We are happy to share some exciting news about the future of education at Nova Pioneer. In line with the Kenya Ministry of Education’s rollout of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) in Senior School at the start of the 2026 academic year, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our Senior School programme under the CBE curriculum. Over the past 18 months, our teams have been hard at work to ensure that we are ready for the Senior School rollout and this development marks a major step forward in enhancing the educational journey for our students.

At our Tatu City Campus, we will be offering ALL THREE pathways: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Social Sciences, and Arts & Sports Science. We will offer TWO pathways at the Eldoret Campus and at the Athi River Campus, where we will be launching STEM and Social Sciences. 

Our offering across the Athi River, Eldoret and Tatu City campuses allows current students to transfer between campuses, allowing families to  choose from day, weekly boarding, or full boarding options; ensuring they can fully immerse themselves in their studies in an environment that best suits their needs. We continue to be committed to designing a student experience that ensures learners can pursue their interests and develop crucial skills for the future, all while being mindful of the costs associated with delivering the experience.

1. Innovation & Leadership Programme

Students hone in on Character, reflecting deeply on their  values and beliefs. They then develop skills that will help them solve real-world problems through the frameworks of innovation, social entrepreneurship, and leadership.

2. Beyond The Classroom Opportunities

We recognize the contribution of physical education and the arts to the health and well-being of our students and believe that a varied co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities have a positive influence on the concentration, attitude and academic achievement of all students. Thus, we offer a wide range of musical, arts and sports activities and the opportunity for students to participate competitively both locally and internationally in their chosen club or sport.

Challenging our students outside the classroom strengthens their teamwork, resilience and leadership skills. Our Novaneers build valuable skills and attitudes that become lessons for life through their extra-curricular activities.

3. Culture First

Our culture principles are cemented both inside and outside of the classroom, through collaboration on projects, sport and community engagement opportunities.

By exploring culture and integrating it as part of character development, our students take on daily challenges with a strong sense of purpose, service and innovation. 

4. Post School Success Programme

We have designed a unique programme with the purpose of facilitating each student’s exploration and understanding of themselves with a focus on post-secondary opportunities available to them. Our Class of 2023 received over $7,000,000 in scholarships from universities in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, and the United States of America (U.S.A).

Are you a Grade 9 (CBE) student or a parent looking ahead to Senior School? Join a school that sees your potential and prepares you for a future without limits.

Applications for 2026 are now open

To learn more about our CBE pathways, click on this link to put in an application and get invited to our next open day or get a chance to book a personalized tour of our campuses. 

Counseling Sessions

 

The New Academic calendar has brought fourth changes in the school programs. At Nova Pioneer, we have ensured students adjust to these  changes. Each of our  campuses has a qualified  counselor who provides individual and group counseling sessions for our students.

Teenage years remain to be the most crucial years of a child’s life. Being a child and trying to build a sense of independence in a world that is changing so fast is a major task for them. As a parent, you influence your child’s basic values, like religious values and educational choices. The stronger your relationship with your child is, the more influence you will have, because your child will be more likely to seek your guidance and value your opinion and support.

The change of the school programs in the last few years has challenged the family system’s active involvement in our children’s development, and therefore intentional collaboration with the school promotes successful support to the students. 

Individual counseling sessions continue to be the primary way through which major counseling issues are addressed. This is done throughout the week and on the weekends.

As our students grow up, we have been able to note a need to talk about various challenges that they are facing. 

The different personalities and experiences they have plays a major role in causing conflicts amongst themselves. Group counseling provides a safe space for them to listen to one another and be able to empathize with each other even as they learn. This term we have been able to discuss various addictions including drug and substance abuse. 

 

Family Meetings

 

The family is the basic unit of society. Families also foster a sense of belonging to something greater than oneself. As the Nova Pioneer community, we strive to maintain the sense of connection and belonging in our students even when they are away from home. 

And this is why we have families in the school. Each family has one teacher who is the parent to eight to ten students.  The families have scheduled sessions that take place every Wednesday from 7-7.25 am. Spending 25 minutes at the start of the school day to help students talk through issues they may be having and practice social and emotional skills can have a positive effect on their academic achievement. 

We also work with our parents who continue with the conversations during holidays.

Click here and submit your application today for the 2022 academic year. You can also find Virtual Tours of our campuses here

There are several tips that will help a student excel in exams. Examination period can bring a lot of pressure and anxiety hence the need for students to prepare adequately. Studying effectively is very key in Exam Preparation.

Start Your Preparation Early

Starting early with your exam preparation will give you ample time to review everything you have already studied. So do not leave anything for the last moment and make sure you understand your subject thoroughly. This will make revision much easier.

Setting up a timetable early enough will also assist in proper time management. First note down the exams you have and schedule appropriately.

Organize Your Space for Study

Before sitting down to study,ensure your space is well organised and that you have enough space to place your study materials.Ensure the room is also well lit and there’s nothing around that might distract you.Keeping everything in order helps you remain focused throughout the study session.

Review and Practice old exam papers

This will help you familiarize yourself with the format and structure of the exam paper.

Set your Study Goal.

Goal setting is the best way in attaining any sort of targets.Utilize your study time to achieve your goals.

Get together with friends for a study session

Organizing study sessions with your friends is one of the most crucial exam study tips for university students as it helps you get answers to all your questions and vice versa. However, you need to make sure that you do not waste time and stay focused on learning the importance of preparing for exams.

Studying with your friends or your fellow students is also a great way to challenge yourself and keep moving forward towards your goal

Study to Suit your Learning Style 

Your learning style will help you to know what are the best ways to prepare for an examination. For instance, if you are an auditory learner, you may benefit from recording your notes and then listening to them later, or you can even listen to class recordings.

On the other hand, if you are a visual learner, pictures and diagrams can help you remember. So explore what your learning style is so that you can memorize significant facts and understand key concepts.

Read More about learning styles here

Ask for Help 

In case you face trouble understanding a specific concept or subject, then do not hesitate to ask for help. Talk to your teacher, tutor, or your friend to understand the concept better before it’s too late. Rather than trying to memorize or cram, taking guidance from someone can help you remember the concept for a longer time.

 Plan your Exam Day and Sleep Well

Make sure you have everything ready before the day of your exam and do not leave anything for the last day. Check all the requirements and make all the other necessary arrangements.

 Besides, do not forget to take at least a minimum of seven hours of sleep before the exam. Remember, exams are designed to test your thinking ability. So if you are sleep deprived, you might not be able to complete your exam in time or justify your answers correctly.

Do Not Evaluate Post Examination

After finishing your exam, if you realize that you have given an incorrect answer to one of the questions, it may cause anxiety.

So avoid evaluating your question paper because, at that point, you will be able to do nothing to change your answer or your score. Instead, stay focused on your studies and prepare for the next exam to ensure that you do not repeat the same mistake again.

Drink Lots of Water

As one of the most vital tips for exam day, always remember that keeping yourself hydrated will add to your overall positive mood and will make your brain work at its best.

So make sure to drink plenty of water while preparing for exams and even during the exam.

Read more on exam preparation tips

June 16th is a day set aside to remember and celebrate the African Child. Every year on this date, the African Union and its Member States observe the Day of the African Child (DAC) as a commemoration of the 16th June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa, where students who marched in protest against apartheid-inspired education, were brutally murdered. 

People worldwide celebrate this day by highlighting awareness about the education system in Africa by sharing their views via social media using some hashtags for example #educationforAfrica, #InternationalDayOfTheAfricanChild. Contributions are also made to organizations that work towards improving education for the African child. 

This year, a deep emphasis was put to raise awareness on having Access to a child-friendly Justice and education System in Africa. This augers very well with the Nova Pioneer Mission of developing generations of innovators and leaders who will shape the African Century. It was therefore our pleasure to have our students join the rest of the world to celebrate this day. 

HOW WE MARKED THE DAY AT OUR ATHI RIVER CAMPUS

Reading is an important skill in every child’s life. Book reading can spark a child’s imagination and stimulate curiosity, help develop the child’s brain, ability to focus, concentration, social skills and communication skills it also helps a child learn the difference between ‘real’ and ‘make-believe.

To underscore the importance of the reading skill among our students and parents at NPAP, what better way was there to celebrate The day of the African Child than to participate in STORY MOJA PUBLISHERS READ ALOUD PROGRAMME. In this, our students joined children from all over Kenya to break the world record in reading.

The aim was to have every child in Kenya read the same text at the same time from their own school. To make this more interesting, our P.T.A class representatives read with the students instead of having the teachers do it. The parents representatives then led the students in asking and answering some questions from the text read. The data was then forwarded to the publisher awaiting tallying to see whether the world reading record is coming to Kenya, we are anxiously awaiting the results! 

Our day in school at NPAP rarely ends without a “Joy of Learning Moment ” and this day was not going to be any different. Our students engaged in  various activities depicting African art work – Face painting, making head crowns decorated with feathers, some bead work and making of African dancing costumes. 

 

 

 

Our Nova Pioneer Schools in Kenya recently celebrated the Class of 2020 for the exemplary results achieved on their KCSE exams and we do not doubt that the students are ready to take over the world. 

 

From Surviving to Thriving

In 2020, education across the world was abruptly derailed by COVID-19 at every level. In many countries, schools struggled to address the safety of children while also helping them continue to learn and grow. Without a doubt, Nova Pioneer secondary students, in particular,  demonstrated a high level of commitment during the last year, despite the unprecedented disruption and uncertainty presented by the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

The Nova Pioneer Class of 2020 overcame many challenges to post good results and rose above the challenges that came their way. We are encouraged by their performance.

We are extremely grateful to the teaching and support teams who have drawn on their extensive teaching and coaching experience to support all students through this immensely difficult time. The resilience shown by our Nova Pioneer Tatu Boys and Girls Secondary teachers and students is a true demonstration of how we live out our culture principles of High Expectations and Always Growing.

 

Meeting and Exceeding High Expectations

The Nova Pioneer graduates of both the Boys and Girls schools achieved remarkable success.  Our 231 graduates achieved a mean grade of 8.02 (a B-), with both schools achieving that B- average.  77% of the Class of 2020 earned a C+ or higher.  In addition, the Class of 2020 included our first two ‘A plain’ average achievers (one per school), a feat accomplished by less than 0.2% of candidates nationally. 

A particular shout out goes to the women of Tatu Girls Secondary Class of 2020 for setting a strong standard as the school’s founding and graduating class.

 

 

Where to from here?

Our Post School Success team will continue to engage with the Class of 2020 to ensure that every Nova Pioneer student will be ready to pursue their passion through the best post school fit and are ready to take over in their industry of choice.  Already, across the Tatu Boys and Tatu Girls graduating classes of 2020, 

• 7 students  have applied to the African Leadership University, and all have been offered a preliminary admission, pending submission of their KCSE results. 
• 97 students have been admitted to Strathmore University. 
• 2 students have been admitted to York University in Toronto, Canada one of them receiving a CAD 40,000 in scholarship from the faculty of liberal arts.
• One student has been admitted to 3 colleges in the US, with scholarships, and will join Clark University where she received an annual $16,000 scholarship.
• Two students have  applied to UWC (United World Colleges) and been admitted with scholarships.
• One student has  applied to the African Leadership Academy and has been accepted with a $5,000 scholarship. 
• 13 students have participated in the Concourse Global clearing process. 10 students have collectively received a total of 46 admission offers with $272,650 in scholarships.

 

This Is Not the End Of The Journey

Too many schools see their job as developing “smart kids” and focus narrowly on building a student’s knowledge base and academic skills. While that is critically important, Nova Pioneer holds itself accountable to a more holistic “Vision of a Novaneer”: we want to deeply develop our students’ character, capabilities and connection.  We define our success based on a larger set of longer-term goals; we expect our students to excel in exams and attend great universities, build innovations and art, launch new companies, and impact their communities. Ultimately, we want our students to become shapers of a world they envision rather than takers of the world they inherit. 

 

The Future Is In Good Hands

Today, we are again reminded that the mission and vision set out together to achieve as Novaneers, will be felt throughout Africa, and indeed the world, through the impact that our alumni will have as they shape their future around their vision and get ready to take over the world.  We are very proud of all our students and wish them well as they transition into the next stage of their lives.

On March 15 2020, the Kenyan government announced a national school lockdown in response to the rising cases of Covid-19 in the country and this caused some disruption to the Kenyan Academic Calendar. The students were at this time approaching the end of the first time and looking forward to the April holiday.

Six  months later  Grade 4, Class 8 and Form 4 classes re-opened while other classes awaited their start dates. The disruption to on-campus learning resulted in a change in the Kenyan academic calendar. Schools, students and parents were now going to face a new norm with new term dates.

The ministry of Education announced the new term dates late last year (2020) and this was in an effort to cover the remaining 2 terms from 2020 with the aim of stabilising the school calendar by December 2022. The changes to the calendar may be confusing and this post is written with the aim to help understand what these changes look like practically.

 

Concluding the 2020 Academic Calendar

Term 2 began on January 4th, 2021 (which in the past would have been Term 1 for the new academic year) and ended on March 19th, 2021.  Term 3 for the 2020 Academic Calendar will commence on May 10th and will close on July 25th. The 2020 calendar will close out on July 25th

 

Starting the 2021 Academic Calendar

The first  term of the 2021 calendar will commence on the  26th of July 2021 to 1st October,2021 after which the students will break for a 1 week holiday that will transition them to Term 2 which will start on 11th October,2021 to 23rd December,2021 this will be followed by a 10 day holiday and reopen for Term 3 as from 3rd January 2022, to 4th March.

 

Working to restabalise the calendar

Holidays to mark the end of 2021 Calendar will begin March 5th 2022 and end April 24th, 2022.

The KCPE period will begin March 7th 2022 and end March 10th, 2022. Then finally, the KCSE period will begin March 11th  until April 1st, 2022.

We look forward to welcoming students for the new 2021 Academic Year in July. Nova Pioneer is currently still enrolling for grades in both our Primary and Secondary Schools. To apply for Term 1,  click on (link) To begin the enrollment process for the 2021 Academic year beginning in July, please submit your application here (link)

We continue to follow the Government’s directive on COVID 19, to ensure our students and teammates safety while they are at school. (Link COVID preparedness blog)