Crawford International School is one of the newer British curriculum schools serving Nairobi, opened in 2018 on a purpose built campus in Tatu City and run on the South African Crawford model. It is an all through school that takes children from the early years to sixth form on one site, which appeals to families who want continuity and modern facilities rather than a school spread across older buildings. For relocating parents the questions are how the Cambridge pathway is structured, where the fees land and how a Tatu City address fits a commute, and that is what this profile covers.
Crawford International School at a glance
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | British curriculum, with Cambridge IGCSE and A Level through the Cambridge International board |
| Stages | Early years through to sixth form (roughly ages 2 to 18). Confirm the current year group range with the school |
| Founded | Opened in Tatu City in 2018; part of the established South African Crawford schools group |
| Accreditation | Works with Cambridge International for its examinations. Confirm current association memberships and inspection arrangements directly with the school |
| Fee band | Mid to upper band for the Nairobi market, rising by year group |
| Campus area | Tatu City, off Ngenda Road, in Kiambu County on the northern side of greater Nairobi |
Curriculum and academics
Crawford follows a British curriculum, taking pupils towards Cambridge IGCSE in the middle years and A Level in the sixth form, with examinations sat through the Cambridge International board across most subjects. That makes it a British curriculum school in the full sense, an all through route from the early years to university entrance, rather than an IB or American school, so families used to the English system will find a familiar structure of year groups, IGCSE qualifications and a sixth form. The school pairs that academic spine with the broader Crawford emphasis on technology and enterprise that the group is known for in South Africa.
For relocating families the Cambridge pathway has two practical advantages, recognisability and a clear endpoint. A Level results are widely understood by universities in the United Kingdom and beyond, and a child moving from another British or Cambridge school slots in with little disruption. The trade off is that A Level asks students to specialise earlier than the IB does, choosing a small set of subjects in the sixth form, so it suits a child with clearer academic leanings. Ask the school how its IGCSE option lists run and where its first cohorts of leavers have gone on to study, since the school is still relatively young.
The honest way to judge fit is to weigh specialisation against breadth and to factor in that Crawford is newer than the long established names in the city. If your child knows roughly where their strengths lie and you value modern facilities and the Cambridge structure, Crawford fits well. If you would prefer a broader curriculum to 18 or a longer track record, it is worth weighing an IB school alongside it. Confirm the current subject lists and senior school provision directly with the school.
Comparing Nairobi schools?
Put Crawford International School side by side with up to two other Nairobi schools to weigh curriculum, fees and location.
Crawford International School fees
Crawford sits in the mid to upper band for the city, a modern British curriculum school with facilities to match. Our Nairobi international school fees guide explains how the local market is tiered and where the Cambridge schools tend to fall within it. Fees rise by year group, from the early years up to the sixth form, so the total depends on the stage your child is entering, and the school's published schedule is the only reliable figure to plan against.
Alongside tuition, budget for a one off application fee, an enrolment fee and optional costs such as transport, meals and trips. The school has published tiered sibling discounts in recent years, so ask whether those still apply if you are enrolling more than one child. Fees tend to rise year on year, so plan for increases across a multi year stay rather than a flat rate.
To see where that leaves you against the rest of the city, our fee calculator and the Nairobi fees guide group schools into broad tiers so you can compare Crawford with other names in the market. Ask the school directly about the current term by term schedule and any development levy before you commit.
Admissions
Entry runs from the early years up to sixth form on the school's academic year, with an assessment suited to the year group a child is joining and a review of recent school reports. Because Crawford is an all through school on one campus, there are several entry points, and the most common are the start of the early years, the move into the senior school and entry to the sixth form.
Places in popular year groups can be limited, so confirm your family's eligibility and the current requirements directly with the school early. Gather recent school reports, any standardised assessment results and, for older entrants, a sense of likely A Level subjects, and ask how the school supports children joining from a different system.
Register your interest as soon as your relocation is confirmed and ask about assessment dates and start dates for the coming intake. If you are moving mid year, ask whether places are available in your child's year group, since intake can be tighter outside the main September entry.
Location and who goes there
Crawford International School sits in Tatu City, a large planned development off Ngenda Road in Kiambu County on the northern side of the greater Nairobi area. That location suits families living north of the city centre, along the Thika and Kiambu corridors, more than those based in the southern suburbs, so the commute is the first thing to test on a school run at the times you would actually travel. The campus was built for the school rather than adapted, which is part of its appeal.
The intake mixes internationally mobile families with Nairobi residents who want a Cambridge pathway closer to the new developments north of the city. Relocating families considering Crawford should think about where they intend to live, since a Tatu City address works well for the north and less well for Karen or Lavington on the other side of town.
To see how Crawford International School compares with the other schools across the city and where comparable families tend to settle, start from the Nairobi city hub and work outward by curriculum, stage and budget.
Crawford International School reviews
We do not yet hold any verified parent reviews for Crawford International School. GlobalSchoolGuide is an independent guide and no school pays to be listed, so we publish a rating only once we have collected enough verified first hand accounts to be fair to both the school and to families reading them. We would rather show nothing than show an invented score.
If your family has attended Crawford we would value your account of the Cambridge curriculum, the Tatu City campus, pastoral care and value for money. Share it through our school reviews hub and we will add verified contributions to this page.
Frequently asked questions
What curriculum does Crawford International School follow?
Crawford International School follows a British curriculum, with pupils preparing for Cambridge IGCSE and, in the senior years, A Level. It uses the Cambridge International board across most subjects rather than the IB or American systems. Confirm the current subject options directly with the school.
How much are Crawford International School fees?
Crawford sits in the mid to upper part of the Nairobi market, with fees rising by year group from the early years to the sixth form. Budget for annual tuition plus a one off application fee, an enrolment fee and optional costs such as transport and meals, and confirm the current published schedule with the school.
Where is Crawford International School?
The school is in Tatu City off Ngenda Road, a planned development in Kiambu County on the northern side of the greater Nairobi area, which suits families living north of the city centre.
When do Crawford International School applications open?
Entry runs from the early years to the sixth form, with an assessment suited to the year group a child is joining and a review of recent school reports. Apply ahead of your intended entry year and confirm the current admissions criteria directly with the school.
Is Crawford International School a good school?
Crawford is a relatively new British curriculum option with modern facilities in Tatu City and the backing of an established South African schools group. Whether it is the right fit depends on where you live and whether you want the Cambridge pathway, so weigh it against other Nairobi schools and visit before deciding.
