Cities / Nairobi / St. Austin's Academy
St. Austin's Academy
A long-established Cambridge school in Lavington with a multicultural feel and around 300 students from roughly 25 nationalities, founded in 1971 and one of the more affordable IGCSE options in this part of Nairobi.
In brief
A long-established Cambridge school in Lavington with a multicultural feel and around 300 students from roughly 25 nationalities, founded in 1971 and one of the more affordable IGCSE options in this part of Nairobi.
St Austin's runs the Cambridge curriculum from primary through IGCSE, AS and A Level. The Lavington campus has a competition-size pool, science labs, libraries, sports fields, basketball courts, and arts studios on a green site. Fees of KES 399,600 to 1,482,000 put it well below the top tier of Nairobi internationals. Joseph Sambu leads the school.
Parent voice is mixed. Families who have moved in from abroad tend to praise how quickly children settle, the multicultural mix, and the warmth of the community. The flip side is the recurring complaint about thin facilities for the fees, with specific notes on labs, library stock, and computer access, and concerns about teacher turnover. The school suits families who prioritise community feel and IGCSE access over premium plant, and it sits in a different bracket from St Christopher's, Hillcrest, or Banda.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery | 3 | KES 399,600 |
| K1 | 4 | KES 519,300 |
| Reception | 5 | KES 576,000 |
| Year 1 | 6 | KES 822,000 |
| Year 2 | 7 | KES 967,500 |
| Year 3 | 8 | KES 967,500 |
| Year 4 | 9 | KES 1,033,500 |
| Year 5 | 10 | KES 1,033,500 |
| Year 6 | 11 | KES 1,033,500 |
| Year 7 | 12 | KES 1,209,000 |
| Year 8 | 13 | KES 1,275,000 |
| Year 9 | 14 | KES 1,275,000 |
| Year 10 | 15 | KES 1,389,000 |
| Year 11 | 16 | KES 1,446,000 |
| Year 12-13 | 17 | KES 1,482,000 |
| Parents Association Levy | KES 2,000 | |
| Emergency Medical Services | KES 6,000 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Caution (Nursery-Reception) | KES 10,000 | |
| Registration | KES 15,000 | |
| Caution (Years 1-6) | KES 20,000 | |
| Caution (Years 7-9) | KES 40,000 | |
| Caution (Years 10-11) | KES 50,000 | |
| Caution (Years 12-13) | KES 60,000 |
Reviews
- Independent expat-parent reviews describe the school's culture and fit positively (multicultural, friendly, low student-teacher ratios) while being blunt about the physical plant.
- One detailed review on a public expat parent site is unusually direct on facilities: a good pool and rare green fields, but no gym, no theatre, what the parent calls a book-less library, under-equipped labs, few computers, few textbooks.
- Same parent flags teacher retention as the underlying issue: quality depends heavily on individual teachers, who tend to leave as soon as they can move on or emigrate.
- A separate ISR review fragment describes the school as for-profit, head of school praised but constrained, mixed views on the director, with some sharper criticisms behind a paywall that we have not read in full.
- Curriculum is broad enough to suit different student profiles (academic and non-academic) and the parent body is described as engaged in the school's mission. No Reddit or Mumsnet thread on the school surfaced.
Positives
- Community and multicultural fit. Parents describe a friendly multicultural environment, low class sizes and an active parent body. American expat children are noted as fitting in.
Considerations
- Facilities. Detailed expat review names specific gaps: no gym, no theatre, under-stocked library and labs, few textbooks. Pool and grounds are the bright spots.
- Teacher retention. Quality is described as depending on individual teachers, who move on when they can. Parents say this drives variability in classroom experience.
- School direction. ISR fragment calls out the for-profit orientation and divided views on the director's approach, alongside praise for the head of school.
Leadership
Joseph Sambu
Joseph Sambu serves as principal of St. Austin's Academy and is committed to creating an environment where student potential flourishes. He emphasizes nurturing well-rounded learners who are confident, curious, compassionate, and prepared to meet the demands of the world beyond the classroom. Sambu takes pride in the school's dedicated educators and views parental partnership as essential to student success at the academy.
Academic results
- IGCSE 2024 A*-C 80.2%
- University placement 2024 100%