The Nairobi School (formerly The Prince of Wales School) is a premier national Secondary school located in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
It is one of Kenya’s national schools and among the 18 prestigious Cluster Three (III) secondary schools.
The school’s origins date back to 1929, when on September 24, Sir Edward Grigg, then Governor of the Kenya Colony, laid the foundation stone for a school designed to accommodate 80 boys.
When it officially opened in 1931, the school admitted not only the 80 boarders it was built for but enrolled 84 boarders and 20 day-scholars.
Originally intended to be named Kabete Boys Secondary School, the institution was instead named The Prince of Wales School.
Its badge featured the Prince of Wales feathers placed between the horns of a Royal Impala, accompanied by the school motto: “TO THE UTTERMOST”.
The Nairobi School history
Due to a general shortage of cement, the first wooden classrooms were erected around 1938.
The school population increased further because of the Second World War, and the Kenya Governor authorized the building of corrugated iron dormitories (the group of buildings that later became Intermediate/Fletcher House – the current Music Room) called ‘Lacey’s Landies’.
The effects of the war were felt more when the Italians joined in June 1940, including the fear of bombing, and it was made a day school.
In June 1940, a military hospital took over the buildings, and the students were moved back to the European Nairobi School (the present Nairobi Primary School).
During the Christmas break of 1941, the whole school came back to Kabete, and the space at the European Nairobi School was taken over by the Girls’ Secondary School.
In 1942, European education was made compulsory, and enrolment increased so much that new temporary classrooms were needed.
The wooden classrooms were erected as a “temporary wartime measure.” Clive, Grigg, Hawke, and Rhodes Houses (the only four houses at the time) were all accommodated in the permanent building adjacent to the tuition block. Today, those are two houses, known as Marsabit and Elgon.
The period 1943 to 1944 saw the Rhodes/Nicholson complex being built, which is the Serengeti and Athi Houses complex today.
A Sanatorium and School Hall were constructed in 1945. Additionally, a sister school, the Duke of York School (present-day Lenana School) was founded in 1948.
Today, the school—named after Kenya’s capital, Nairobi—is one of the leading national secondary schools in the country.
Nairobi School sits on over 80 ha (200 acres) of land and has over 1,100 students currently enrolled.
The current Chief Principal is Mr. Caspal Momanyi Maina.
Performance
Over the years, Nairobi School has demonstrated outstanding academic performance in national examinations.
In the 2024 KCSE, the school had 543 candidates, with 93% achieving the minimum university entry grade under full government sponsorship.
Notably, 36 students scored a straight A, while 99 earned an A-. Additionally, 138 students attained a B+, 99 scored a B, and 86 managed a B-.
47 students scored a C+, 23 scored a C, and the lowest grade recorded was a D-, obtained by just two students.
Also Read: The Kenya High School Fees, KCSE Performance and Contacts
The school’s impressive performance saw the 2024 candidates achieve a mean score of 9.228—an improvement from the 8.837 mean score recorded in the 2023 KCSE.
School Fees
The government previously issued a directive outlining the maximum annual school fees that parents should pay.
Under new guidelines introduced in 2020 by the Ministry of Education, Kenya’s 103 national schools were grouped into four clusters.
Nairobi School was placed in Cluster III, meaning the official annual fee cap for students is approximately Ksh 75,798.
However, actual fees may vary slightly from school to school due to additional charges levied by individual institutions—such as for uniforms, motivation programs, or co-curricular activities.
Location and contacts
The institution is located along Waiyaki Way, about 11 kilometers from the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).
Also Read: Pangani Girls High School Fees, KCSE Performance and Key Contacts
In case you have any complaints, queries, or comments, you can reach the institution’s administration through the contacts below.
Mobile phone number: 0740 547 354/ 0741 946 507
Email address: [email protected]
Postal address: P. O. Box 30047 – 00100 GPO, Nairobi.
Official website: https://www.nairobischool.ac.ke/
The Nairobi School KNEC code: 20400002
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