Hillcrest International School vs Nairobi Jaffery Academy
Hillcrest International School and Nairobi Jaffery Academy are both in Nairobi, about 7 km apart. Both schools offer British and Cambridge IGCSE programmes. Hillcrest International School also offers Cambridge A Levels and BTEC Qualification, and Nairobi Jaffery Academy also offers Cambridge (Primary), Cambridge (Secondary), Pearson Edexcel IGCSE and EYFS. Published annual fees are KES 577,600 - 3,055,000 at Hillcrest International School and KES 282,000 - 720,000 at Nairobi Jaffery Academy, which puts Hillcrest International School roughly 263% higher. Both take pupils from 3 to 18. The two are similar in size, at around 630 and 600 pupils. Typical class sizes are 16 at Hillcrest International School and 15 at Nairobi Jaffery Academy.
British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels, BTEC Qualification
Curriculum
Cambridge (Primary), Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE, EYFS (Early years foundation stage), British Curriculum
Pupils
Pupils
630
Pupils
600
Typical class size
Typical class size
16
Typical class size
15
Instruction language
Instruction language
English
Instruction language
English
Opened
Opened
1965
Opened
—
Bus service
Bus service
No
Bus service
No
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
Hillcrest International Schools is located on Hillcrest Road in Karen, Nairobi, Kenya. The mailing address is P.O. Box 24819 - 00502 Karen, Nairobi, Kenya.
Location
Naushad Merali Drive, Nairobi, Kenya
Stages
Stages
Early Years; Preparatory; Secondary; Sixth Form.
Stages
Early Years Program (EYFS); Primary School Years; Secondary School Years (Years 7-9 Cambridge Lower Secondary; Years 10-13 Cambridge and Edexcel hybrid).
School type
School type
The school is a private international school with boarding facilities and is a member of the Braeburn Group of International Schools.
School type
Private international school offering the Cambridge curriculum.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
Around 40 nationalities are represented.
Pupil nationality mix
Over 18 nationalities represented.
Additional learning support
Additional learning support
Provision for SEND and EAL.
Additional learning support
The school provides individualized attention and support for students.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
Kenya
Country affiliation
The school has Cambridge curriculum aligned with the United Kingdom.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
—
Religious affiliation
Islamic.
School day structure
School day structure
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School day structure
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Bus service details
Bus service details
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Bus service details
—
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Application / Registration deposit - A placement deposit is required at enrolment. Deposit amounts by year group: KES 25,000 (Playgroup–FS1/FS2/Year 1), KES 50,000 (Year 2–Year 8), KES 100,000 (Year 9–Year 13).
Tuition fees — annual and per term (by year group) - Playgroup (Mornings Only): Annual KES 384,000 — Per term KES 128,000. - Nursery (Mornings Only): Annual KES 767,400 — Per term KES 255,800. - Nursery (Full Day): Annual KES 946,199 — Per term KES 315,400. - FS1 (Mornings Only): Annual KES 844,200 — Per term KES 281,400. - FS1 (Full Day): Annual KES 1,022,998 — Per term KES 341,000. - FS2: Annual KES 1,133,700 — Per term KES 377,900. - Year 1: Annual KES 1,317,900 — Per term KES 439,300. - Year 2: Annual KES 1,897,200 — Per term KES 632,400. - Years 3–5: Annual KES 2,398,200 — Per term KES 799,400. - Year 6: Annual KES 2,466,598 — Per term KES 822,199. - Years 7–8: Annual KES 2,574,900 — Per term KES 858,300. - Year 9: Annual KES 2,652,900 — Per term KES 884,300. - Years 10–11: Annual KES 2,881,500 — Per term KES 960,500. - Years 12–13: Annual KES 3,083,099 — Per term KES 1,027,700.
Notes on calculation: annual tuition figures are stated as the programme fee per academic year; per-term figures shown above are the annual tuition divided across the school's three-term academic year.
Lunch, transport and other recurring fees - Lunch (Years 9–13): Annual KES 133,500 — Per term KES 44,500. - Transport (EYFS–Year 13): Annual charges by zone (return and one-way): - Zone A: Return KES 168,600; One-way KES 101,398. - Zone B: Return KES 219,300; One-way KES 131,702. - Zone C: Return KES 269,702; One-way KES 162,000. - Zone D: Return KES 303,600; One-way KES 182,100. Transport is billed as an annual charge as shown.
Boarding fees and options - Boarding options: Full boarding, Weekly boarding and a Flexi option are offered for Years 7–13. Full boarding provides term-long residence (including weekends); weekly boarding runs Monday to Friday; flexi-boarders stay for selected nights. - Boarding charges (annual) and deposit: - Full boarding (Year 7–13): Annual KES 1,074,600 — Deposit KES 28,955 — Per term KES 358,200. - Weekly boarding (Year 7–13): Annual KES 681,898 — Deposit KES 28,955 — Per term KES 227,299.
Other one-off or variable costs - Uniform: School uniform must be purchased from the school's approved suppliers (Animet and Image First). Costs for uniform items are payable directly to those suppliers. - Co-curricular activities, certain trips, music tuition, examination entry fees and specialist course fees may incur additional charges depending on the activity and year group; these costs are billed separately when applicable.
Billing schedule and payment terms - The school operates on a three-term academic calendar; tuition figures are quoted per academic year and are invoiced across the school's term structure. Families are expected to meet termly invoicing schedules. If a family gives less than one term's written notice when withdrawing a pupil, one term's fees will be charged in lieu of notice. - Sibling policy: a sibling discount on tuition is offered for families with more than one child enrolled. (Specific discount levels are applied according to the school's policy.)
Refunds and notice - Withdrawal: One term's written notice to the headteacher is required. If one term's notice is not given, one term's fees will be charged in lieu of notice. This is the school's contractual requirement for leaving. - Deposits and other refundable items: deposits are required as listed above; the school's published fee schedule identifies deposit amounts by year group. Specific deposit refund mechanics (timing, conditions) are handled under the school's admissions and finance procedures.
Fee payment options - The school uses a parent portal (Engage) for parental accounts and communications; this platform supports integrated payment functionality. Acceptance of card payments and bank transfers is supported through the Engage/Stripe integration used by schools on the platform. In practice, school fee payments are commonly handled via the parent portal, direct bank transfer or other channels enabled by the school's finance office; specific instructions and account details are provided to parents on invoicing.
Summary of key headline figures (annual) - Lowest day tuition (Playgroup mornings): KES 384,000. - Typical lower primary (Year 1): KES 1,317,900. - Upper secondary (Years 12–13): KES 3,083,099. - Full boarding (annual): KES 1,074,600. - Transport (example Zone A return annual): KES 168,600. - Lunch (Years 9–13 annual): KES 133,500.
Fee details
Application and Admission Fees
- Application fee: KES 10,000. - Admission (acceptance) fee: KES 10,000 (one‑off at admission). - Caution (security) deposit (refundable as a deposit where applicable): - Kindergarten: KES 20,000. - Year 1–6: KES 40,000. - Year 7–11: KES 60,000. - Year 12–13: KES 80,000.
Tuition fees (per term by year group)
- EYFS — Half day: - Playgroup: KES 94,000 per term. - Pre‑Nursery: KES 97,000 per term. - Nursery: KES 100,000 per term.
- EYFS — Full day: - Playgroup: KES 103,000 per term. - Pre‑Nursery: KES 107,000 per term. - Nursery: KES 110,000 per term. - Reception: KES 113,000 per term.
- Key Stage I (Years 1–2): KES 123,000 per term.
- Key Stage II: - Years 3–4: KES 141,000 per term. - Years 5–6: KES 153,000 per term.
- Key Stage III (Years 7–9): KES 176,000 per term.
- Key Stage IV (IGCSE): - Year 10: KES 212,000 per term. - Year 11: KES 318,000 (note: charged for Term 1 & Term 2 only).
- Key Stage V (A‑Level): Years 12–13: KES 360,000 (charged for Term 1 & Term 2 only).
Annual / term notes
- The amounts above are published as per‑term charges. For year groups shown as billed for Term 1 & Term 2 only (Year 11 and Years 12–13), the published per‑term figure applies to those listed terms. Other year groups are listed on a per‑term basis.
Meals and catering
- Lunch fee per term: - EYFS up to Year 3: KES 19,000 per term. - Year 4 to Year 13: KES 23,000 per term.
Transport (per term)
- School transport is charged by route/zone and billed per term. Example zone charges published include amounts in the range of approximately KES 31,000–KES 40,000 per term (one‑way and two‑way options listed by zone). Specific route/zone pricing and one‑way vs two‑way differences are published per route.
Boarding
- Nairobi Jaffery Academy operates as a day school; boarding fees are not applicable.
Other costs and typical additional charges
- Caution (security) deposit: see amounts listed above under Application and Admission Fees (normally refundable subject to the school's withdrawal/clearance policy). - Lunch and transport: charged per term as shown above and are additional to tuition. - Textbooks, stationery, exam registration fees, school uniform and occasional activity or trip charges are commonly billed in addition to tuition at comparable schools; published term fee listings do not itemize all such ancillary charges within the per‑term tuition figures. Parents should expect separate charges for books, external exam fees and certain trips or special activities where applicable.
Billing schedule and payment terms
- Tuition and ancillary fees are presented as per‑term charges. The academic calendar and term dates for the 2025–2026 cycle are published by the school; published per‑term fee figures correspond to those term periods. Year 11 and Years 12–13 carry published fees that apply to Term 1 & Term 2 only (as shown above). Specific due dates for each term, late‑payment penalties, and installment options are governed by the school's fee policy documents and billing statements.
Refund information
- A refundable caution (security) deposit is published by year group (see amounts above). Specific refund conditions (timing, deductions, requirement for written notice, and the process for reclaiming caution deposits or any pro‑rata refunds) are set out in the school's fee policy and enrolment/withdrawal terms. Those detailed refund terms are not published alongside the per‑term fee table that lists the charges above.
Fee payment options
- The school lists a parent portal (iSAMS parent portal) and a front‑office contact for administration of admissions and fees; the portal and the school's finance office are the official routes for invoicing and payments. Specific accepted payment channels (for example bank transfer, M‑Pesa Paybill, credit/debit card or online payment link) and bank account or paybill details are provided directly by the school on invoices and finance communications rather than within the public per‑term fee table. Parents should use the school's finance office contacts to obtain official invoice and payment instructions.
- The published per‑term fee table above includes application/admission charges, refundable caution deposits (by year group), per‑term tuition, lunch and route‑based transport fees. Detailed fee policy items that govern payment deadlines, accepted payment methods, exact refund procedures and fine print for withdrawal/notice periods are maintained in the school's fee policy and invoice documentation and are not itemized within the public per‑term fee table referenced above. For those specific contractual payment and refund terms, contact the school's finance office using the front office contact details given above.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
—
Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
The school follows the British National Curriculum and offers IGCSEs in Years 9–11 and A-Level courses and BTEC courses in Years 12–13. Cambridge International Examinations Board is the preferred syllabus in the majority of subject areas.
Curriculum details
The Cambridge program is the core of Nairobi Jaffery Academy's curriculum. The Early Years follows the EYFS framework. Primary uses the Cambridge framework for English and Mathematics and Science, while other subjects are based on the English National Curriculum, including Art, Geography, History, ICT, Physical Education and Personal and Social Education; Swahili and Arabic are taught as second languages from Year 1. In the Secondary School, Years 7–9 follow the Cambridge Lower Secondary Curriculum, and Years 10–13 follow a hybrid pathway combining Cambridge and Edexcel programmes.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
The school has low student-teacher ratios.
Student teacher ratio
The school has suitable class sizes.
Exam results
Exam results
A Level results show 2023 A*/A at 35.03%, A*-B at 57.32%, A*-C at 81.53%, and A*-E at 99.36%. IGCSE results show 2023 A*/A at 21.27%, A*-B at 51.09%, A*-C at 80.0%, and A*-G at 98.81%.
Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
The school opens the door to further and higher education and their chosen career path.
Higher education progression
—
Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
The school has identified 50 pupils as the most able; these pupils receive additional curriculum support at departmental level and through extra-curricular activities.
Gifted and talented
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Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
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Social & emotional learning
—
Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
—
Special educational needs (SEN)
—
English as an additional language
English as an additional language
—
English as an additional language
—
Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
—
Mental wellbeing
—
Safeguarding
Safeguarding
—
Safeguarding
—
Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
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Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
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Sports facilities
—
Academic facilities
Academic facilities
—
Academic facilities
—
Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
—
Extra curricular facilities
—
Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
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History
—
Community
Community
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Community
—
Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
—
Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
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Academic & intellectual
—
Arts & creative
Arts & creative
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Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
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Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
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Social & hobbies
—
Community & service
Community & service
—
Community & service
—
Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
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Leadership & professional
—
Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
—
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
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Language provision
—
Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
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Bilingual teaching
—
Immersion programs
Immersion programs
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Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
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Accreditations
Accreditations
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Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
1. Most children join in September. New children can join at any stage, including families moving to Kenya from abroad. Registrations for Nursery are accepted up to one year prior to September entry. 2. As a first step, schedule an appointment with the Registrar to visit the school and meet the Head Teacher. Preparatory and Secondary contact details are listed for admissions. 3. Hillcrest International Schools is a member of the Braeburn Group of International Schools. The address is P.O. Box 24819 -00502 Karen, Nairobi, Kenya. The Preparatory and Secondary divisions have specific contact channels for admissions inquiries.
Admissions
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Scholarships
Scholarships
Scholarship awards are offered by Hillcrest Secondary School for entry to Year 9 (13 year olds) and Year 12 – Sixth Form (16 year olds). These awards aim to recognise potential for excellence across a range of areas and to provide opportunities that candidates may not otherwise access. Candidates are expected to demonstrate independence, curiosity, determination and respect. Hillcrest International Schools is a member of the Braeburn Group of International Schools.
Scholarships
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Waitlist
Waitlist
Where a year group is full, new admissions are placed on a waiting list. Waiting lists operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority may be given to siblings of children who already have a place in the school.
