Coming home to Kenya after years in the UK or elsewhere is exciting and, with children, full of decisions. The school question is usually the biggest. This guide covers the choices returning families face, in the order they come up.
1. Decide: continuity or change
Children who have been in British schools can continue in the British National Curriculum in Nairobi with almost no disruption: the same year groups, the same expectations, and the same 1 September age cut-off. The alternative is moving into Kenya's CBC.
Neither choice is wrong. The questions that decide it:
- How long are you staying? If another move is possible, continuity matters more.
- How old is your child? The younger the child, the easier any switch.
- Where do you expect them to finish school and go to university?
Our comparison of the British curriculum and CBC sets out the differences in detail.
2. Keep the year group
If you stay with the British curriculum, your child keeps their year group: a Year 3 child in Manchester is a Year 3 child in Nairobi. Check it with our age finder.
If you move to CBC, remember that CBC starts Grade 1 at six and its year starts in January, so the numbering shifts; the receiving school will place your child by age and assessment.
3. Time the move
- September is the start of the British school year: the cleanest join.
- January is the start of the Kenyan school year and the British second term, often the natural point after a December move.
Elyton admits for both. See January 2027 entry.
4. Bring the right documents
- The most recent school report, the single most useful document
- Birth certificate or passport
- Any assessments or support plans from the previous school
5. Choose where to live with the school run in mind
Nairobi traffic makes the school run a real factor in where you live. Our guide to living in Karen and the road distances to our campus can help, and the school bus covers Karen, Lang'ata, Hardy, Kilimani, Lavington, Ngong and Rongai.
6. Start before you land
You can enquire and apply from abroad. Elyton's Admissions team replies with the fee schedule and your child's entry point before any form, and arranges the Meet your child session around your travel dates. See moving to Nairobi with children.
