Braeburn Schools Kenya

Started in 1968 as a primary school by an English lady who called it Braeburn House International School, the current Braeburn Group of Schools have grown, both in size and in number, to cover most major urban centres in Kenya and Tanzania. Braeburn Limited bought this, its first school, in 1979, and changed the name to Braeburn School. Braeburn High School was started in 1982 on a 25-acre (100,000m2) campus just outside Nairobi called Garden Estate as a boarding school offering IGCSE examinations.

When the High School moved to the Braeburn School’s Lavington Campus in September 2003, the Garden Estate Campus became a boarding 6th Form College. Braeburn College offers a Foundation Year bridging course from Kenyan KCSE to international A Levels, AS and A Level courses, the International Baccalaureate (IB), and BTEC National and Higher National Diploma.

In 1994 Braeside School was opened as a private primary educational institution offering the Kenyan 8-4-4 system. The buildings were designed to take three streams of classes, from Standards 1 to 8. In 1996 the school was changed to follow the British National Curriculum. The same year, Braeburn Schools Limited entered into an agreement with the University of Warwick to provide training for local teachers in the form of a Bachelor of Philosophy (Education) through a Continuing Professional Development Programme (CPD). The first 13 students started in 1997, graduating in 2000.

This new programme allowed Braeburn to staff Braeside School with local Kenyan teachers who were well-versed in the British National Curriculum. In 1996, Braeside High School came into existence, also culminating in IGCSE examinations done through the CIE. This was a highly successful partnership that enabled the Braeburn schools to become internationally recognised centres of educational excellence. In September 2004, Braeburn took over the management of Mombasa International School, based in Shanzu, north of Mombasa. In line with its other schools, Braeburn introduced A Levels to the school at the start of the 2005-2006 academic year.

The last acquisition was in April 2006. It was a small international primary school in Kisumu established in 1985 and called Kisumu International School. This school has been expanded to include all year groups from Early Years to Year 8, teaching the British National Curriculum.

IGCSE – Braeburn is the largest British Curriculum School in Kenya, catering for children from over 60 nationalities. In Early Years, the curriculum is based on the “Early Learning Goals”. Here they have two classes for 3-to-5-year-olds in two age groups, a dedicated play area, daily morning Nursery class, fullday provision for Reception Class and Afternoon Crèche facilities.

The children start learning music, PE, swimming, have library time and cooking. Learning is a combination of whole class, group and individual teaching with more specialised tutoring in the subject areas of ICT, French, swimming, P.E. and music. Core subjects are: English, Mathematics, Science, French, History and Geography, Religious Education, Art, Design and Technology, Music and Drama, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Personal, Social and Health Education (including Sex Education), P.E. and Swimming. Beyond the primary years, Braeburn extends into Key Stage 3 (Year 7 and Year 8). The students enjoy the expertise of subject-based teachers as well as the pastoral support of a form tutor.

There is a learning support team that works with individual children or small groups within a class or year group. The provision for sports is superb. A good-size playing field complements 3 swimming pools, 4 squash courts, tennis courts, a dance studio and large indoor sports hall. There is a large and varied programme of extra-curricular activities offered at all the Braeburn schools. Various martial arts, ballet, origami, squash, golf, horse riding and sailing are but a few of the activities available at lunchtime, after school and at weekends.