Top Private High Schools in Nairobi

Education in Kenya has become expensive, with private schools trying to outdo each other regarding academic performance, learning facilities, and resources, which begs the question of who can afford the best education for their child. Several private within the suburbs of Nairobi offer both Kenya’s and international curricula equipped with modern learning and sports facilities that give your child a balance between academics and extra-curricular activities, allowing them to pursue their academic ambitions while exploring their talent. 

 Here is the list of private high schools within Nairobi that you may consider taking your child to when the following academic calendar begins.

Strathmore School  

Strathmore School is a prominent boy’s day private school founded in 1961 in Lavington, Nairobi. The school is known for its excellent performance on the KCSE exams, which usually ranks it amongst the top-performing schools in Nairobi and countrywide. 

The school offers Kenya’s 8-4-4 curriculum with a blend of co-curriculum activities that prepares their student for the national exams at the end of their four-year secondary course.

Light Academy Nairobi 

Light Academy is a private school located in Karen, Nairobi, which offers CBC and 8-4-4 curriculum tailored with computer and technology skills to meet the learning needs of the 21st century.

The school ranks among the top-performing schools in national exams, sending most of the students to high-learning institutions. It emphasizes producing academically competent individuals who are socially responsible and culturally sensitive.

The school curriculum allows your child to learn while exploring their talent through engaging in various sports and extra-curricular activities, which has seen most of their students competing at national and international sports competitions and science workshops.

Makini High School 

Makini School, founded in 1978 and formerly known as Riara Gardens Academy, is an international group of private schools offering learning from early childhood education to senior high school level in the Kenyan and Cambridge curricula. 

The senior high school offers a quality education that equips its students with the skills needed in global practice. It allows them to excel academically and become morally and socially responsible individuals who respect society’s cultural values.

Their curriculum is tailored to talent development by involving students in extra-curricular activities, i.e., sports, music, and drama, allowing them to explore their talent and showcase it locally and internationally through competition.  

The Riara Springs Girls’ High School 

The Riara Springs Girls’ High School is under The Riara Group Schools located in Riara Springs Academy Embakasi, Nairobi City, founded in 2000 to empower girl-child by providing primary education through emotional, social, spiritual, and physical development.

The school offers the 8-4-4 for high school education tailored to nurture the child’s interests and talents. It seeks to equip them with the skills and internal resources to keep up with the dynamics of a fast-changing world.

The school registered good performance in KCSE exams, ranking as the top-performing school in the country with a hundred per cent transition of their students to higher learning institutions. 

Kianda Secondary School 

Kianda School is a girl’s private day high school under the Kianda group schools, located in Westlands Nairobi. It was founded in 1977 by The Kianda Foundation and aimed to empower the girl-child through education and Christian values. 

The Kianda school offers an 8-4-4 curriculum tailored to embrace three aspects of personal development: intellectual, spiritual, and humanity, with a unique approach of involving parents to 

work together with tutors through the academic journey of their children 

The school is equipped with modern learning facilities that give your children the opportunity to venture into fields of their interest while exploring their talents through engaging students in extra-curricular and talent-based activities, i.e. sports, music, and drama  

The school ranks among the best private secondary schools with top performance, boasting incredible results in the National exams over the years.

 The Aga Khan High School 

The Aga Khan High School is a private day secondary school established in 1961 and located in Westlands Nairobi. 

The school’s teaching curriculum is tailored to meet the 8-4-4, IGCSE, and GCE assessment curriculum by adapting international and contemporary teaching, learning, and educational leadership philosophies.

The school is equipped with modern learning and sports facilities that meet and provide their student with the right environment and resources to learn, which has seen the school consistently posting good results in the KCSE examinations over the years, ranking among the best private schools in the county.

Besides academics, the school nurtures talent by engaging its students in talent-based activities by providing all sports activities, which ensures that students of all abilities are allowed to participate in competitive sports.

Consolata School Nairobi

Consolata School is a catholic mixed-day private secondary school in Westlands owned by the Catholic church under Consolata missionaries.

The school offers an 8-4-4 curriculum tailored to meet value-based learning that nurtures its students’ minds, hearts, and spirits and instills society-acceptable values.

The school has facilities and resources that provide a conducive learning environment for its students. It also nurtures talent through extra-curricular activities, including sports, which helps learners explore their talent in various ways and showcase it through competitions.

The school has registered excellent KCSE results in subsequent years, which has seen the school rank among the top-performing private schools in the county.

Loreto Convent Msongari 

Loreto Convent Msongari is a girls’ private high secondary school in Lavington, Nairobi; the school was founded in 1921 by the sisters of Loreto under the Catholic church. 

The schools offer the Kenyan 8-4-4 system and the British IGCSE curriculums tailored to meet the needs of the students with the quality education that molds the student holistically under catholic principles and Loreto ethos.

The school has excellent facilities and a conducive learning environment.

Sunshine Secondary School, Nairobi

Sunshine Secondary School is a boy’s boarding school founded in 1995 by the late former president Daniel Moi. It is located on Lang’ata Road opposite Wilson Airport.

The school aims to be a leading Christian learning institution committed to offering quality education in a sustainable environment that will nurture the student’s holistic development. 

It offers Kenya’s 8-4-4 curriculum tailored to meet innovation and technology to equip its students with knowledge and skills for problem-solving in the modern world. The school has also adopted a unique student-centered learning approach, which allows teachers to work closely with their learners and involve parents in their children’s academics. Besides academics, the school engages its students in extra-curricular activities and clubs to explore their talents and interests and develop leadership skills while building friendships and connections with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and cultures.  

Sunshine School boasts a track record of academic excellence over the years, posting exemplary results at the KCSE exams, which has seen a hundred percent transition of their student to high learning institutions. 

 Nairobi Leadership Academy 

Nairobi Leadership Academy is a private girls’ school in South C, Nairobi. It offers an 8-4-4 and IGCSE curricula tailored to meet innovation and technology. The school has modern learning and sports facilities that provide their student with the right environment and resources to learn and an opportunity to explore their interest and talents through engaging in extra-curricular and talent-based activities, i.e. sports, music, and drama.

The school has achieved incredible results over the subsequent years at the national exams and an impressive transition rate of their students to universities and colleges, which ranked the school as a top performing school in the county.

St Mary’s School

The school, popularly known as ‘The Saint’, is a catholic private school founded in 1939 by the Irish Holy Ghost Father in Parklands, Nairobi. 

The school commits to providing its students with spiritual, intellectual, and physical education by creating a conducive learning environment modeled on catholic traditions to instill self-expression, discipline, and God-centered living.

The school offers Kenya’s 8-4-4 and IGCSE curricula tailored to meet science and technology needs through science and ICT-oriented subjects. It has a section of senior high school that offers secondary education. The school has modern learning facilities, including a technology center, libraries, laboratories, and arts and music centers. Away from the classroom, students engage in extra-curricular activities through sports and clubs, allowing them to explore and develop their talents.

Brookhouse International School

Brookhouse School is a private international school founded in 1981 in the suburbs of Karen and Runda, Nairobi. 

The school offers the British curriculum with the same content and structure as the UK National Curriculum adapted to meet the needs of an international student with a comprehensive high school program that commences in 9th grade with one year of pre-IGCSE study and in 10th and 11th grade the students undertake the International General Certificate of Education that culminates in the end of year examinations and course assessments.

The school has modern learning facilities, including a well-equipped library and IT digital tools, which create a student-centered learning approach. Learners also participate in extra-curricular activities programs, i.e. social clubs, arts, music, and sports, which allows them to identify and develop their talents.

Nairobi Muslim Academy 

Nairobi Muslim Academy is an Islamic girls’ private secondary in South C Nairobi West Lang’ata Constituency, Nairobi County. 

The Islamic institution offers an 8-4-4 education system tailored to meet Islamic principles, teaching and nurturing The Sunnah and Holy Quran by instilling society-acceptable values.

The school has achieved outstanding performance over the years in the KCSE exams.  

St Hannah’s Girls’ High School

St. Hannah’s Girls School was founded in 1981 under the St. Hannah’s group of schools located in Lang’ata constituency, Nairobi.

The school offers the 8-4-4 curriculum from form 1 to form 4 tailored to meet science and technology needs by teaching science and ICT subjects, i.e. home science and computer studies. It also offers guidance and counseling programs that seek to identify the challenges and provide psycho-social support to their girls through their academic journey.  

It has modern learning and boarding facilities, including a well-equipped resources center comprising libraries and laboratories and ample and spacious hostels, providing a conducive learning environment.

The school has had commendable results in the KCSE exams over the years, churning out students who transition to institutions of higher learning. 

Wamy High 

Wamy High is a private Muslim boys’ school on Viwandani-Mombasa Road South B, Nairobi. It was established by World Assembly Muslim Youth to shape Muslim boys into responsible adults by providing access to education at different levels that are holistically grounded on Islamic values. 

The school offers an 8-4-4 learning system tailored to integrate secular and Islamic curriculums, which seeks to nurture the Sunnah and Holy Quran teachings. It also engages its students in extra-curricular activities ranging from Games such as football and volleyball to clubs for talent development.

The school has had incredible performance over the years in the KCSE exams. It is ranked as the best-performing Islamic school in Kenya.

St. Elizabeth Girls High School

St. Elizabeth Girls School is a private girls boarding secondary school in Karen, Nairobi. This serene environment provides a conducive environment for learning. 

The school offers an 8-4-4 curriculum from form one to form four, which meets a variety of subjects, allowing learners to choose their topic of interest and achieve their maximum potential.

The school has modern state-of-the-art facilities equipped with learning resources and sports facilities that allow their students to engage in extra-curricular activities and compete with other schools. 

Laiser Hill Academy 

Laiser Hill Academy is a private mixed boarding school located in Ng’ong on the outskirts of Nairobi city. It was founded in 1987

The school offers the Kenya 8-4-4 and IGCSE ‘O’ &GCE ‘A’ level with a well-monitored evaluation system that explores the student’s performance. The institution is committed to transforming each student’s academics through a unique student-centered learning approach, which allows teachers to work closely with learners and involve parents in their child’s academics.

Oshwal Academy Nairobi – Senior High 

Oshwal Academy is an international private senior high school in Parklands, Nairobi. The school has diverse students from different religions and cultural backgrounds.

It offers A-level and BTEC programs; their British Curriculum A-level program is accredited by two examination bodies: Pearson Edexcel International Examinations with qualification and Cambridge Assessment International Education, which takes two years to complete

BTEC Level 3 Diploma qualifications offered are Arts & Design, Hospitality management, sport & and exercise sciences, and Enterprise & Entrepreneurship, whereby students with an IGCSE qualification or BTEC level 2 are eligible for these programs. 

The school also engages its students with extra-curricular activities, from sports to clubs, including chess, football, basketball, cricket, swimming etc.

Hillcrest International School 

Hillcrest International School is located in Karen along Hillcrest Road off Lang’ata Road, Nairobi, with a long-standing reputation for cultural diversity, academic excellence, and sporting prowess within East Africa. The school has a large diversity of cultures and backgrounds built on the philosophy of inclusion, cooperation, and mutual respect.  

It is a leading school that offers the British curriculum. The curriculum is provided at Years 9–11 (IGCSEs) and Years 12–13 (A-Levels & BTECs) with The Cambridge International Examinations Board accreditation. 

Beyond the classroom, the school engages its learners in extra-curricular activities, from outdoor activities, music, drama, art, life skills, and community work to sports, including hockey, Basketball, Rugby, Cricket, Football, Tennis, and Swimming.

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FAQS

What are the best-performing private high schools in Keny a?

The list of best private Secondary Schools in the country include 

• Moi high school Kabarak 
• Sacho High School
• St MaryMary’sool
• Strathmore school
• Sunshine Secondary School 
• Anestar precious Girl 
• The Aga Khan High School 
• Makini High School 
• Light Academy Nairobi 
• Kianda Secondary School 
• Pioneer High School

Which is the most expensive secondary school in Kenya?

Many International Schools in Kenya offering the North American or IGCSE curriculum are the most expensive; their school fees per term range from Kshs 500,000 to 2M. 

What is the best-performing public secondary school in Nairobi County?

• Precious Blood RIruta
• The Kenya High School
• Nairobi School
• Starehe BoysBoys’tre
• Starehe GirlGirls’tre
• Moi Girls School Nairobi
• Pangani Girls 
• Lenana School

What is the most expensive private school in Nairobi

• International School of Kenya (ISK) 
• Brookhouse School
• Peponi School
• Hillcrest International School
• Braeburn Imani International School
• Gems Cambridge International School
• Kenton College Preparatory School 
• Rosslyn School