Pembroke Prep
Welcome
“This school is legendary for the characterful children they send on to top senior schools all over the world. Its unique ethos attracts pupils from all over Kenya, wider Africa and even Dubai and the UK. Children are taught that courage, good manners, kindness and always trying to do your best are the way to succeed in life.”
The Spears School Index of the Top 100 Schools in the World (2020).
As a non-selective school, we welcome all children regardless of academic performance, race, ethnicity, religious or social background. This is because we believe that every child matters and that every child has talent.
We are extremely proud of our academic track record. Our small classes, outstanding teachers and creatively delivered British Curriculum undoubtedly drive much of this success. Across eight Common Entrance exam subjects, between 2021 and 2023, 78% of pupils achieved A* to B grades.
That said, excellent exam results alone do not guarantee children happy and fulfilling lives. Our 100% success rate at Common Entrance, with pupils achieving places at top Senior schools of their choice, is also driven by our reputation for fostering individuals with character, confidence and integrity.
We do this by working together as a community to instil our cherished school values in every child, in every sphere of school life. Through our diverse and adventure-driven co-curricular programme, our flexible, family approach to boarding and our unique Martlet Award, we celebrate and reward the application of the skills and values that will enable our children to thrive at their chosen Senior school.
Exceptional sport, music, art and drama are part of the school day, along with horse riding, sailing, swimming, shooting or learning taekwondo. We know these aren’t just hobbies, they are experiences in which children find out who they are, discover leadership and teamwork, achieve goals they thought were out of reach and build friendships that last a lifetime.
Junior School
Year 1 - 4
Middle School
Year 5 & 6
Senior School
Year 7 & 8
Curriculum
Children study a breadth of subjects, exposing them to different learning styles and allowing them to identify their interests. As well as covering the British curriculum, we offer Kiswahili, Kenyan History and Adventure Learning.
Sports
An integral part of Pembroke, we enthusiastically promote sports and celebrate the resilience, determination, teamwork, respect, and perhaps most importantly, sportsmanship and team spirit that it teaches.
The Arts
We place great emphasis on creativity and the Arts, and have hugely successful Art, Music and Drama departments, offering a wealth of creative opportunities to our pupils.
Extracurricular
Our extracurricular provision sets Pembroke apart, offering endless opportunities for children to expand their skillset, experiences and confidence.
School Trips
Pembroke school trips are legendary and integral to the children's experiential learning. Some highlights of the school calendar are adventures in the Maasai Mara, a camel safari and the Mt Kenya climb.
Teachers
We are so fortunate to have an outstanding group of teachers from different countries and backgrounds, sharing their passions and expertise with our children.
Adventure Learning
Our Adventure Learning programme enables the children to go beyond the classroom and put theoretical skills and academic principles into practice in the 'real world'.
Learning Support
Learning support is tailored to each child, enabling everyone to reach their potential, whether that is building confidence with reading or gaining a scholarship to a senior school.
Senior Schools & Scholarships
We love seeing our children flourish, as they prepare for their senior school career, and take pride in their successes when they move beyond Pembroke.
Martlet Award
Our pioneering Martlet Award, unique to Pembroke, records and rewards children’s contributions to school life, providing tangible goals for personal development, beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom.
Exams, Assessments & Reporting
We have an effective reporting system and open lines of communication to parents, feeding back on children's progress every half term.
Calendar Highlights
The school year is packed with extraordinary experiences that engage children and push them beyond their comfort zone, making the Pembroke education truly exceptional.
A School Day
With a broad curriculum and 140 acres to play in, there is no doubt that children at Pembroke are busy!
As well as attending traditional academic lessons, on any given day, Pembrokians could find themselves tackling taekwondo or trying tennis. They could find themselves swimming, horse riding or mountain biking. Some will find themselves behind a music stand or on the stage in our theatre, while others will find themselves up trees or busy building dens.
Boarding
A home away from home
At Pembroke, boarding is so much more than term-time accommodation. It is an invaluable part of the all-round education we offer. Living with others fosters important personal qualities and life skills such as resilience, tolerance, respect, empathy, compassion and self-discipline. The sense of belonging and shared experience that boarding provides, builds strong relationships and forges friendships that last a life time.
Boarding Houses
Mackie & Scholes
Named after some of Pembroke’s earliest members of staff, Leo Mackie and Sue Scholes, our two boarding houses, Mackie (boys) and Scholes (girls), are places where the children love to unwind with their friends. They are structured, disciplined and safe havens with house rules similar to those of a family home. Good manners are encouraged and celebrated.
Frequently asked questions
How many children share a dorm?
There are between four and eight children per dorm. Children from the same year groups share, together with one senior dorm prefect who is tasked with looking after his or her dorm mates.
How many musical instruments are offered at Pembroke?
Our excellent music department offers lessons in nine different instruments; guitar, clarinet, violin, trumpet, saxophone, piano, percussion, flute and ukulele as well as voice.
How does the school foster a supportive and inclusive community?
Pembroke House School embraces and promotes equality and diversity. All our children are protected from discrimination. Our care is sensitive to the different needs of each individual and an inclusive environment is promoted throughout the school.
An excellent pastoral team is on hand to provide support backed up by a diverse and experienced staff room that promotes inclusivity and fosters a sense of belonging and pride in our school community.
We cater for diverse interests and abilities and encourage children to join in to help them feel included. We encourage children to express their opinions and take part in decision making which helps them to feel valued and respected while promoting our values; respect, kindness, empathy, good manners and integrity.
Our curriculum helps children understand and appreciate different cultures and backgrounds. Children are encouraged to look after one another, dorm prefects are allocated to each dormitory, their role is to look after younger children. On joining Pembroke House each child is assigned a classmate to guide them around campus and explain school life during their first weeks.
What qualifications and experience do the teaching staff have?
All of our teachers have recognised teaching qualifications from the country in which they qualified, ideally along with a Teacher Reference Number from that country.
Before our teachers start working at Pembroke House we get approval from the Ministry of Education, together with a Kenyan Teacher Reference Number. For overseas applicants, once these have been obtained, we apply for a residence permit.
Pembroke accepts applications from teachers with both local and international experience.
Is there a dedicated support team for children's academic, emotional and pastoral needs?
We have a diverse and well trained staff and consistently offer additional training to our personnel. We adhere to our policies (found on the safeguarding and pastoral page of this website) and update them as guidance changes.
Our excellent pastoral system ensures our children are supported every day through their tutors, house parents, teachers, nurses and councillors. This is backed up within the student body by school prefects.
We offer a broad range of extracurricular activities to cater for diverse interests and abilities and we encourage children to take part so that they feel included.
We listen to our student voice whether it be Pembroke voices, Pembroke presents or our tutor group discussions, we encourage children to express their opinions and take part in decision making which helps them to feel valued and respected.
We live by our values; respect, kindness, empathy, good manners and integrity and consistantly promote and reaffirm them though all aspects of teaching and in every sphere of school life.
We offer a diverse curriculum to help children understand and appreciate different cultures and backgrounds and we celebrate our differences.
How does the school involve parents in their child's education?
The Headmistress' letter is published every half term to update parents on calendar events and any other school news.
Parents are members of our 'Broadcast' whatsapp group that delivers updates from our Headmistress on sports events and any other goings on at school.
Form takers for children in years 1 - 4 and Tutors for children in years 5 - 8 are the first point of contact for any issues within school and are easily available during term time.
Coffee and croissants open mornings - parents can come and view their children's books during the Trinity term.
Online parent meetings with tutors are run during the Michaelmas term.
Online parents meetings with all subjects teachers are run in Lent term.
Half termly reports are sent via email throughout the year.
End of term reports are delivered at the end of the Michaelmas and Lent terms.
We have an open door policy and parents are invited to whole school events throughout the year, these include: bonfire night, school plays, remembrance service, Christmas craft fair, chapel (every Monday & Friday morning), the Dinky Safari Rally, Foundation Colour Run, the annual Ndumi 7s rugby tournament, a senior school fair, art exhibitions and speech day.
Parents are also invited to children v parents matches at the end of each term and Boats, our whole school swimming relay, as well as the Widgery Cup, a parent & child tennis tournament.
Staff are available nearly all the time to meet with parents if requested.
Forums with parents: For parents of children in years 4 & 5 we host forums to help them to understand the transition for their children between junior and middle school. Topics cover boarding and safeguarding among other things.
Next schools: Mrs Boyd-Moss very much encourages parents to discuss future schools with her from year 5 onwards.
Trips: Many parents are involved in hosting the year group form trips for example, year 4 visit the Mara (hosted by the Woods) and year 6 visit Kisumu (hosted by the Froomes).
Mount Kenya year 8 trip: parents join the expedition.
Year 8 formal dinners: parents are invited to join their children and staff and we have speakers from the year group parent body.
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