,  

2.       Junior School,

3.       Middle School and

4.       Senior School.

The Common Entrance requires students to sit EIGHT major subjects in the final exams. These are; Mathematics, English, French, Science, British History, Geography, Scripture and Latin. Cavina also provides comprehensive instruction in Computer Studies, Art, Music, Physical Education and the Performing Arts throughout the school.

Sports

Cavina runs a large and comprehensive sports program throughout the year both within the school and with other Preparatory Schools in Kenya. This includes;

·         BOYS: Cricket, Hockey, Football, Athletics and Swimming

·         GIRLS: Rounder’s, Hockey, Netball, Athletics and Swimming

Cavina is fortunate in having almost unlimited access to a local Sports Club that includes an outstanding cricket field, football fields, hockey pitches, Netball and tennis courts. The program is structured in such a way that the majority of children in the Middle and Senior schools are involved with a team.

Extra-curricular

A wide variety of clubs, run by staff members, are offered to the students each term. These can include Calligraphy, Choral Work, Orchestral Workshops, Computer related activities, Wildlife Clubs, Squash, Cooking, Home Crafts and many others.

Fees structure: Annual day fees: 40,000 - 170,000 (Kenyan Schillings)

Contacts

Telephone: +254 57 7079

Fax: 254 2 3866676

Email: cavina@iconnect.co.ke

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Hillcrest Schools

The idea of establishing a private secondary school was first mooted in December 1973.  Twenty acres of land in the Karen area, fifteen kilometers from Nairobi, were purchased and within a year Hillcrest Secondary School was a reality.  The school accepted its first intake of pupils in the January term of 1975, catering for the international, professional and local business communities.

Location

Hillcrest School is located in the posh, leafy suburb of Karen that also adds up as both modern small city and forested farms that settlers settled even before Independent Kenya.

Hillcrest boasts of three schools namely;

·         Early Years

·         Preparatory

·         Secondary

Facilities include;

1.       A large multi-purpose hall

2.        Two science laboratories

3.        Two computer laboratories

4.        Twenty general purpose classrooms

5.       A library

6.       Two art rooms

7.       A music Centre

8.       A drama room

9.        boys and girls changing rooms

10.    A design and technology workshop

11.    An administrative block and a staffroom with Internet facilities.

 The school network reaches throughout the school, providing all rooms with network and high speed internet access. Wi-Fi is also available.

The sports facilities include;

§       Extensive playing fields

§       16m swimming pool.

§       Tennis courts,

§        Basketball courts,

§        Volleyball courts,

§        Two squash courts,

§         25 meter swimming pool,

§         gym,

§        canoes and sailing boats

A small number of Prep School students are accommodated in Toad Hall, the Hillcrest Secondary School Boarding Block.  The boarding facility is small encouraging all students take care of each other under the guidance of the Head of Boarding and the boarding team.  Accommodation is shared, and students are encouraged to bring as many personal belongings as they choose in order to make their rooms feel like home. Everyone at the boarding block is friendly!

Hillcrest offers€¦

Excellent results in academics. Most of their students gain entry to their first choice of leading UK, USA, Australia and Canadian universities. It also offers wide range of subject choices, with more than 70 subject combinations currently available.

Has also highly qualified teachers committed to their students. More than half the staff has been teaching at Hillcrest for 10 years or more, ensuring essential continuity in the education process and an excellent basis for pastoral care.

Fess Structure;

Contacts

Telephone: +254 (0)20 883913/4/7

Mobile: +0724 256 173, 0736 256 173

Fax: +254 (0)20 883929

Email: admin_prep@hillcrest.ac.ke

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Rift Valley Academy

Rift Valley Academy was founded in 1906 by Charles Hulbert, this North American style mission school, has around 500 students aged from grade 1 up to grade 12. The majority of students have missionary parents.

The academy, a branch of Africa Inland Mission International, exists to provide a quality education in a nurturing environment for the children of missionaries serving in Africa.

The Rift Valley Academy is a boarding school. All students live in housing on site, and over 90% of students go on to further education after leaving the high school. Students have gone on to a variety of prestigious

American universities including:

§         Cornell

§         Stanford

§         Harvard

§         Princeton

§         Brown University

Rift Valley Academy staffs are all volunteers, and hold a firm Christian belief. They have teaching qualifications and their job often requires them to work as house parents, counselors or tutors to the students. There is a friendly atmosphere at the school and the fresh air in this remote location makes this a rather beautiful school to visit.

Location

Located in Kijabe Township, that also hosts the Kijabe mission hospital which is also a missionary setting and is a few kilometers on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

Dorm Life

The dorm parents at RVA strive to love, care, nurture and disciple, grow, support, befriend and challenge each unique group of students who enter their dorm. Dorm parents are there in support of their parents as the students come to live and go to school at RVA.

Students generally live in the same dorm for two years. In an effort to develop lasting relationships with dorm parents and dorm-mates, times in the dorm are filled with the daily life of being a BIG family together. There are planned times where they meet together for devotions and prayer as well as fun nights to hang out together.

Student Life

As a boarding school they are concerned with much more than merely the academic success of their students.  As well as providing a positive dorm atmosphere, and tending to the spiritual life of the students, they also want them to enjoy themselves.  To that end they as a staff are concerned with what is called student life.

This encompasses a wide variety of activities, some structured and some not so structured.  Weekends are a time when students have free time during the day to relax, catch up with friends, and generally goof off.

Academics, they offer the following subjects;

1.       English

2.       Math

3.       Foreign Language

4.       Social studies

5.       Science

6.       Communication and Information Technology

7.       Fine Arts

8.       Bible tutorial

9.       Life skills

Sports played include;

v      Basketball

v      Rugby

v      Athletics

v      Swimming

v      Netball

v      Cricket

v      Soccer

v      Tennis

Fess Structure: Since RVA is a mission school dedicated to the missionaries working in Africa, the Donor organizations cater for most of the expenses and donations are highly regarded and can be made to www.aimint.org.

Contacts

Telephone: 254-20-3246 602

FAX   254-20-3246-111

Email: rva@rva.org