Expat families in Nairobi can choose from a wide range of international schools, and the city's large and varied foreign community keeps them well subscribed. Between them, these schools teach the national curricula of the UK, the US, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, and France, as well as the International Baccalaureate. You'll find plenty of options, whatever your children's needs.
If you'd like your children's schooling to include a religious element, Nairobi also has several Christian international schools. A number of the schools below also take boarders. That's a useful option for families who travel often or live outside the city.
The most popular international schools in and around Nairobi are listed below. Places fill quickly, and waiting lists are long, so you should apply well in advance to secure your child's spot at your preferred school.
International schools in Nairobi
St Andrew's, Turi
St Andrew's is one of the leading independent international schools in East Africa. Numbering approximately 550 boarding students and comprising both preparatory and senior schools, the school offers an outstanding education based on the British curriculum to students across the whole age range. Read more
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: British (English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels)
Ages: 3 to 18
Banda School
The Banda School is on the edge of Nairobi National Park in Langata, and it's one of the best-known British prep schools outside the UK. Its 35-acre (14-hectare) campus has plenty of space for play, and classes are small, so teachers can keep a close eye on each child in and out of the classroom. Weekly boarding is available too.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: British (English National Curriculum)
Ages: 1 to 13
Website: www.bandaschool.com
Braeburn School
Braeburn School in Nairobi has taught the English National Curriculum on its Gitanga Road campus in Lavington since 1979. Alongside the core academic subjects, pupils take music, drama, sport, and art. The school is known for its pastoral care and a calm, friendly atmosphere that helps children settle in and do their best.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: British (English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, A-Levels and BTEC)
Ages: 3 to 18
Website: braeburnschool.braeburn.com
Brookhouse School
Brookhouse School opened in 1981 and teaches the British curriculum across two Nairobi campuses, one in Karen and a second at Runda off Kiambu Road that opened in 2017. Pupils sit IGCSE and A-Level exams through the Cambridge and Edexcel boards, and the Karen campus has boarding for older students. The school is known for a personal, values-driven approach.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: British (English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, A-Levels and BTEC)
Ages: 2 to 18
Website: www.brookhouse.ac.ke
Deutsche Schule Nairobi
The German School Nairobi, also called the Michael-Grzimek-Schule, follows the German curriculum and is in Gigiri, opposite the Village Market. Teaching is mainly in German, although geography is taught in English and history bilingually, and pupils add French in Year 6. Children can start in kindergarten and continue through to the German International Abitur, and universities in Germany and elsewhere recognise the qualification.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: German
Ages: 1.5 to 18
Website: dsnairobi.de
Hillcrest International School
Hillcrest International School was founded in 1965 and follows the British curriculum on a campus in the Karen-Langata area. Its three schools, Early Years, Preparatory, and Secondary, share one 35-acre (14-hectare) site, and older pupils can board. Small classes and a family feel are a big part of the appeal for expat families.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: British (English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, A-Levels and BTEC)
Ages: 1.5 to 18
Website: www.hillcrest.ac.ke
International School of Kenya
The International School of Kenya (ISK) was set up in 1976 by the American and Canadian governments, and it now teaches a North American curriculum alongside the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Around 70 percent of students take the IB Diploma, and graduates head to competitive universities in the US, UK, Canada, and Europe. The 40-acre (16-hectare) campus off Peponi Road was once a coffee plantation.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: North American and International Baccalaureate
Ages: 3 to 18
Website: www.isk.ac.ke
Lycée Denis Diderot
The Lycée Denis Diderot has taught the full French curriculum in Nairobi since 1962, and it is one of the oldest international schools in the city. It's the only school in Nairobi that teaches the French curriculum right through from kindergarten to the baccalauréat, and lessons are taught in both French and English. The school is in Kilimani, near the Yaya Centre, and it is accredited by the French Ministry of Education.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: French
Ages: 2 to 18
Website: www.diderot.ac.ke
The Netherlands School Society
The Netherlands School Society (NSS) teaches a bilingual Dutch and English programme for younger children, from toddlers up to the end of primary school. Lessons draw on both the Dutch national curriculum and the International Primary Curriculum. Classes are small, and the green campus in Karen has plenty of space to play.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: Dutch and International Primary Curriculum
Ages: 1.5 to 12
Website: www.netherlandsschool.com
Rosslyn Academy
Rosslyn Academy is a Christian day school in Gigiri, Nairobi's diplomatic suburb. The UN complex and the US Embassy are close by. It has taught a North American curriculum for more than 75 years, from preschool up to Grade 12, and older students can take Advanced Placement courses. The 40-acre (16-hectare) campus is partly solar-powered and has its own water-recycling plant.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: American
Ages: 4 to 18
Website: www.rosslynacademy.org
Rusinga School
Rusinga School is a Christian school on Gitanga Road in Lavington. A group of missionaries founded it in 1975. It follows the British curriculum from kindergarten through to A-Level, and Christian teaching is part of daily school life. Pupils sit IGCSE and A-Level exams, and they can also take BTEC courses.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: British (English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, A-Levels and BTEC)
Ages: 2 to 18
Website: www.rusinga.ac.ke
Swedish School of Nairobi
The Swedish School of Nairobi follows the Swedish curriculum, from preschool up to upper secondary. Teaching is in Swedish, so Swedish and other Nordic families can slot straight back into schooling at home when they leave. Most upper secondary students board, and the school also takes exchange students from Sweden.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: Swedish
Ages: 3 to 18
Website: www.ssn.or.ke
Woodland Star School
Woodland Star School is set in the tea fields of Tigoni, just outside Nairobi, and nature is at the heart of how it teaches. Children learn outdoors in the surrounding forest as a normal part of the week, and the curriculum draws on American and Australian frameworks. The school now takes children from age two right up to Grade 12, and few other schools in the area put the environment first in the same way.
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: American and Australian
Ages: 2 to 18
Website: www.woodlandstarkenya.com