Nairobi, Kenya Report of what it's like to live there - 08/12/15
Personal Experiences from Nairobi, Kenya
School Name:
School Name: International School of Kenya
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
we had them in elementary, middle and high school while there.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2013-2015
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
government.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:
Eh. Our oldest came from a HS and couldn't do full IB because of that. She came from a strong AP school. Because she was not full IB, she was completely ignored in the IB math class she was placed The teacher wouldn't show up to meetings, forgot to appear for the final exam, generally not great. Other teachers ranged from exceptional (one class) to acceptable.
Our middle child, who straddled MS and HS, however, had a fantastic 9th grade year. Truly remarkable, though some of the approaches were rather dated (segregating the sexes for an ENG assignment about the perfect partner, etc.). Excellent French, great social studies and tough science.
Overall, fantastic 9th grade. Our youngest in elementary had a teacher that lacked organizational and interpersonal skills, so it was difficult to get any support or communication. However, the reading support for elementary is second to none. They have a fantastic supplemental reading program that made a huge, HUGE difference. It was great.
2. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
hit or miss. It ranged from exceptionally poor to excellent.
3. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
elementary school has an excellent supplemental reading support program.
4. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
gym uniforms, lunches.
5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
I think because of security challenges the HS students are rather limited in what they can do, so partying at people's houses is it.
6. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes.
7. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
No. Grade trips were included in the tuition.
8. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
yes. Many.
9. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
for lack of things to do at the high school level, partying is the default. It would be great if the school could be a bit more resourceful: showing jaws in the pool on a Friday night, etc.
Academics & Resources:
1. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
beautiful new facility that is open to parents, too. Good selection.
2. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
Good. For Africa, state of the art.
3. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
Very good.
4. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
See above. Not great for hs kids not in IB. Otherwise, good selection.
5. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
ISK did a fantastic job with the arts. The programming was tight and ambitious and the kids loved it.
6. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
yes.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
yes.
Overall Impressions:
1. Would you choose this school again? Why?
not sure. It would depend for the age group.
