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Pembroke House School

Kenya, Gilgil

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees KES 319,800 - 3,422,810
Ages 0 - 13 years
Pupil numbers 244
Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)
Opened 1927
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum British Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage)
Taught languages English, French, Swahili, Latin
Typical class size 6
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, Outdoor Education
Clubs Arts and Creative, Social and Hobbies, Community and Service
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Early Years, Primary School, Middle School
Introduction

Pembroke House School is a co‑educational British‑curriculum prep school in Kenya offering day and boarding for pupils from six months to 13 years. It follows the British National Curriculum in Pre‑Prep, Junior and Middle School, adapting content to reflect East African heritage and setting; core subjects include English, Kiswahili, French and Kenyan History, with Adventure Learning, STEAM and Design Technology. In Years 7 and 8, many subjects follow the British Common Entrance framework to prepare for exams in Year 8. The 140‑acre Rift Valley campus supports outdoor learning and practical exploration across sporting, creative and academic disciplines. Founded in 1927, the school became co‑educational in 1988 and Pre‑Prep was introduced in 2008. The Pembroke House Foundation funds major facilities, including a music school, theatre and café, as well as two full‑size tennis courts. A dedicated Science Laboratory and a STEAM Centre opened in 2021 complement a broad arts and performance programme, with a Martlet emblem and Fortuna Favet Fortibus motto reflecting a knowledge‑driven culture. Boarding provides a home away from home.

The Essentials

Pembroke House School has 244 pupils, typical class sizes of 6, instruction in English.

Location
Pembroke House is located just outside Gilgil, on Nyahururu Road, Gilgil, Kenya. It sits on a 140-acre countryside campus in the Great Rift Valley, about two and a half hours' drive north of Nairobi. The climate is cooler, at around 1,900 metres above sea level.

Stages
Nursery - Reception (Pre-Prep) and Prep; ages 6 months to 13 years.

Type
The school is a co-educational British-curriculum prep school with boarding and day pupils.

Country affiliation
Kenya
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements
Pembroke has two boarding houses, Mackie House for boys and Scholes House for girls. It runs full boarding 24/7 during term time with fully flexible, responsive boarding that lets pupils and families decide when and how often to board. Each boarder has a bed in a dormitory; dorms are open-plan and supervised by a pastoral team, with Dorm Prefects and a dedicated House staff structure including a live-in Housemistress/master, a second live-in House Parent, two additional House Parents nearby, and House Tutors (with Gap Students assisting).

Uniform Requirement
Uniform is Pembroke House branded and is available from an onsite uniform shop located at the Head's Hub, operated by The Clothing Company East Africa.

Food Options
The school has an onsite Martlet Café at the entrance of the campus, offering a space to meet and a menu for staff, parents and visitors.

House System
There are four houses: Fosters (blue), Hazards (yellow), Opies (green) and Turners (red). Each child is sorted into a House at first assembly, and the Houses compete in the Cock House competition; houses meet weekly and participate in house chants.

Governance and Ownership
Pembroke House School is a registered charity (not-for-profit).
Fees

Annual tuition at Pembroke House School ranges from KES 319,800 to KES 3,422,810 for 2026/27.

Application & registration fees

- Registration fee: Ksh. 45,000 (non‑binding; secures priority but does not commit to join).
- Joining fee (one‑off): Ksh. 300,000. If the place is not taken up the joining fee is forfeited. For children who attend for the whole school, Ksh. 225,000 of the joining fee is refunded after the pupil's final term provided all obligations are met. For children who attend Pembroke for less than one year the joining fee is Ksh. 100,000, which is allocated to the Pembroke Foundation/Capital Development.

Tuition fees (per term) — 2025/26 fee schedule (Ksh.) and annual equivalents

Note: amounts shown are published as per‑term figures; three terms are run in an academic year. Annual totals below are per‑term × 3.

- Mini Martlets (age under 2 years): Ksh. 106,600 per term — Annual total Ksh. 319,800.
- Pre‑Nursery (age 2–3 years): Ksh. 133,250 per term — Annual total Ksh. 399,750.
- Nursery (age 3–4 years): Ksh. 138,900 per term — Annual total Ksh. 416,700.
- Reception (age 4–5 years): Ksh. 259,300 per term — Annual total Ksh. 777,900.
- Year 1 (age ~5 years): Ksh. 684,600 per term — Annual total Ksh. 2,053,800.
- Year 2 (age ~6 years): Ksh. 1,026,900 per term — Annual total Ksh. 3,080,700.
- Years 3–8 (age 7+ years): Ksh. 1,140,940 per term — Annual total Ksh. 3,422,820.

Sibling discounts: a 5% reduction applies to the younger sibling for the first sibling; a 10% reduction applies to the second and further siblings (calculated on current pupils only).

Billing schedule & payment terms

- Standard billing: fees are due three times per year, before the start of each term (beginning of September, beginning of January and end of April) for Years 1–7.
- Year 8 billing: fees are invoiced twice per year (at the start of the 1st and 2nd terms).
- Early payment discount: 5% discount available when all three terms are paid at the start of September.
- Monthly standing order option: available with a one‑off surcharge of 2.5% on total fees.
- Late payment charges: a surcharge of 2.5% is applied to any balance 14 days after the first day of term, plus interest of 1.5% per month on overdue balances.
- Incidental extras (postage, matron's bills, trips, etc.) are billed after they are incurred and appear on the next term's invoice.

Boarding, day provision and boarding fees

- Boarding is provided as a full, flexible boarding programme (Scholes House for girls; Mackie House for boys); pupils may board full, flexi or occasionally.
- No separate, explicit “boarding supplement” figure is published in the 2025–26 per‑term fee schedule; the published per‑term fees above are the school's published termly fees. A day‑rate option exists but a specific day‑rate amount is not published in the 2025–26 schedule and is available on request.

Extras and other fees (examples and typical charges)

- Approximate extras budget: allow approximately Ksh. 50,000 per child per term for extracurricular and incidental costs.
- Common activity charges (termly / per session as published):
- Riding (termly): Ksh. 35,260.
- Music (termly): Ksh. 25,320.
- LAMDA (termly): Ksh. 13,310.
- Per session activities (Dance, Football, Golf, Squash, Swimming, Tae Kwon Do, Tennis, Woodwork): Ksh. 1,170 per session.
- Transport: Pembroke–Naivasha bus per return trip Ksh. 2,890; Pembroke–Nairobi bus per return trip Ksh. 7,150.
- Learning Support: first 10 lessons per term are included in standard fees; additional lessons charged at Ksh. 2,890 per lesson.
- Extras such as riding are billed at the start of the term in which they are taken; other extras may be billed directly to coaches/teachers or appear on term invoices.

Uniform & on‑campus supplies

- An on‑site uniform supplier (The Clothing Company East Africa) operates from the school's Head's Hub and supplies Pembroke‑branded uniform and related items. Specific uniform prices are not published in the 2025–26 fee listing.

Refunds and cancellations

- Joining fee refund: Ksh. 225,000 of the Ksh. 300,000 joining fee is refundable after the pupil's final term provided all contractual obligations are met.
- Non‑attendance: if a joining fee is paid but the place is not taken up, the joining fee is forfeited.
- Short‑term attendance: for children attending less than a year the joining fee is Ksh. 100,000 and is retained for the Foundation/Capital Development.
- Incidental extras already incurred remain payable and will be billed in accordance with the school's invoicing procedures; late payment penalties apply as noted above.

Payment methods & practical notes

- Available payment mechanisms explicitly published include a monthly standing order option (with the 2.5% one‑off surcharge) and the published early‑payment discount for full‑year payment at the start of September. Specific modern payment channels (credit card, direct bank transfer, online portal) are not itemised in the 2025–26 fee summary; invoices and the school's finance office provide the practical payment instruction and terms used by the school.

Summary

- The school's published 2025–26 termly fees (above) are the working fee schedule for the stated academic year and include the financial rules on joining fee refunds, billing timing, discounts, surcharges and common extras.
Academics

Pembroke House School teaches British Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage) for students aged 0 to 13.

Curriculum
Pembroke House follows the British National Curriculum in Pre-Prep, Junior and Middle Schools, adapting it to reflect East African heritage and setting. English, Kiswahili, French and Kenyan History are included in the core curriculum, alongside Adventure Learning, STEAM and Design Technology. In Years 7 and 8, most subjects transition to the British Common Entrance curriculum to prepare for the Common Entrance exams in June of Year 8. The school benefits from 140 acres of Rift Valley surroundings used to reinforce learning. The core curriculum is delivered to all pupils at no extra cost beyond the standard fees.

Student Teacher Ratio
6:1

Exam Results
139 A or A* grades were awarded at Common Entrance in 2024, and there is a 100% pass rate for music and LAMDA exams.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Pembroke places personal development, health and wellbeing at the heart of its all-round education. Pupils are guided to discover their identity, cope with challenge and contribute to the world around them, not just academically. The boarding environment, activities, leadership experiences and teamwork foster life skills such as resilience, respect and compassion. A Tutor system provides ongoing pastoral and academic support across year groups, and there is a visiting counsellor for additional mental health or emotional wellbeing support when needed. Wellbeing is supported by regular sport and outdoor learning, and the health centre provides on-site medical care with qualified nurses and access to a school doctor and specialists as needed.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Pembroke has a Learning Support Department based in the Coach House serving a wide range of educational needs. Every child who visits the Coach House has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), guiding targeted support and ensuring relevant staff are aware of targets. The department is staffed by specialist Learning Support teachers experienced in helping children with learning difficulties, with the option to arrange external Educational Psychologist assessments for more comprehensive reporting and exam access arrangements. Specific Learning Difficulties, such as dyslexia, are supported with tailored educational plans, specialist teachers and assistive technologies. Ten Learning Support sessions per academic term are included in fees, with additional lessons charged per session.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Pembroke supports English as an Additional Language with specialised online programs, in-class support and an immersive language experience. Interventions aim to improve language proficiency and integration into the school community.

Mental Wellbeing
The school prioritises wellbeing as part of its safeguarding and pastoral framework. A Tutor system supports pupils' emotional health, and a visiting counsellor provides additional mental health or emotional wellbeing support. Regular sport and physical activity strengthen wellbeing, and there is on-site medical care with nurses and access to a school doctor and visiting specialists as needed to support students' mental and physical health.

Safeguarding
All staff are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The school operates a comprehensive Child Protection Policy, with staff receiving safeguarding training every term and a dedicated safeguarding team to ensure timely protection and support for pupils. The safeguarding framework is complemented by robust pastoral care, a tutor system and access to medical and counselling services to protect and support children in all aspects of school life.
Parent Experience

History
Pembroke House was established in 1927 by Harold Turner and named after the Cambridge College he attended. Turner bought the original building and 100 acres for the school from Captain Alan Gibson, preserving the English prep school ethos focused on the whole child. In 1959 the ownership was restructed to reflect the school's charitable function, with the Kenya Educational Trust Limited owning Pembroke House and guiding governance. Pembroke House became co-educational in 1988, and Pre-Prep was introduced in 2008. The facilities have expanded over the years, including a dedicated Science Laboratory and a STEAM centre opened in 2021, a Music School, Theatre and Café, with ongoing fundraising support from the Pembroke House Foundation. The centenary is planned for 2027, and the motto Fortuna Favet Fortibus with the Martlet emblem symbolising the pursuit of knowledge.

Community
Pembroke House emphasizes community at the heart of school life, with a vibrant school community that reaches out to neighbours and projects further afield. Initiatives include local employment, litter-picking, volunteering at a Sure Start Centre, community carols, and fundraising events such as the Christmas Craft Fair, Shaggy Dog Show and Colour Run. Musical workshops with Ghetto Classics Orchestra, opportunities for local primary pupils to watch Pembroke productions, and regular football coaching for local youth strengthen local ties. Emergency relief appeals and support for women's groups are also part of community outreach.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
Pembroke House School is a co-educational British-curriculum prep school with boarding and day pupils aged 6 months to 13 years. It combines the British National Curriculum with a co-curricular programme, modern boarding and a focus on individual achievement and character. The campus sits on 140 acres of grounds in the Rift Valley, and the curriculum is enriched by outdoor and adventure learning opportunities. Boarding is an integral part of Pembroke's education and is described as a home away from home.

Sports Facilities
Sport is an integral part of Pembroke life with a comprehensive programme including cricket, hockey, netball, rugby, girls' touch rugby, football, athletics, cross country, swimming, tennis and squash. Ndume 7s rugby tournament is hosted at Pembroke. There are two tennis courts and two squash courts with viewing galleries. Swimming includes a swim squad and inter-school galas. Riding uses two grass arenas, show jumps and a cross country course. A nearby nine-hole golf course adjoins the school.

Academic Facilities
Pembroke follows the British National Curriculum, adapted to reflect East African heritage. Kiswahili is taught to all, with native speakers helping international pupils. The English syllabus covers literature, language and writing. French is taught with grammar, speaking and listening, with optional trips to France. Geography, History and Kenyan History, Maths and Science are taught. Latin, STEAM, Art, Drama, Music, Digital Learning and PSHE support broader development.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Every term children can select from a wide range of extras including horse riding, golf, piki piki riding, LAMDA classes, football, squash, taekwondo, tennis, polo, woodwork, fitness classes, mountain biking, additional swimming lessons, and participation in The Martlet Band, choir and swim squad. Riding is offered on Pembroke's extensive grounds with two grass arenas, show jumps and a cross country course. There is a nearby 9-hole golf course adjoining the school. Squash is played on two courts with viewing galleries above. Tennis is offered with two courts and several coaches.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
Pembroke House School teaches the British National Curriculum as part of a co-educational prep program for boarding and day pupils aged 6 months to 13 years. The curriculum is complemented by a broad co-curricular programme and a strong emphasis on individual achievement, character and integrity. The school prepares pupils for entry to leading senior schools in Kenya, the United Kingdom, South Africa and beyond. In Prep, a diverse array of subjects and activities supports pupils to discover their passions, work hard and aim high.

Arts & Creative
Arts and performing arts are integrated into school life, with LAMDA classes and music activities contributing to the arts programme. The Martlet Band and the school choir provide regular opportunities to perform, and Pre-Prep includes art, music and drama as part of the curriculum. Extracurricular options span street dance, rock and roll, theatre-related activities and woodwork, enriching creative expression. A broad arts and drama pathway runs across year groups.

Cultural & Language
Pembroke welcomes children from a diverse range of social, cultural and religious backgrounds. French is taught as part of the curriculum, with vocabulary and language study integrated into lessons. The school emphasises inclusive community and cross-cultural engagement.

Social & Hobbies
A broad range of extracurricular activities is offered, including horse riding, golf, LAMDA, football, squash, taekwondo, tennis, polo, woodwork, fitness, mountain biking and swimming. There are Saturday morning clubs with activities such as cooking, crochet, journalism, fishing and dam building. Riding sessions and other sports like tennis and rugby are available on the grounds. LAMDA, street dance and rock & roll provide arts-based performance opportunities.

Community & Service
Pembroke House Foundation funds directly support Pembroke House School to provide educators, boarding and sporting facilities, and extracurricular opportunities, while nurturing a diverse community. The Foundation focuses on three areas: Endowment, Infrastructure and Local Charity, to fund programs and scholarships and to enhance Pembroke's facilities. Completed projects include a music school, The Martlet Café and a theatre, as well as two full-size tennis courts. The Foundation also supports local charities, committing up to 10% of funds raised to select local causes.

Leadership & Professional
Pembroke runs Gap Year Opportunities for graduates to work around the school as classroom assistants, reading support, games supervision, boarding-house duties and weekend clubs. The school maintains an excellent pupil-to-staff ratio of 6:1, ensuring opportunities to take on responsibilities across school life. Safeguarding and pastoral structures include a Tutor system and accessible staff, supporting leadership development, teamwork and personal growth. Leadership experiences are embedded in boarding, house systems and a range of activities.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Adventure Learning is delivered on Pembroke's 140-acre campus, with outdoor sessions in forests, streams and grounds that focus on resilience, initiative and collaboration. Each day includes regular sport and physical activity as part of the sports and outdoor learning curriculum. The school prioritises healthy eating with a varied, nutritionally balanced menu prepared on-site from locally sourced produce. An on-site health centre with nurses and a visiting doctor, plus access to a counsellor, supports pupils' health and emotional wellbeing.
Languages

Language Provision
Pembroke teaches English, French, Kiswahili and Latin. The English syllabus covers literature, language and writing, with reading encouraged in the library and at rest times. Kiswahili is taught to all pupils, with native speakers supporting international learners. French emphasizes grammar, speaking and listening and is complemented by optional trips to France, while Latin introduces a classical language to strengthen linguistic skills and cultural understanding.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Enquiry: Get in touch by telephone or email to discuss your child's needs and have questions answered. The process is designed to be straightforward and to guide families through the steps. The academic year starts in September and most children join then, though entry is possible at any point during the year. Pembroke House provides for babies from 6 months through to Year 8 (age 13).

2. Visit & taster: Families visit with their child to experience a school day. They can attend lessons, games and activities, wear the uniform, and even spend a night boarding. Tours are conducted by pupils and include meetings with the Head and relevant staff. The visit helps families assess fit and feel for Pembroke.

3. Register: Registration does not commit to a place and there is no registration fee. Register your child online and send two most recent school reports. Indicate in the registration form whether you intend to apply for a scholarship or bursary; there is a separate form for bursary applications.

4. Joining fee and securing a place: To secure a place, a joining fee of 300,000 Ksh is payable; 225,000 of which is refunded after the pupil's final term, provided obligations are met. The joining fee is not refunded if the place is not taken up. The joining fee secures the pupil's place for the year of entry.

5. Additional admissions details: The school is non-selective and does not require entry exams. Two recent school reports are required, and the Head may contact the previous school; safeguarding information may be sought. Siblings of current Pembroke pupils receive priority when places are restricted. Pembroke House can provide support for pupils with special educational needs if the Learning Support Department can accommodate them.

Scholarships
Scholarships are available at entry for those demonstrating exceptional talent in any field. A scholarship reduces the amount of fees payable. Potential scholars indicate their intention to apply in the registration form. They are assessed by relevant staff during their visit to the school.
School Events
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