Quick summary of key school information
All the details about this school in their own words
| Number of students |
89 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
23 |
| Most common nationality |
Kenyan |
| Ratio of local students to international students |
1:3.5 |
| Max. number of students per class |
15 |
| Average number of students per class |
11 |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes |
| Native English speaking teachers |
Yes |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
No |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
KiSwahili, French, Sign Language |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
We continually integrate various technology in the class room, including iPads and laptops that students have access to. |
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Yes, at times. It depends on the age of the child, the content area, and the teacher. |
| Approximate hours of homework given |
We prefer to complete as much work as possible when students are at school. We are very intentional about limiting the time that students spend on doing work at home. Otherwise, we use the "10-minute" rule as a guideline, i.e. not more than 10 minutes homework per grade level (excluding reading). |
| Uniform required |
No |
| Waiting list |
In some classes only. |
| Entry evaluation for students |
At times - these are considered on a case-by-case basis. |
| Brief description of entry evaluation required |
Only if there are special needs involved and we want to ensure that we are able to support the student adequately. |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
We have rolling admissions - the sooner, the better. |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes |
| Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
All |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
We celebrate every religion, faith and culture at Woodland Star. |
| How does the school accommodate non-religious students or students of a different religion? |
They are celebrated and valued like everyone else. |
| School bus service available |
Yes - to the surrounding vicinity only. |
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Yes |
| Learning support offered |
These are considered on a case-by-case basis. If necessary, we work with parents in acquiring one-on-one support for those students who require specialized attention. All students are considered on an individual level and learning and teaching is highly differentiated within the classroom to accommodate each learner in each subject area. We currently support a range of students with varying levels of learning needs, including Down Syndrome, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Asperger, etc. |
| The school supports gifted, able and talented students |
Due to our small student:teacher ratio, we differentiate in each class room. This means there is no limit to where students may progress and develop in areas of giftedness, and these are accommodated and intentionally supported within the class room. We also have an enrichment programme that intentionally seeks to identify and further support cognitively advanced learners. |
| Student access to education psychologist |
Yes, but as an external service. |
| School start time |
8:25 |
| School finish time |
15:25 (there is a half-day option in the Early Years, where student may leave at 12:00 or at 15:25) |
| Supervised care before/after school |
Yes |
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
Please see website for most up-to-date information |
| School provided lunches |
Yes. They are optional. If preferred, students may bring their own lunch, or have school lunch. |
| Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc) |
Yes |
| Sports activities included |
Our students have a lot of physical activity in their school day, and do a lot of learning outdoors on our large campus and indigenous forest, including forest and bird walks. We start every day with a 20-minute forest walk (older students) or obstacle course (younger students). |
| Sports facilities at the school |
Sportsfield(s), Basketball court, Tennis court, 100-acre indigenous forest, (swimming pool is off-campus, about 7 minutes away) |
| Sports teams or sport competitions available for students |
Yes, we have recently started having friendly inter-school matches with other (international) schools in Nairobi. |
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
Our core values are Passion, Connectedness, Innovation, Respect, and Environmental Conservation |
| Teaching approach of the school |
As a “best-practice” school, Woodland Star continually strives to foster student-led, curiosity-driven and globally-minded learning. Guided by the American Common Core State Standards, we follow a tailored and individualized international curriculum that is theme-based and child-centered. Our small student-teacher ratio and multi-age classes are ideal for project-based learning, allowing students' learning to be integrated between disciplines. Our holistic educational approach to the development of children ensures that we meet each child where they are at in their educational journey. |