International Schools in Kenya (IGCSE Schools in Kenya) – Overview
Establishment of international schools in Kenya goes back to colonial days when European settlers set up exclusive schools. After independence, the schools were opened up to all. International schools mainly admit children of employees of foreign embassies, foreign business communities, and other international organizations. Kenyan students keen to obtain foreign qualifications are also enrolled.
The growth of IGCSE Schools in Kenya shows the desire to obtain international education and qualifications. All international schools are private and most offer British curriculum leading to GCE/ IGCSE certificates. Others offer the North American High School Diploma, International Baccalaureate (IB) and European Baccalaureate (EB) diplomas.
International schools can be the perfect solution for an expat student (multinational corporation executives, children of diplomats, NGO staff) in Kenya. International schools provide similar standards of schooling around the globe, providing for an easy transition between schools whether they are in France or Vietnam.
There is usually a local population, as well as an international student body. Schools may as well follow a curriculum model from the US, UK, France, etc. Primary instruction may be any language (and multiple languages are usually taught), but it is usually in English. Schools also provide internationally accepted accreditation such as the international baccalaureate.
International Schools in Kenya
Admission and enrollment procedures vary from school to school. Space is often limited and preference may be given to students based on nationality. Tuition tends to be expensive based on local standards, but offers high standards of learning, boast smaller class sizes, first-rate facilities, and extracurricular. Boarding facilities are available at some schools, but most only provide day classes.
Here are some of the best international schools in the country.
1. Abrar High School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Abrar High School is a Boys boarding secondary school, located in Off Eldoret -Eldama- ravine location, Uasin Gishu County. It is one of the best and excellent schools within the vast Uasin-gishu county both academically and disciplines wise. The school has a modern and well-equipped science laboratories and a library that renders it be a serene environment for young visionary students preparing them to become competent persons in every field they end up in.
International Schools in Kenya Accreditation & Membership
♦ Council of International Schools (CoIS) is a non-profit association of international schools and post-secondary institutions which provides educational accreditation, teacher and leadership recruitment services, links to higher education, governance assistance and help with founding new schools.
♦ Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) is among the premier accrediting associations in the world.
♦ Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is an association of evangelical Protestant Christian schools.
♦ Network of International Christian Schools (NICS) is an organization that consists of 17 schools located in 13 different countries in Asia, Africa, South America, and includes an online school in North America.
For more information please visit: Abrar High School
Braeburn School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Braeburn School is a Private International School in Nairobi Kenya. The School follows British National Curriculum. Braeburn High School has over 300 students. It is located in Lavington suburb of Nairobi.
For more information please visit: Braeburn School
Rosslyn Academy
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Rosslyn Academy is a private Christian school in Gigiri, Nairobi Kenya. It is an international, coed, day school with a North American curriculum and classes from preschool to twelfth grade. The school was founded as Mara Hills Academy in northern Tanzania in the 1940s, as a one-room school for the children of Mennonite missionaries. It was later moved to its current location in 1967 and opened a boarding facility offering K–8 education.
For more information please visit: Rosslyn Academy
Brookhouse School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Brookhouse School also known as Brookhouse International School is an independent British curriculum co-educational day and boarding school offering Early Years, preparatory and secondary schooling. It is located in Langata, a suburb of Nairobi County, about 10 km from the Nairobi’s CBD. The school was opened in 1981 and caters for pupils from pre-school to A-level, with an overall enrollment of 750 students.
For more information please visit: Brookhouse School
Hillcrest International Schools
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Hillcrest International Schools is a group of schools that is committed to inspiring each and every child to achieve their own individual personal excellence and to grow to become a valuable member of the global community in which we live. The school is located at Karen- Langata Area Nairobi County. Hillcrest International Schools started with Hillcrest Preparatory School which was founded in 1965 by educationalist Dorothy Noad and long-serving government employee Frank Thompson.
For more information please visit: Hillcrest International Schools
International School of Kenya
Category: International Schools in Kenya
The International School of Kenya (ISK) is an international school for pre-kindergarten to grade 12 located on the outskirts of Nairobi Kenya. It was established in 1976 and has a 25 hectare campus. The grounds used to be a large coffee plantation, and today, only a few of the original buildings remain. Students can study for a North American high school diploma or the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
For more information please visit: International School of Kenya
AIC Chebisaas Boys School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
AIC Chebisaas Boys School is a Boys and boarding school, located in Chepkoilel location, Uasin Gishu County. The inception of the school was the brain child of the current school Patron, Mr. Edward Limo in the early 1980s.Propelled by the desire to establish a school based on strong Christian Principles, he solicited for land from the then head of state.
For more information please visit: AIC Chebisaas Boys School
Greensteds School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Greensteds School was established in 1936 on a 50-acre (200,000 m2) piece of land as a mixed day and boarding school situated 17 kilometers south of Nakuru town, Kenya. The school provides an English curriculum at both IGCSE and A-levels in subjects in the arts ranging from French as a second language to mathematics and the sciences.
For more information please visit: Greensteds School
Light Academy Schools
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Light Academy Schools is a private primary school with both girls and boys. The school is located along Jamhuri Road – Nyali in Mombasa County.
For more information please visit: Light Academy Schools
Nairobi Academy
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Nairobi Academy is a mixed private primary school. The school is located at Gen. Mathenge Drive Spring Valley, Westlands in Nairobi County.
For more information please visit: Nairobi Academy
Mombasa Academy
Category: International Schools in Kenya
A private coeducational international school. It caters to children from two and a half years old in playgroups to nineteen years (A2 level). It follows the British National curriculum, with all the subjects being taught in English.
For more information please visit: Mombasa Academy
Pembroke House School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Pembroke House follows the British Common Entrance curriculum and is one of the oldest international boarding preparatory schools in Kenya. Founded in 1927 it has been educating boys and girls for over 85 years. The school has been a charitable trust since 1959, and all income is re-invested into the improvement of education for the children.
For more information please visit: Pembroke House School
St. Andrew’s School, Turi
Category: International Schools in Kenya
An international, multicultural, Christian Boarding School in Kenya offering a British Curriculum education. It is a University of Cambridge testing center. It is accredited by COBIS. Boarding is available.
For more information please visit: St. Andrew’s School, Turi
Rift Valley Academy
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Rift Valley Academy, Protestant Missionary boarding school is a Christian boarding school in central Kenya. The School was established in 1906 by Charles Hurlburt. The school established athletic, music, and drama programs, and a spirit of educational excellence emerged. In 1967, under Roy Entwistle’s leadership, RVA was the first school in Africa to receive American accreditation.
For more information please visit: Rift Valley Academy
Rosslyn Academy
Category: International Schools in Kenya
A private coed day school with a North American curriculum for grades Pre-K through 12. It offers a Christian based, English language education.
For more information please visit: Rosslyn Academy
St. Andrews School Turi
Category: International Schools in Kenya
St Andrew’s School, Turi is one of the leading independent international schools in East Africa. The School was founded by the Levets and taken on by Peter and Jean Lavers in 1931. The School initially had 15 children and by the end of the second term there were already 22 pupils.Since then, it has grown to be a large and successful boarding school, providing a first-class education to children from East Africa and beyond.
For more information please visit: St Andrew’s School, Turi
Lycée Denis Diderot
Category: International Schools in Kenya
The curriculum is based on the French system with classes taught in French. The school operates under the auspices of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs and is run in conjunction with the AEFE (Agency for the Teaching of French Abroad). It is a Cambridge testing center.
For more information please visit: Lycée Denis Diderot
Deutsche Schule Nairobi / German School Nairobi
Category: International Schools in Kenya
This school caters to German-language expatriate families in the Kenyan capital. It has a German curriculum with instruction in German. It is accredited by the “Kultusministerkonferenz – KMK” (The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany). From Class 8 upwards geography is taught in English while history is taught bilingually (English/German) from Class 9. A bilingual kindergarten and a boarding house are attached to the school. DSN observes all Kenyan public holidays as well as the Day of German Unity (3 October).
For more information please visit; Deutsche Schule
Rusinga School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
This school follows the British National Curriculum. A Christian faith-based education, up to Year 9 students study the set national curriculum subjects adapted to suit the Kenyan situation. In Years 10 and 11, the curriculum follows a two year IGCSE course administered by the University of Cambridge through Cambridge International Examinations Board (CIE). Uniform is required
For more information please visit: Rusinga School
Nairobi Japanese School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Japanese language and curriculum. Education is approved by the Japanese government.
For more information please visit: Nairobi Japanese School
Svenska Skolan i Nairobi
Category: International Schools in Kenya
The school accepts students from all Scandinavian countries. The school provides primary to secondary in Swedish, with Danish, Finnish and Norwegian pupils receiving instruction in their mother tongue. There is also English instruction from pre-school through graduation. Boarding is available.
For more information please visit: Svenska Skolan i Nairobi
Strathmore School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
Strathmore School is a private, independent, boys’ day school located in Nairobi Kenya that follows the 8-4-4 curriculum. Strathmore was started as a Sixth Form college in March 1961. In 1977 the first Form One students were admitted and in 1987 the first Standard One pupils.
Strathmore began as a Sixth Form College offers a full range of Arts and Science subjects. The first Form Five students enrolled in March 1961 and sat the Higher School Certificate Examination in November 1962.
For more information please visit; Strathmore School
International School of Kenya (ISK)
Category: International Schools in Kenya
The ISK Academic Curriculum provides English language education for students in Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. Kiswahili is taught within the context of the Kenya units of inquiry. ISK is fully accredited by the CoIS and MSA.
For more information please visit; International School of Kenya (ISK)
West Nairobi School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
An American curriculum international school with a Christian education that follows the English or the US American curriculum. The school caters to pre-kindergarten through high school. The school is accredited by MSA and ACSI and is a part of the NICS.
For more information please visit: West Nairobi School
Aga Khan Academy
Category: International Schools in Kenya
A not-for-profit independent school registered with the Ministry of Education in Kenya. The Academy offers an international curriculum leading to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) administered from the Cambridge University and International Baccalaureate. There are several campuses across Kenya and around the world.
For more information please visit: Aga Khan Academy
Peponi School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
An English-language independent, co-educational boarding school with an internationally recognized school-leaving examination at 16 (IGCSE), 17 (A/S) and 18 (A2) Years.
For more information please visit: Peponi School
Netherlands School Society
Category: International Schools in Kenya
The Netherlands School Society (NSS) offers primary education based on individual needs with small class sizes. The school works with the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). This thematically English way of teaching 3 – 11-year-olds is used in 92 countries around the world and is taught in English.
For more information please visit: Netherlands School Society
GEMS Cambridge International School
Category: International Schools in Kenya
GEMS is an English-speaking school from Foundation Stage to Year 13. It offers the IGCSE exams, as well as British-style A-levels for graduates. Uniforms are required.
Urafiki Carovana School
Category: IGCSE Schools in Kenya
Urafiki Carovana School is a private primary school with both girls and boys. The school is located at Kahawa-Wendani, Near St. Joseph Catholic Church in Kiambu County.
For more information please visit: Urafiki Carovana School
Webzz Educational Centre
Category: IGCSE Schools in Kenya
Webzz Educational Centre is a mixed day school, located in Malaba location, Bungoma County.
For more information please visit; Webzz Educational Centre
Naitiri Boys High School
Category: IGCSE Schools in Kenya
Naitiri Boys High School is a Boys day and boarding school, located in Mbakalo location, Trans Nzoia County.
For more information please visit: Naitiri Boys High School
P.C.E.A Silanga High School
Category: IGCSE Schools in Kenya
PCEA Silanga High School is a Christian-foundation based mixed secondary school in Kibera, Nairobi Kenya. Established in January 2007 by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Kibera Parish, under the leadership of the Rev. Samuel Machugu Kamau and Evangelist Isaac Irungu Mwangi, it caters for the educational needs of the Kibera community.
For more information please visit: PCEA Silanga High School
Kenton College, Nairobi
Category: IGCSE Schools in Kenya
Kenton College Preparatory school is an international school located Located in the leafy suburb of Kileleshwa in Nairobi.Kenton College was founded at Kijabe in January 1924, taking its roots from a school called Kenya Grange at Lumbwa.Kenton College was, and always had been, an all boys, all boarding school. Originally built for less than 100 pupils, the school continued to grow and flourish so that, when the Rev Birks retired in 1966, over 100 boys were being educated at Kenton.
For more information please visit: Kenton College, Nairobi
International Schools in Kenya News
IGCSE Schools in Kenya: Elite Nairobi schools top African chart of tuition fees charged
Kenya’s elite schools are riding on the high premium that parents have put on their children’s education to charge some of the highest fees in Africa, according to a newly released report.
The top-notch schools, many of them offering international curricula, charge up to Sh2.7 million per year, reflecting the increasing perception of education as a golden ticket to better fortunes among the Kenyan population.
The International Schools Database survey puts the cost of educating a child below 10 years in Nairobi’s top private schools at $10,500 (Sh1 million) a year on average or $875 a month.
Nairobi’s sky-high fees stand above the average annual fees in the more advanced metropolis like Amsterdam ($5,940), Kuala Lumpur, Doha, Abu Dhabi and South Africa’s Cape Town — whose fees are nearly a third of what the Kenyan schools charge.
“The survey suggests that the high price is in part due to high-quality education and costs,” said Andrea Robledillo of the International Schools Database.
IGCSE Schools in Kenya – ISK fees highest
Top on the list of Nairobi’s exclusive schools is the International School of Kenya (ISK), which charges parents Sh2.7 million a year per child, according to the survey.
The charges make the institution an exclusive club for wealthy Kenyans and expatriates working for multinationals, missions and non-governmental agencies.
The ISK boasts expansive compounds, modern libraries and laboratories, quality meals and a wide range of facilities for sporting and extra-curricular activities.
The school, which is owned by the American Embassy and the Canadian High Commission, offers the American curriculum.
Nairobi’s Rossyln Academy comes in second, charging Sh1.5 million a year, tying with the Banda School and Kenton Preparatory School.
Hillcrest, which charges Sh1.4 million a year per child, is placed third.
The survey was conducted in cities with more than seven international schools and only captures tuition fees, leaving out additional charges.
Kenyan parents have increasingly embraced international education to give their children a chance at upward mobility and set them up for admissions to top universities abroad.
IGCSE Schools in Kenya – Holistic learning
“The elite schools offer holistic learning that captures crucial aspects such as leadership skills, critical thinking and problem solving, all of which are essential in today’s job market and innovation space,” said Bitange Ndemo, an associate professor at the University of Nairobi’s School of Business.
Most multinationals and diplomatic agencies cover the education expenses of their foreign workers as part of allowances, easing the expats’ burden.
The survey serves as a guide for expatriates looking to move with their families to different work stations in the world.
Nairobi’s high fees could help multinationals, United Nations agencies and diplomatic missions to justify the huge staff budgets for employees stationed in the city.
The benefits of premium education continue to be recorded in the flow of Kenyan students to top global learning universities. Kenya this year cemented its position as the top African country with the largest number of students admitted yearly to the prestigious Yale University in the United States.
Data from the university indicates that 24 Kenyan students were admitted to study at the institution this year, ahead of Nigeria’s 23, Zimbabwe (18), Ghana (17) and South Africa (16).
Kenya’s admissions to Yale comprise 17 undergraduates and seven graduates also placed the country in position 16 in the world in terms of admission to Yale.
Degrees from such ivy league universities are seen as a ticket to securing top jobs in the global market.
The newly released report shows international schools in Denmark’s Copenhagen charge some the lowest rates at Sh426,420 a year ($4,140), or about half Nairobi’s fees because of government subsidies.
“International education is so affordable in a not-so-cheap nation like Denmark, because government-approved private schools, including international schools, often receive the same amount of government funding as public ones,” the survey says.
China’s Shanghai is the most expensive city in terms of international school fees that averages Sh3.4 million ($33,396) a year or $2,783 a month.
Other top fees-charging schools in the Kenyan capital are GEMS Cambridge (Sh1.4 million a year), Brookhouse (Sh1.4 million) and Braeburn at Sh1.3 million.
“To calculate the price of international schools, we used the whole price of a full term for a six-year-old child, excluding one-time fees like enrolment fee and application fee,” the survey says.
“The average used is the median price of all the international schools available for a six-year-old child in each city.”