International Schools in Nairobi

Here is another important subject all expats will want to know about before moving here: what schools are like, whether there are good internationals schools in Nairobi, what type of curriculum they have, and so on.

We all come from different parts of the world, but a common expectation for all of us is finding a good school for our kids. There are more than enough international schools in Nairobi-- not in the downtown area, though. They are mostly located in expat areas, which makes sense. (I guess nobody would want to send their kids to a downtown school...Nairobi is not like other major metropolitan cities around the world; remember, this is Africa). So, there are three international schools where we live in Karen. They are Brookhouse, Hillcrest, and Banda International Schools. Since my daughter attended Brookhouse International School for a year and is now attending Hillcrest, I can comfortably make comments about them.

Brookhouse has the best structure in terms of the building, surroundings, gym, pool, and open field for sports activities.  Education-wise, my daughter attended for 4 terms, and during these terms, the teachers were local English speaking teachers, and I was not impressed with the quality of teaching. Unfortunately, Brookhouse has no parent involvement. The school does not provide for much socializing outside the school (commenting for Yr 1 and Yr 2). There are sports events, since it probably has best open field in Nairobi. Brookhouse provides British curriculum adopted to Kenyan and international students. The student profile is mostly Kenyan with not many, but few, expat children. For Yr 1 and Yr 2, the student profile was 80% to 20%. Because of our expectations, we have transferred my daughter to Hillcrest International School, and we are very happy with our decision, so far. On the first day of school, we were welcomed personally by the kids who were playing in the garden. My daughter has attended many schools for her young age, but we had never been welcomed like this before. All teachers are native speakers, and they are very hands-on. There are many activities in and out of school. The children’s education is very well balanced with social activities. Hillcrest provides British curriculum. There is a good mix for the student profile; it is very balanced. It also provides French and Kiswahili classes starting in Yr 1. It makes you smile when your child speaks Kiswahili with the locals. Both schools have a very well-run and established bus system. My daughter used a one-way school bus for both schools, and we felt very comfortable.

There is also the Banda School, which I have heard so many great things about from my expat friends. We could not choose Banda because of its distance to our house.

In the Runda area, there is the International School of Kenya. The majority of my friends who live in the Runda area send their kids to ISK, and they are very happy with the school’s education and social activities. ISK has an International curriculum adopted couple programs; ISK has IB as well.

In Runda, there is also a German School, but it has German curriculum, and it strictly provides education for German speaking children. English is their second language. There is the Peponi School in Runda as well. There are many expat children attending Peponi, and I believe it is not a big school, so they have a waiting list, especially for the younger ages.

There are also the Braeburn Schools. They have campuses in different areas in town. Braeburn is also an international school that applies British curriculum, and they have a long waiting list for certain areas. If you are planning to send your kids to Braeburn, you should definitely apply as soon as you make your decision.

When I was searching for a school for my daughter, one of my priorities was to be close to home. Traffic can become such an issue with these unfinished roads, especially during the rainy seasons. So, I would definitely urge you to find a house near the school you choose or do it the other way around. Otherwise, your child will have to spend so much time in traffic. My other priority was finding a school where my child would be getting a good education, where she would be happy and fulfilled socially as well. Another recommendation I can give is to just visit the school during weekdays and see it yourself. Being in the school with its students can make a huge difference, as well as having a conversation with the teachers. Many smiling face will help with your decision, and, of course, definitely talk to people around you, including your neighbors, and get their thoughts.