The Banda School is one of the longest established British preparatory schools serving Nairobi, a co educational day school in Lang'ata that has run since 1966 and takes children from the Early Years through to Year 8. As a prep school it focuses on the years up to about age 13 and prepares pupils for the Common Entrance route into senior schools, which makes it a different proposition from the all through schools that carry children to IGCSE and A Levels. For relocating parents the questions are what a prep school offers, where the fees land and how admissions work, and that is what this profile addresses.
The Banda School at a glance
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | British curriculum, prepared for the Common Entrance examinations at the end of Year 8. As a prep school it does not run IGCSE or A Levels |
| Stages | Early Years from around 15 months through to Year 8 at about age 13. Confirm the current age range with the school |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Accreditation | Member of the Independent Association of Prep Schools and accredited by the Independent Schools Inspectorate for British Schools Overseas. Confirm current status with the school |
| Fee band | Upper band for the Nairobi market, with a registration fee and deposit on enrolment |
| Campus area | Magadi Road, Lang'ata, on the southern edge of Nairobi opposite Nairobi National Park |
Curriculum and academics
The Banda School follows the British curriculum in the preparatory tradition, taking children through the primary years and preparing them for the Common Entrance examinations at the end of Year 8. Common Entrance is the assessment that schools in the British senior system use to admit pupils at 11 or 13, so a Banda education is geared towards securing a place at a strong senior school rather than carrying a child all the way to IGCSE or A Levels on one site.
For internationally mobile families that prep school model has a clear logic. It gives a child a thorough grounding in the core subjects, balanced with project work, sport and wider reading, and an established name to support the move to a senior school whether in Kenya, the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the British system. The trade off is that you will be choosing a senior school separately, so it suits families who are comfortable planning that next step rather than wanting one school for the whole journey.
The honest way to judge fit is to look at your child's age and your plans. A prep school works best for younger children and for families who value the focus and pastoral attention of a smaller, age limited school. Ask Banda which senior schools its leavers typically move on to and how it supports a child preparing for Common Entrance or for entry assessments to specific senior schools.
Compare Banda with other Nairobi schools
Put The Banda School side by side with up to two other schools on curriculum, fees and stage before you shortlist.
The Banda School fees
The Banda School sits in the upper band for the city, an established British prep school rather than a budget option. Our Nairobi international school fees guide explains how the local market is tiered and where the British schools tend to fall within it. Fees vary by year group and full schedules are not always published online, so the school's own current rates are the only reliable figure to plan against.
Alongside tuition, budget for the registration fee charged on application, a deposit on enrolment and optional costs such as lunches, transport and activities. Fees tend to rise year on year, so plan for increases across a multi year stay rather than a flat rate, and ask whether any sibling arrangements apply. Remember too that a prep school covers only the years to about age 13, so factor in senior school fees for the years that follow.
To weigh up a Nairobi place properly, read our guide on the wider picture of schooling in the city, including the Nairobi safety and quality guide that sets out what to look for beyond the fees. Confirm the current year group fees with the admissions office before you set a budget.
Admissions
The Banda School assesses applicants against recent school reports and its own entry assessments, and takes children at several points from the Early Years upward. The assessment is shaped to the stage a child is joining rather than to a single examination, so a nursery age child and a Year 6 entrant are looked at in different ways.
Places at popular entry years can be limited given the school's standing, so confirm your family's eligibility and the current requirements directly and early. A registration fee applies on application and a deposit on enrolment, both worth budgeting for at the application stage. For older children, ask how the school prepares pupils for Common Entrance and senior school entry.
It is worth gathering recent school reports and any assessment results, and asking the school how it supports children who join from a different curriculum or country. Register your interest as soon as your relocation is confirmed and ask about assessment dates and the timeline for the coming intake.
Location and who goes there
The Banda School is on Magadi Road in Lang'ata, on the southern edge of Nairobi opposite Nairobi National Park. It sits on a large open campus with fresh air and space, away from the busier inner suburbs, which is much of its appeal but also means commute times are worth checking carefully from wherever you expect to live.
The intake mixes long settled Nairobi families with internationally mobile parents drawn by the British prep tradition and the senior school destinations it feeds. Relocating families considering Banda should weigh the spacious Lang'ata setting against the more central schools, and think about how the commute fits their family's routine and where they expect their child to go for senior school.
To see how The Banda School compares with the other international schools across the city and where comparable families tend to live, start from the Nairobi city hub and work outward by curriculum, stage and budget.
The Banda School reviews
We do not yet hold any verified parent reviews for The Banda 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 Banda we would value your account of the British prep curriculum, the Common Entrance preparation, the Lang'ata campus 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 The Banda School follow?
The Banda School follows the British curriculum and prepares children for the Common Entrance examinations at the end of Year 8, the route into British senior schools. As a preparatory school it does not run IGCSE or A Levels. Confirm the current programme with the school.
How much are The Banda School fees?
As an established British preparatory school, Banda sits in the upper band for Nairobi. Fees vary by year group, and a registration fee and deposit apply on enrolment. Confirm the current schedule with the school before budgeting.
What ages does The Banda School take?
The school takes children from the Early Years, from around 15 months, through to Year 8 at about age 13, after which pupils move on to senior schools. Confirm the current age range and entry points with the school.
When do The Banda School applications open?
The school assesses applicants against school reports and entry assessments and takes children at several points. Places at popular entry years can be limited, so register your interest early and confirm assessment dates with the admissions office.
Where is The Banda School?
The Banda School is on Magadi Road in Lang'ata, on the southern edge of Nairobi opposite Nairobi National Park, on a large open campus away from the busier inner suburbs.
