{{Short description|Secondary school in Kenya}} {{Redirect|Prince of Wales School|the school in Freetown|Prince of Wales School (Freetown, Sierra Leone)}} {{Use British English|date = May 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox school | name = Nairobi School | image = Patch1 Nairobi school.jpg | motto = To The Uttermost | location = Kitisuru Ward, Westlands Sub-County, Nairobi City County | country = Kenya | type = National, Public | established = 1902 | principal = Caspar Momanyi Maina | website = https://nairobischool.ac.ke | campus = Westlands, Nairobi | nickname = Patch | enrollment = 2000 | free_label = whiterose | free_text = | colors = Blue, yellow, grey and white {{color box|blue}}{{color box|yellow}}{{color box|grey}}{{color box|white}} | sister_school = The Kenya High School }}
The '''Nairobi School''' is a secondary school in Nairobi, Kenya. It follows the national curriculum, is one of Kenya's 112 national schools and also one of the 18 prestigious Cluster III secondary schools.<ref>{{Cite web |title=List of All National Schools In Kenya According To Clusters 2022 |date=18 April 2022 |url=https://teacher.co.ke/list-of-national-school-in-kenya-according-to-clusters/}}</ref>
It was founded in 1902 by the British settlers who had made Nairobi their home after the construction of the Uganda Railway.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}} In 1925, Lord Delamere and Sir Edward Grigg, then Governor of Kenya, separated the European Nairobi School into a senior boys' school (Prince of Wales School), a senior girls' school (The Kenya High School) and a junior school (Nairobi Primary School).{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}}
In 1931, the boys' secondary school was moved to a {{Convert|242|ha|adj=on}} allotment in the Kabete area (along Sclater's Road, today's Waiyaki Way), leaving the girls behind with the primary school pupils.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}} The original idea for the name of the boys' school was Kabete Boys Secondary School, but the first headmaster, Captain Bertram W. L. Nicholson, thought this to be too clumsy and therefore the name Prince of Wales School, following Kenya's independence, it was renamed Nairobi School in 1965.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}} The school is popularly referred to as 'Patch'.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}}
Today the school, named after Kenya's capital, is one of the leading National Schools in the country.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://nairobischool.ac.ke/history.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250215214735/https://nairobischool.ac.ke/history.php |archive-date=2025-02-15 |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=nairobischool.ac.ke}}</ref>{{Independent source inline|date=July 2025}} Nairobi School sits on over {{cvt|80|ha}} of land about {{Convert|11|km}} from the city centre and has over 1,100 students currently enrolled.<ref name=":0" /> As of 2025, the current Chief Principal is Caspar Momanyi Maina. He came from Kisii School, and is still a principal of the institution.<ref name=":0" /> thumb|Prince of Wales School near Nairobi c1932 thumb|Nairobi Primary School, date unknown
== History == thumb|This photo taken in 6 June 2014 shows the administration block at Nairobi School with the school motto emblazoned on it. Nairobi School was established in 1902 around the present day Nairobi Railways Club as a European school to serve the families of the I.B.E.A. Company and, a while later, the white settler community.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}} Due to the foresight of Lord Delamere in proposing the building of a senior Boys school (now Nairobi Primary), and the support of the then Governor, Sir Edward Grigg, the railway reserve grounds near Kabete were set aside for future use.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}}
In 1928, Sir Herbert Baker was commissioned to plan a school similar to Winchester School in England, attended by both Lord Delamere and the then Governor of Kenya. Captain B.W.L. Nicholson, R.N., from the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, was appointed Headmaster of the European Nairobi School while planning for the New Boys School to be built at Kabete.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}} Captain Nicholson designed the school uniform and discipline based on the British naval system; meanwhile Mrs. Nicholson and Rev. Gillett worked on the gardens of the new School.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}} thumb|This photo, taken from the Nairobi School's Quadrangle, shows the School Chapel. The chapel is open for use to all Christian denominations at pre-designated times of the week On 24 September 1929 the foundation stone was laid by Edward Grigg, the Governor of Kenya Colony, for a school with a capacity of 80 boys.<ref name=":0" /> Under the stone was preserved a copy of the newspaper of the day.<ref name=":0" /> The School opened in 1931, not only for the 80 boys it was designed, but with 84 boarders and 20-day boys.<ref name=":0" /> The headmaster felt the old name 'Kabete Boys Secondary School' was too clumsy and it was given the name 'Prince of Wales School', with the Prince of Wales feathers inserted between the horns of a Royal Impala as the School badge, accompanied by the school motto "TO THE UTTERMOST".<ref name=":0" />
Enrolment proved higher than initially anticipated, requiring new classrooms.<ref name=":0" /> Due to a general shortage of cement, the first wooden classrooms were erected around 1938.<ref name=":0" /> The School population increased further because of World War II and the Governor of Kenya authorised the building of corrugated iron dormitories (the group of buildings that later became Intermediate/Fletcher House – the current Music Room).<ref name=":0" /> It was called 'Lacey's Landies'.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> 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.)<ref name=":0" />
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.<ref name=":0" /> In 1942, European education was made compulsory and enrolment increased so much that new temporary classrooms were needed.<ref name=":0" /> The wooden classrooms were erected as a "temporary wartime measure."<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> Today those are two houses, known as Marsabit and Elgon.<ref name=":0" /> The period 1943 to 1944 saw the Rhodes/Nicholson complex being built, which is the Serengeti and Athi Houses complex today.<ref name=":0" /> A Sanatorium and School Hall were constructed in 1945.<ref name=":0" /> A sister school, the Duke of York school (today, Lenana School) was founded in 1948.<ref name=":0" />
Nairobi School had a cadet training course of paramilitary standard in which students could enrol.<ref name=":0" /> The cadet course was started in the colonial era when Mau Mau activity was at its peak.<ref name=":0" /> After the colonial era Kenya Regiment, the school continued with the cadet course until stopped by the government after the unsuccessful 1982 coup d'état.<ref name=":0" /> The cadet section had uniforms, guns, ammunition, an armoury, a parade ground with adjacent stores and offices and a shooting range.<ref name=":0" />
Kenya Regiment cadets took part in march-pasts during National Days.<ref name=":0" /> They also used to be assigned sentry duty at the main gate and around the school at night.<ref name=":0" /> Successful cadets who passed out would be issued rank.<ref name=":0" /> The cadets, after completion of their form 6 education, could further their careers by joining the armed forces as officer cadets.<ref name=":0" />thumb|This is a view of the Administration Block from the back. The open space is the School's Quadrangle.
== School curriculum == Nairobi School follows the 8-4-4 system of education. The school curriculum is provided by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, a department of the Ministry of Education in Kenya. The subjects offered in the school are as follows:
In form one, the compulsory subjects are: English, Kiswahili, Mathematics. Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History and Government, Geography and Business Studies. Students may choose between Christian Religious Education and Islamic Religious Education. They may also choose one subject among the following: Agriculture, Art and Design, Drawing and design, Computer Studies, French or Music and Aviation.
In forms two, three and four, English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry are compulsory subjects; students may then choose two subjects from the remaining courses taught in form one.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Nairobi School — Curriculum|url = http://www.nairobischool.ac.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=63|website = www.nairobischool.ac.ke|accessdate = 5 November 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151016042746/http://nairobischool.ac.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=63|archive-date = 16 October 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>
== Houses == thumb|The Main Library Complex at Nairobi School Nairobi school has nine houses, to one of which each student belongs. The houses serve as dormitories, as well as for student organisation for the purpose of sports days, dining hall seating and school assembly. Students develop strong links with members of their house, and these become evident on sports days as well as in academics. Each house is headed by a house master/mistress in collaboration with the house captains who are also members of the student council. The houses are:
# Athi house (formerly Rhodes house);<ref>{{Cite web|title = Rhodes/Athi House Photos — The Prince of Wales School / Nairobi School|url = http://www.oldcambrians.com/PhotosHouse-Rhodes.html|website = www.oldcambrians.com|accessdate = 5 November 2015}}</ref> # Baringo house (formerly Hawke house);<ref>{{Cite web|title = Hawke/Baringo House Photos — The Prince of Wales School / Nairobi School|url = http://www.oldcambrians.com/PhotosHouse-Hawke.html|website = www.oldcambrians.com|accessdate = 5 November 2015}}</ref> # Elgon house (formerly Clive house);<ref>{{Cite web|title = Clive/Elgon House Photos — The Prince of Wales School / Nairobi School|url = http://www.oldcambrians.com/PhotosHouse-Clive.html|website = www.oldcambrians.com|accessdate = 5 November 2015}}</ref> # Kirinyaga house (formerly Grigg house);<ref>{{Cite web|title = Grigg/Kirinyaga House Photos — The Prince of Wales School / Nairobi School|url = http://www.oldcambrians.com/PhotosHouse-Grigg.html|website = www.oldcambrians.com|accessdate = 5 November 2015}}</ref> # Longonot house # Marsabit (formerly Scott house);<ref>{{Cite web|title = Welcome|url = http://www.gitobuimanyara.org/|website = SimpleSite.com|accessdate = 5 November 2015}}</ref> # Naivasha house (formerly Fletcher house);<ref name="oldcambrians.com">{{Cite web|title = Intermediate/Fletcher/Tana House Photos — The Prince of Wales School / Nairobi School|url = http://www.oldcambrians.com/PhotosHouse-Fletcher.html|website = www.oldcambrians.com|accessdate = 5 November 2015}}</ref> # Serengeti house (formerly Nicholson house);<ref>{{Cite web|title = Nicholson/Serengeti House Photos — The Prince of Wales School / Nairobi School|url = http://www.oldcambrians.com/PhotosHouse-Nicholson.html|website = www.oldcambrians.com|accessdate = 5 November 2015}}</ref> # Tana house (formerly Junior house)<ref name="oldcambrians.com"/>
The name changes, reflecting geographical areas in Kenya, were adopted in 1975 as part of a deliberate policy of Africanisation.
== In popular culture == The administration block was used as the setting for the Government House in the Oscar-winning movie ''Out of Africa'', based on a book with the same title by the Danish writer Karen Blixen.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The thinking behind Nairobi's grand schools|url = http://www.nation.co.ke/Features/DN2/The-thinking-behind-Nairobis--grand-schools-/-/957860/1625562/-/128vpwfz/-/index.html|website = www.nation.co.ke| accessdate = 5 November 2015}}</ref>
== Notable alumni == {{see also|Category:Alumni of Nairobi School}} <!--♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--> 'Old Boys' of the school are called '''Old Cambrians'''. * George Coventry, 13th Earl of Coventry * Geoffrey Griffin, Founder of Starehe Boys Centre * Gitobu Imanyara, a lawyer and politician in Kenya. * Keith McAdam, a former Scottish Cricketer and a specialist in tropical diseases. * Musalia Mudavadi, politician and former Vice President in 2002, Prime Cabinet Secretary following the 2022 Kenyan General Election. He was also the house captain Kirinyaga house (1976). * George Nyamweya, Kenyan politician. * Paul Otuoma, Politician and member of parliament * Colin Rawlins, British colonial civil servant. * Michael Riegels, Lawyer and Civil servant in the British Virgin Islands * Timothy Rimbui, a Kenyan record producer, sound engineer and songwriter better known as "Ennovator" * Edward Rombo, rugby player * Shakeel Shabbir, Former Kisumu Mayor and current Member of Parliament. * David Steel, UK politician who served as the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1976 until its merger with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats. * Roger Whittaker, British singer-songwriter and musician. * Kleptomaniax, a hip hop boys band
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == {{Commons category-inline}} *{{Official website|http://www.nairobischool.ac.ke }} *[http://www.oldcambrians.com/ The Old Cambrian Society (Prince of Wales School/Nairobi School Alumni)] *[http://www.oldcambrians.com/History.html The Nairobi School History] *[https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=++1%C2%B015%2730.55%22S++36%C2%B045%2758.95%22E&layer=&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=17&ll=-1.258102,36.767035&spn=0.004537,0.010815&t=k&iwloc=addr/ Satellite picture of Nairobi School on Google Maps] {{coord|1|15.51|S|36|45.98|E|display=title}} {{Schools in Nairobi}}
Category:Schools in Nairobi Category:High schools and secondary schools in Kenya Category:Herbert Baker buildings and structures Category:1902 establishments in Kenya Category:Educational institutions established in 1902