We believe that personal development is central to an all-round education. Giving children the space and opportunity to discover who they are, what makes them tick and how they can fit in to the world around them is at the very heart of everything we do.
We want to support children to be the best they can be, not just academically, but as people. This means enriching the academic education we provide with the values and life skills that will enable them to embrace their identity, cope with failure, welcome challenge and lend a helping hand when it is needed.
In living alongside others in one of our boarding houses, in trying out lots of new activities, in sharing adventures, in experiencing leadership as well as being part of a team, we foster the life skills, morals and manners that they will need to thrive in their chosen senior school and in the wider world.
All staff at Pembroke are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in our care. In support of the work carried out by our dedicated Safeguarding Team, staff work together across all spheres of school life to provide a safe and nurturing environment where children are respected and valued.
We take our responsibility to uphold the fundamental right to be protected from harm very seriously. This statutory and moral responsibility is enshrined in our comprehensive Child Protection Policy. Alert to the signs of abuse and neglect, we have clear procedures in place designed to ensure that children receive timely and effective support, protection and justice. Every member of staff receives safeguarding training every term, as well as specific professional development in this area.
As a boarding school committed to educating the whole child, pastoral care is part of the fabric of our school. This commitment is reflected in our school values and is embedded in our ethos.
Pembroke is a safe, secure, supportive and friendly environment in which to learn, live and work. It is a close knit, caring community which values and promotes pastoral qualities such as honesty, tolerance, resilience, respect and compassion. Children at Pembroke are encouraged to develop these qualities in every sphere of school life and are recognised for doing so.
In order to ensure that children receive timely and effective support in the event of a problem, we operate a successful Tutor system that provides pastoral and academic support for pupils in the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools. Tutors keep a close eye on their tutees’ academic and personal development, as well as their physical and emotional health and wellbeing. They provide a friendly, listening ear for children to raise any problems or issues with, either in confidence or within a group setting.
In Years 1-4, Form eachers also act as Tutors. From Year 5, pupils are allocated a dedicated Tutor and are placed in a Tutor Group. Although weekly Tutor meetings provide regular opportunities for pupils to discuss any issues or problems, Tutors are available at any time for their tutees, as are all staff. We have a visiting counsellor for children requiring additional mental health or emotional wellbeing support.
A child’s Tutor is also usually the first point of contact for parents who wish to discuss any concerns or raise any issues. Tutors are supported by Boarding House Parents and Assistants, as well as by the Heads of School.
Our health centre or ‘San’ is attached to Scholes House. There are always at least two fully qualified nurses on duty, including overnight. The nurses hold several clinics a day, where they deal with any illness or injuries and dispense any regular medication. Nurses also always attend home matches so that they can respond promptly to sporting injuries.
For children travelling to away matches or on school trips, buses are equipped with an appropriate medical kit which includes any specific medication required by individual children.
Every week, the school is visited by our school doctor so that more significant illness or injury can be monitored, reviewed and treated appropriately. There are four girls’ beds and four boys’ beds in the San so that those who feel particularly ill can be admitted and closely monitored. If a child’s illness becomes more serious or they require emergency medical care, they will be referred to hospital immediately.
We also facilitate access to visiting specialists, such as the optometrist, podiatrist, physiotherapist, dentist and counsellor.
All children must complete a comprehensive medical form, so that we are aware of any particular medical needs, including food and other allergies. All prescribed medication is kept in the San and dispensed as needed. All children must also hold an AMREF card to show that they are a member of the Flying Doctors and should provide evidence of private health insurance.
When it comes to travelling, security remains a top priority. Children are always accompanied by a teacher or adult escort on school buses. Drivers are trained in defensive driving and how to deal with an emergency. Buses travel in convoy whenever possible and constantly communicate their location to the school, especially in the event of a diversion or traffic accident. We do not allow any vehicles to travel in the dark and all children have their own seat and wear a seatbelt at all times.
To accommodate families who live some distance away or who cannot travel easily to school for drop-offs and pick-ups, we offer a number a transport services. We run frequent bus services between Pembroke, Nairobi (Friday-Sunday), Naivasha (most days) and Nanyuki.
At the beginning and end of exeats, half-terms and at the end of every term, we arrange comprehensive transport to Naivasha, Nairobi, Wilson and JKIA airports. Parents need to liaise with the school office to arrange transport for their child. Bus trips are always accompanied and information about drivers and itineraries are shared with parents.
We are fully aware of the precarious nature of security across East Africa. At Pembroke, we take a ‘belt and braces’ approach. The school is fully enclosed by an electric fence and protected by security guards 24 hours a day with hourly patrols.
All visitors are checked and signed in by security guards and are issued with clearly visible visitor passes. All pupils leaving school are issued with gate passes so we always know where they are.
Intruder and fire drills are held three times a term including one at night, so all children and staff know exactly what to do to stay safe in these circumstances, whatever time of day or night they occur. Our extensive alarm system notifies a reputable external security provider in the event of a potential emergency, at the same time as alerting everyone on site.
Our alarm system includes an extensive call tree, involving parents and community members with the knowledge and resources to assist quickly and effectively in an emergency.
We keep fully updated with the national security situation via regular sessions with security institutions including the British Defence Force. We also maintain strong relationships with other IAPS schools, emergency service providers and security experts, to ensure that all information about security is current.
The health and wellbeing of children in our care is a top priority. All children take part in regular sport and physical activity as part of our sports and outdoor learning curriculum. This not only keeps children physically fit and active but also encourages a competitive spirit and strengthens emotional wellbeing.
Children do, of course, become unwell and when they do, we are mindful of the fact that many of them are away from home and family. It is therefore critical that medical issues are dealt with in a caring, prompt and professional manner. All staff undergo regular first aid training by accredited providers.
With the help of a dietician, Pembroke House works hard to ensure all children and staff can enjoy a varied, nutritionally balanced menu and make healthy food choices. We are proud of our foods provenance, the majority of our fruits, vegetables, herbs and dairy are sourced directly from local farms and almost all snacks and main meals are prepared from scratch in our dedicated kitchen.
We continue to monitor our supplier list to ensure chemical free traceability. We have been able to significantly reduce sugar and salt intake by making a few key recipe changes and taking simple steps, such as removing certain jams or spreads from the breakfast station and introducing homemade granolas. Our most recent initiative has been the installation of our own bakery area and oven so that the children enjoy the most delicious, freshly baked sourdough loaves each day. We are also paying close attention to our catering needs to ensure minimum food wastage.
Our Sustainability Committee and the school are working together to provide Pembroke House with a safe food supply chain into the kitchen. It is very important to reiterate why we are doing this: 76% of pesticides being used in Kenya are banned in the EU because they are dangerous to human health and it is important to note that children are the most vulnerable group. In recent random testing at informal markets in Kenya, up to 25 x the maximum residue levels were found on tomatoes. These invisible and very often tasteless pesticides can have far reaching and extremely detrimental consequences and it is important to understand that the toxins accumulate in our bodies over time.
The Sustainability Committee is working closely with the school and we are taking this initiative very seriously — we are not buying tomatoes from the informal market and we have switched our fish and chicken suppliers. For some time now, our vegetables have been supplied by organic farms in the local area and we continue to develop a robust supply line of organic produce to meet our needs.
We are working with a not-for-profit organisation involved in ecological and sustainable development projects for people living in Africa, with the aim of identifying, training and supervising a network of organic farmers in the Gilgil area. This will support our local farmers so that they can meet new standards and this will further help shape the supply chain into Pembroke. In the very near future, we also hope we will be able to extend the supply of organic produce to you, our parents, in the form of a local area farmers’ market.
Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
May 3, 2024
Whistleblowing Policy
May 3, 2024
Data Protection Policy
October 2, 2024
Data Retention & Disposal Policy
October 2, 2024
Parents Complaints Procedure
May 3, 2024
Medical & First Aid Policy
May 3, 2024
Kenyanisation Policy
May 3, 2024
Health & Safety Policy
May 3, 2024
Equal Opportunity & Ethnic Diversity Policy
May 3, 2024
CCTV Policy
May 3, 2024
Behaviour & Discipline Policy
May 3, 2024
Anti Bullying Policy including Anti-Cyber Bullying
May 3, 2024
Job Applicant Privacy Notice
October 2, 2024
“Throughout the school, pupils’ personal development is outstanding and their behaviour is excellent. They develop a strong moral compass and are respectful and caring towards one another.”
SIS Inspection Report, 2017