How to Choose the Right School for Your Child in Kenya

The short answer: decide on the few things that cannot change — your child's grade, what you can afford for the whole year, and how far your child can travel — then compare three to five schools on those same facts, visit them, and ask for the full fee structure in writing.

Start with what cannot change

Most families waste time looking at schools that were never a real option. Before you look at any school, write down:

• Your child's grade next year. Not every school offers every grade. A school that is perfect for PP2 may not offer Grade 7.
• Your real budget for the year. Include every term, not only the first one, and leave room for uniform, books and trips.
• The longest daily journey you accept. Think about your child waking up, traffic, and who will do drop-off and pick-up.
• Day or boarding. If you are unsure, read our guide on day school vs boarding school.

Decide what matters most to your family

After the basics, list what would make a school a good fit for your child. Keep it short — three or four items. Common examples:

• A curriculum you understand and can support at home (for example CBC, British or American).
• Class size and how teachers follow up individual children.
• Support for a child who needs extra help with learning.
• Activities your child already loves, such as football, music or swimming.
• Meals and transport, if both parents work.

Ranking these helps when two schools look similar. On FindSchoolKenya you can mark these preferences and the results show which ones each school meets.

Build a short list

Search for schools in your area that offer your child's grade, then narrow the list to three to five. Find a School lets you search by county, sub-county, town and area, and shows the fee each school has given for your child's exact grade.

When comparing, always compare the same grade at each school. Fees often rise between grades, so a school's Grade 1 fee tells you little about its Grade 6 fee.

Compare the full cost, not only tuition

Tuition is only part of the cost. Ask each school for the complete list of compulsory charges and the optional ones. Our guide on comparing school fees and additional charges explains what to ask for.

Visit before you decide

A visit tells you things a website cannot. When you visit:

• Watch how teachers speak to children in class and at break.
• Look at the toilets, the kitchen and the playing area — they show how carefully the school is run.
• Ask to see where your child's class would learn.
• Ask parents at the gate how long their children have been there and why they stayed.

Take our list of questions to ask before enrolling with you.

Check the information yourself

School details on FindSchoolKenya are provided by the schools. A "Verified" label means our team has reviewed the listing; it is not a government accreditation. For registration status, ask the school for its registration details and confirm with the Ministry of Education or your county education office.

Make the decision together

If your child is old enough, include them. Ask what they noticed on the visits and how they felt. A school where your child feels safe and welcome usually matters more than small differences in facilities.

Quick checklist

1. Grade, yearly budget, travel time and day/boarding decided.
2. Three or four family priorities ranked.
3. Three to five schools shortlisted for the same grade.
4. Full fee structure collected from each school.
5. Each school visited, with your questions answered.
6. Registration details checked.