Pembroke features in the IE100 Magazine as Traditional Co-Education School of the Year!

“Children need to learn resilience. They need a nurturing environment where they can develop the ability to face challenges and work things out for themselves. Our role is to keep them safe enough to be brave.” Deborah Boyd-Moss, Headmistress

Where children learn the art of courage

In an age of bubble-wrapped childhoods and constant digital supervision, Pembroke House School stands apart as a place where children are trusted to explore, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Set across 140 acres of open Rift Valley countryside, Pembroke is a rare pocket of freedom. Here, pupils race barefoot across lawns, climb trees in Shackland, and learn to light fires under the watchful eye of their teachers. Risk is not forbidden – it’s appreciated as a core part of learning.

Headmistress Deborah Boyd-Moss believes that courage and curiosity go hand in hand. “Children flourish when they are trusted,” she says. “They need clear expectations along with time and space to discover who they are and find a sense of integrity and responsibility.”

Recent research supports this approach. A 2023 study from the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Family Research found that children exposed to ‘managed risk’ develop higher resilience and stronger emotional regulation. The British Psychological Society (2024) reported that over-supervision can inhibit flexible thinking and self-efficacy, while the American Psychological Association (2022) concluded that moderate risk in childhood directly supports later-life confidence and problem-solving ability.

In classrooms, that same spirit of independence translates into enquiry-based learning, where children take ownership of their ideas and discover that getting something wrong can be the start of getting it right. Theoretical learnings come to life with Pembroke’s Adventure Learning curriculum. Pupils learn to orienteer and navigate, build bridges over rivers, life rafts and survival shelters. Alongside this, they learn about how to use weapons safely, mechanics, and butterfly identification. These skills come to fruition on their annual camping trip, when tents are erected, cooking is done over fires, and shelters may need to be constructed. Pembroke children are gently guided, yet never stifled.

“Children need to learn resilience. They need a nurturing environment where they can develop the ability to face challenges and work things out for themselves. Our role is to keep them safe enough to be brave.” Deborah Boyd-Moss, Headmistress

The academics are every bit as inspiring as the outdoors. Following the British curriculum, Pembroke pairs rigour with imagination, supported by an outstanding Learning Support department. In 2024–2025, 42% of leavers were awarded scholarships to leading senior schools in the UK and beyond – a reflection not just of achievement, but of attitude. The Pembroke child brings confidence, an ability to think through problems, and a level of teamwork and kindness that is rare to find.

At Pembroke House, education is not about eliminating risk. It’s about learning how to meet it with confidence, curiosity, and grace.

✉️ registrar@pembrokehouse.sc.ke 📞 +254 711 875 972