Into Grade 1
The usual entry point, at about six years old, after two years of pre-primary. Bring the birth certificate and the clinic card.
Enrolment
BringingachildtoMadaraka.
There is no application fee and no form to buy. Come to the office with the child and the papers, and we will take it from there.
Who can join
A place at any point in the nine years.
Madaraka is a public school, so a place here is not something a family has to win. A child can start in Grade 1 or come in part-way through, with the records from the last school.
Transferring in
A child can move in at any grade. You will need a release or transfer letter from the previous school, and the report that goes with it.
Into junior school
Grades 7 to 9 sit inside the primary school under the current curriculum, so a child moving up does not have to move out.
Whether there is space in a particular class in a particular term is a question
for the office — call 020 785 0022.
How it works
Four steps, and none of them cost anything.
Admission is free. Anyone asking for money to secure a place is not acting for the school — please tell the office.
Come to the office
Weekday mornings are best, during term. Bring the child with you — a lot of what happens at this stage is simply the school meeting them.
Bring the papers
The list is below. If something is missing, come anyway and say so; a missing document is a problem to be solved, not a reason to turn a child away.
Placement
The school confirms which grade the child joins, from their age and their previous reports, and tells you which class and what they will need.
Starting
You will be told a start date, the uniform, and what the lunch programme costs this term. Then the child starts.
The uniform
What our learners wear.
The school uniform is maroon and is worn every day; games kit is worn for physical education and on match days. The office will tell you where to buy each item when your child is placed.
Primary, Grades 1 to 6
Boys: maroon sweater, light blue shirt, plain maroon tie, brown shorts, grey socks with maroon bands and black shoes.
Girls: maroon sweater with a white collar, worn over an orange-and-white checked dress, grey socks with maroon bands and black shoes.
Junior school, Grades 7 to 9
Boys: maroon sweater, white shirt, striped maroon tie, brown trousers and black shoes.
Girls: maroon sweater, white shirt, striped maroon tie, maroon tartan skirt and black shoes.
Games kit
Boys: yellow-and-black football jersey with black shorts.
Girls: white football jersey with a red-and-black band, and black shorts.
What to bring
The papers.
| Document | Who needs it |
|---|---|
| The child's birth certificate | Every child. This is the one that matters most — it sets the age and the grade. |
| Immunisation or clinic card | Children entering Grade 1 or pre-primary. |
| Transfer or release letter | Any child moving from another school. |
| The last school reportand assessment records | Any child transferring in, at any grade. |
| Parent or guardian's national ID | The adult enrolling the child. |
| Passport photographs | Usually asked for. Bring two. |
What it costs
Nothing to learn here. Some things to buy.
Being straight about this is the whole point of putting it on a page. "Free" schooling in Kenya is genuinely free of tuition, and genuinely not free of everything.
Free
- Tuition, for every grade
- The application — there is no form to buy
- Sitting national assessments here
- Teaching by TSC-employed staff
Families usually pay for
- Uniform
- The lunch and feeding programme
- Exercise books and personal stationery
- Occasional trips and activities
Amounts for uniform, the lunch programme and trips are set each term; the office
will tell you exactly what applies when your child is placed.
Questions
The ones parents actually ask.
Are there really no school fees?
No tuition fee, and no fee structure to send you. Madaraka is a public school and free primary education is national policy. Families do contribute towards things like uniform and the lunch programme, and the office will tell you what those come to this term.
Does my child have to live in Madaraka Estate?
No. Madaraka is a public school. Whether there is a place for your child depends on the space in that particular class — ask the office.
Can my child join in the middle of the year?
Children transfer in throughout the year. Bring the release letter from the previous school and the reports that go with it, and the school will place the child in the right grade.
What if I do not have the birth certificate yet?
Come and say so. A missing document is a problem to be solved rather than a reason to keep a child out of school, and the office will tell you what can stand in while you get it.
Do you take children with disabilities?
Please talk to the office directly and describe what your child needs, so that the right support can be discussed early rather than late.
Is there a boarding option?
No. Madaraka is a day school — every learner goes home at the end of the day.
Does the school run junior school, Grades 7 to 9?
Yes. Junior school — Grades 7, 8 and 9 — is taught here, on the same compound, so a child does not move out at Grade 7.
Somebody is offering to get my child a place for money. Is that real?
No. Nobody can sell a place at a public school and nobody is authorised to collect money on the school's behalf for admission. If you are approached, please tell the office.
Ask the school
Still not sure? Ask, and leave your number.
The assistant answers from the school's own records and takes your name and number for the office when it cannot.
The chat is not available at the moment. Please call the office on 020 785 0022.