Cities / Nairobi / Crawford International School
Crawford International School
A new-build British and Cambridge-curriculum school in Tatu City, opened in 2018 as part of South Africa's JSE-listed ADvTECH group, with capacity for around 1,700 students from kindergarten to A Level.
In brief
A new-build British and Cambridge-curriculum school in Tatu City, opened in 2018 as part of South Africa's JSE-listed ADvTECH group, with capacity for around 1,700 students from kindergarten to A Level.
Crawford brought the South African Crawford Schools brand into Kenya through a partnership with the Tatu City development north of Nairobi. The campus is purpose-built on a large greenfield site and the curriculum is the English national curriculum with Cambridge IGCSE and A Level. Operating under ADvTECH, Africa's largest private education group, gives the school deeper institutional backing than most independent Nairobi start-ups.
Early parent voice has been positive, with families praising the teaching, the new facilities and the quiet, semi-rural setting at Tatu. The school is still maturing, and the senior cohorts are only now coming through. The practical caution flagged locally is on total cost: headline fees are manageable, but transport from central Nairobi and extra-curricular charges can push the all-in number 20 to 30 percent higher. Worth a serious look for families based in the northern suburbs or already inside Tatu City.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| EYF (162,000/term ×3) | 2 | KES 486,000 |
| EY1 (239,000/term ×3) | 3 | KES 717,000 |
| EY2 (239,000/term ×3) | 4 | KES 717,000 |
| YR1 (269,000/term ×3) | 5 | KES 807,000 |
| YR2 (298,000/term ×3) | 6 | KES 894,000 |
| YR3 (314,000/term ×3) | 7 | KES 942,000 |
| YR4 (357,000/term ×3) | 8 | KES 1,071,000 |
| YR5 (357,000/term ×3) | 9 | KES 1,071,000 |
| YR6 (357,000/term ×3) | 10 | KES 1,071,000 |
| YR7 (433,000/term ×3) | 11 | KES 1,299,000 |
| YR8 (447,000/term ×3) | 12 | KES 1,341,000 |
| YR9 (447,000/term ×3) | 13 | KES 1,341,000 |
| YR10 IGCSE (478,000/term ×3) | 14 | KES 1,434,000 |
| YR11 IGCSE (717,000 ×2 terms; T3 pro-forma) | 15 | KES 1,434,000 |
| YR12 A Levels (746,000 ×2 terms; T3 pro-forma) | 16 | KES 1,492,000 |
| YR13 A Levels (746,000 ×2 terms; T3 pro-forma) | 17 | KES 1,492,000 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | KES 5,500 | |
| Enrolment Fee | KES 44,000 |
Reviews
- Independent signal on Crawford International School Nairobi is thin. The school is young, having opened in 2018 in Tatu City, and the bulk of commentary sits on directory sites and Kenyan press rather than from parents.
- Ratings are positive but few. Three parents rating the school average positively; one parent said the school is a "very beautiful school, learner friendly environment and the location is very good for quiet learning."
- Awards coverage is recurring: Crawford dominated four categories at the 2021 Great Places to Study Awards among 168 Kenyan schools, which Kenyan press and the school site repeat.
- The clearest negative signal is historical and litigated. In 2020, a group of parents went to court asking Crawford to halve fees during pandemic-era online classes, framed by The Standard as a fee-fairness dispute rather than an academic complaint.
- No Nairobi-specific parent or expat feedback on the school surfaced from any source.
Positives
- Campus and environment. Tatu City location and quiet, learner-friendly campus repeatedly cited by directory reviewers
- Awards profile. 2021 Great Places to Study Awards win across four categories used as a recurring quality marker
Considerations
- Pandemic fee dispute. 2020 court action by parents over pandemic-era online class fees signalled tension over value during disruption
Leadership