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There is only one problem with preparatory schools in Nairobi: the abundance of choice. With a good British Curriculum based school in each major suburb, except Muthaiga & Runda, all of them academically excellent, happy and with similar fees, choice comes down to finer differences.
All the main preparatory schoolss, Banda, Braeburn, Brookhouse, Hillcrest, Kenton College and Peponi, are IAPS (Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools) accredited and academically excellent. Even more importantly all seem to have the happy atmosphere of schools that kids love to attend. Even the fees are similar, except that some schools offer larger discounts than others to encourage enrolment.
That means that choosing the school for your child rests on other factors such as geographical location, learning support, sports, drama & music facilities and the racial mix. The following is a very brief introduction to Nairobi's top prep schools, ahead of contacting the administrative offices of each school for more information and a tour of the school.
The Banda School, Langata
Head: Michael Dickson
Established in 1966, The Banda is the largest preparatory school in the Karen / Langata area with children feeding in from Pegasus pre-prep (attached to the school), Stepping Stones Kindergarten, other schools and new arrivals into the country. The Banda has approximately 400 pupils ranging from 6 months to 13 years, a down-to-earth atmosphere with happy kids, traditional values, a sound academic curriculum and an extremely competent sports department with acres of beautiful grounds, which see warthogs grazing on them between games times. The Banda also has a strong learning support unit. The head’s mission statement for the school is that “The Banda aims high: within an informal, enjoyable and happy community atmosphere, it really develops excellence in academic, cultural and sporting disciplines”.
New developments to mention: a new multi-purpose sports arena is being developed in the course of the next academic year, and there will be extensive investment in the ICT department.
Brookhouse School, Langata
Head: John O’Connor
Brookhouse opened its doors in 1981 but it’s the construction of its new “Hogwarts” (a la Harry Potter) style junior school with its magical tree library, space age information technology centre and tropical gardens & animal sculptures in the courtyard, that have made it quite the school of the moment. Brookhouse has 290 children representing over 30 nationalities in its prep school and the numbers are rising constantly. Brookhouse features to mention are interactive white boards, the fabulous theatre and a gym that parents can use for a small fee. Brookhouse also prides itself on strong values and discipline. The school’s philosophy as a Round Square International member school focuses on respect for each individual child through the development of leadership through service to others. Round Square is a world-wide association of more than 70 schools on five continents sharing unique and ambitious goals. Students attending Round Square schools make a strong commitment, beyond academic excellence, to personal development and responsibility (http://www.roundsquare.org).
Watch this space for: brand new kindergarten school being built on site.
Braeburn School, Lavington
Head: Scott Webber
Nairobi’s largest prep-school, with 600 kids, is conveniently located in Lavington, close to town and the CBD. Braeburn has a very cosmopolitan feel to it with around 60 nationalities represented amongst the pupil body of its group of schools and a strong “community spirit” in the form of numerous theatrical productions, which take place in the school theatre, as well as a coffee shop and even a bar! The school’s sports grounds are a little limited in size compared with other prep schools, but Braeburn more than makes up for it with the theatre and arts facilities, and still excel at a number of sports, notably athletics and swimming. Classrooms are bright and airy and a large number of highly qualified expatriate teachers ensure a high standard of teaching. The way the school’s PR departments sums it up is as follows: "Braeburn Schools actively value and celebrate diversity, nurturing personal growth by providing a friendly and supportive environment. Early Years, Primary and Secondary students develop the skills, attitudes and awareness necessary to become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens. Based in East Africa, Braeburn schools are co-educational, offering the British system of education to a multi-national student body of varying academic ability."
Recent news: The Braeburn schools are active in community projects. In the last few weeks, Braeburn has been part of the Rhino Charge, the Karen Charity Golf Day, the Lewa Downs Marathon and are currently participating in Born Free Foundation's "Pride of Kenya" project.
Hillcrest Preparatory School, Karen
Head: Lucy Mayer
Established in 1966, Hillcrest is a small school with a cozy atmosphere. There is only one class in each year group with the total number of pupils at around 180. Small class sizes ensure that each child participates in all aspects of school life in a homely and safe environment, and children get lots of individual attention, which is evident in high standards of academic achievement. Hillcrest has large grounds and a lively arts department, with several good standard performances throughout the year. Also, being a part of a whole group of schools including Forestcrest kindergarten and the Hillcrest Senior School next door, children benefit from the use of the facilities and interaction with other kids at various stages of their schooling. The head sums it up: “Hillcrest respects the individuality of all children. We nurture their particular talents whether drama, music, art or sport, and help, rather than push them, to achieve”.
Kenton College, Kileleshwa
Head: Maureen Cussans
Kenton College is situated on 35 acres of beautiful grounds. It is a small school with 280 pupils and 28 nationalities, and established in 1924, it is also the oldest Nairobi prep school. Begun as a boarding school for boys, the current co-ed day school boasts beautiful buildings, large grounds and a lovely oldy-worldy feel. Even the Kenton uniform is quite formal and pupils are extremely polite, with the whole school having the feel of an environment that nurtures discipline and manners in a small, happy setting. Kenton offers a curriculum with a balanced mix of academics, arts, and sports, and has an extremely strong music department. The classrooms are very bright and colours have been chosen to stimulate learning according to recent research on the influence of colour on learning.
Hot off the press: Kenton has just launched a Sh150m Capital Fund Campaign to finance an Artificial Turf all weather field, an expanded six lane swimming pool, and a new indoor Sports Hall. For more details, visit www.kentonschoolnairobi.com
Peponi House Preparatory School, off Lower Kabete Rd.
Head: Robert Blake
Another smallish prep school, Peponi House has 300 pupils and sees itself as a family school with a Christian ethos. A very welcoming school with lovely facilities, including a very nice art room, swimming pool, large sports fields and high standard IT lab. Peponi kids are always friendly and give the rest of the schools a run for their money on the games fields. As all the other schools, they have excellent academic standards and produce healthy, happy, all-rounded children who go on to excel at secondary schools around the world. The Peponi head describes the atmosphere of his school in the following words: “Peponi House is the sort of school that I would send my children to and that I would love to have been to myself”. Can’t get a much better endorsement than that, can you?
To sum it up, six great choices on the British curriculum! Watch this space for information on other international elementary and primary schools, and for the secondary school options.
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