International Schools in Nairobi: What Expatriate Families Should Consider

Nairobi has around 50 international schools offering British, American and IB programmes, along with French, German and other national-curriculum options. This guide does not rank them. It sets out the factors that decide which school suits a particular family: curriculum, location, fees, admissions, waiting lists, transport and school-year timing.

For where to live once you have a shortlist, see our guide to the best areas in Nairobi for expats, and for the wider planning sequence, our guide to relocating an employee to Kenya with their family.

Quick Reference

Curriculum

British curriculum

British-curriculum schools follow the English national curriculum, with Cambridge IGCSE at around age 16 and A Levels for the final two years. Braeburn, for example, offers the English national curriculum through Sixth Form with Cambridge IGCSE, A Levels and BTEC options, and Brookhouse follows an English curriculum with Cambridge examinations and offers day and boarding places. Other well-known British-curriculum schools include Hillcrest and Peponi, with several sitting in the Karen area.

It suits families coming from the UK or from other British-system schools, or whose children are heading toward UK universities.

American curriculum

The International School of Kenya (ISK) was founded in 1976 by the US and Canadian governments and offers a US-style programme from pre-kindergarten to grade 12, including the ISK High School Diploma and the IB Diploma in grades 11 and 12. Rosslyn Academy, in Runda, is a North American-curriculum Christian school with a long history.

This route suits families coming from the US or Canada, or whose children plan to apply to North American universities.

IB

The Aga Khan Academy Nairobi in Parklands is described as the only school in Kenya authorised to offer the full IB continuum, from the Primary Years Programme through the Middle Years Programme to the Diploma. ISK offers the IB Diploma for grades 11 and 12, and some Braeburn campuses also offer IB.

The IB suits families who move often between countries, since the programme is recognised worldwide and the continuum keeps a consistent approach from primary to diploma.

Other systems

French, German, Swedish and Japanese-language schools also operate in Nairobi, which helps families who want to keep their children in their home-country system.

Choosing between them. The useful question is where your child goes next and how long you will stay, since curriculum continuity matters most for children in exam years. A child mid-way through IGCSE or the IB Diploma is usually better served by staying in the same system than by switching.

Location

International schools cluster in a few parts of the city, and the school you choose often decides where you live. Published school guides place them roughly as follows:

Sequencing helps: shortlist schools first, then choose the neighbourhood, then the property. Our neighbourhood guide compares Karen, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington and others by school access, and our guide to renting in Nairobi covers lease terms, including timing a lease around the school year.

Fees

Published and reported fees vary widely, and third-party summaries do not always agree, so treat the figures below as orientation and get each school's current fee schedule before deciding.

Points that catch families out:

• Currency: ISK publishes fees in US dollars, while several other schools, including Brookhouse, Peponi and Hillcrest, bill mainly in Kenya shillings, so exchange-rate movements affect the budget differently.

• Fees rise by year group: Secondary and exam years cost more than primary.

• One-off charges: Examples include Brookhouse's registration fee of KES 45,000 per child plus a caution fee of KES 100,000 for day students (KES 200,000 for boarders), Nairobi International School's KES 25,000 admission fee plus a refundable caution fee, and a one-time capital levy of USD 10,000 listed on ISK's application portal. Confirm whether levies apply per child or per family.

• Extras: Transport, uniforms, meals, exam fees and some activities are often billed separately.

• Notice periods: Some schools require a term's written notice or a term's fees in lieu if you withdraw, so check the withdrawal terms before accepting a place.

• Employer contributions: If your employer pays school fees, agree whether levies, deposits and transport are included and how the payments are structured.

Admissions

Each school runs its own process, but the usual steps are:

1. Enquiry and visit: Tour the school or speak to the head, virtually if you are still abroad.

2. Application: Complete the form and pay any non-refundable application or registration fee. ISK reviews an application only once it is complete.

3. Documents: Expect school reports from previous years, translated into English if needed, and a confidential report sent directly from your child's current school.

4. Assessment or interview: Kindergarten children often have a taster day, while older pupils are interviewed by the head of year or headteacher. Some schools set an assessment before an offer is confirmed.

5. Offer and fees: An offer letter follows, then registration and caution fees, and a deposit or place confirmation.

Disclose any learning-support needs at the outset. ISK warns that withholding such information can delay the process and could lead to a child being denied admission, so raise any support needs early with every school you apply to.

Waiting Lists and Availability

Popular schools and year groups can fill up. Braeburn says children who cannot be accommodated immediately are placed on a waiting list, although students can join at any time of year subject to places, and Braeside in Lavington prefers entry at the start of the academic year while accepting students throughout it.

• Apply early: Apply as soon as the move is confirmed, in parallel with the permit application.

• Apply to more than one school: A second option reduces the risk of a gap.

• Ask how the list works: Ask where your child sits, how places are prioritised and how often the list is reviewed.

• Check mid-year availability: Places are usually easier to find at the start of a school year, so a mid-year arrival needs more planning.

• Get immigration documents ready: Ask each school what it needs for foreign students so that the school place and your family's immigration steps line up.

  
  

  Transport

Traffic around school zones is heavy in the morning and afternoon, so the daily journey matters as much as the campus itself.

• School buses: Many schools run buses with zone-based pricing. Nairobi International School divides routes into six zones, the German School Nairobi into three, and Rosslyn Academy charges bus fees separately through its transport office.

• Private transport: Some families use a private driver or a shared arrangement, which can be cheaper than the bus depending on distance.

• Check the routes first: Ask for the bus route map and zone fees before signing a lease, since your neighbourhood may fall in an expensive zone or off the network.

• Time the journey: Drive the route at school run times before committing to a house.

School-Year Timing

The main calendars differ, and the gap between systems shapes when your child can start and which year group they join:

Practical implications:

• Arriving mid-year: Braeburn says students can join at any time, but places depend on availability, and some schools prefer entry at the start of the year.

• Year-group placement: Cut-off dates vary between systems, so a child may be placed in a different year group than at home. Ask before you confirm.

• Lease timing: Try to align a lease start with a term start, and use a diplomatic clause if the school place or permit timing is uncertain.

• Moves between hemispheres: Families coming from January-start systems should ask how the school handles the gap.

Choosing by Family Situation

• A short posting of one to two years: Prioritise continuity with the home curriculum and a school with easy mid-year entry.

• A long posting: Consider the full run of the school, including secondary and university support.

• Teenagers in exam years: Avoid changing systems where possible, and confirm the school offers the exact exam route.

• Frequent movers: The IB's international recognition is a common reason families choose it.

• Younger children: Location and the daily commute often matter more than the curriculum label.

• Learning support needs: Ask for the school's support capability early and in writing.

• Boarding: Only some schools board, for example Brookhouse at its Karen campus, while ISK is day-only.

Questions to Ask Every School

• What is the current fee schedule, including levies, deposits and extras?

• Which places are available in my child's year group, and how does the waiting list work?

• How long does admission take, and what documents do you need from us and from our current school?

• How does the bus service work, and which zone are we in?

• What are the term dates, and how do you handle mid-year entry?

• How do you support learning needs and English-language learners?

• What is the withdrawal notice period, and what fees are refundable?

• Which exams do students sit, and where do graduates go next?

Choosing a school comes down to matching curriculum, location, cost, timing and transport to your family's plans, and doing it early enough that housing and immigration steps follow the school decision instead of racing it.

Vela Global Mobility supports foreign employees and their families through our Corporate Mobility & Immigration service line, covering work permits, dependant passes and relocation planning, so get in touch if you want school timelines, housing and immigration steps planned together.