The Banda School

A 1966-founded British prep school on a 35-acre site next to Nairobi National Park, rated Outstanding by BSO in 2023 and one of the largest IAPS schools outside the UK.

Banda is a pure prep school covering ages 1 to 13, finishing with Common Entrance and senior school placement rather than IGCSE. Around 490 children from more than 30 nationalities, maximum class size of 20, and a campus where outdoor space and sport define daily life. The Year 8 cohort leaving in July 2025 picked up 20 scholarships to senior schools in Kenya and the UK across academic, sport, drama, art, music and all-rounder categories. Fees run KES 379,500 to 2,508,000.

Parents talk about Banda in unusually consistent terms: confident, well-mannered children, teachers who go the extra mile, and a real rapport between staff and pupils. The school is the first stop for diplomatic and corporate families heading to Pembroke, Peponi, Hillcrest, or UK boarding for senior school.

• Public parent-style signal is small but consistently positive, especially around the school's community feel, outdoor space, sport, and traditional prep-school atmosphere.
• Reviews and editorial parent comments describe strong pastoral care and a school where pupils are busy, active, and known by staff.
• The main caution is that the signal is narrow. There is little recent open discussion from parents, so the picture is positive but not deeply tested.