Boarding

Described by our students as ‘home away from home’, our boarding has a caring family feel, which enables everyone to be an individual, just as they would be in a family. Catering for students from 5 years to 19 years and from multiple countries and backgrounds, we limit the number in the junior house to 16, in the senior boys’ home to 48 and the senior girls home to 24. This gives all our homes the intimate family feel that we all value so much. Add to this, the usual family comforts you would expect in a home, along with home-made food and a range of activities to choose from, and you can be sure you will feel comfortable.

Situated in a four acre garden with spectacular views of Mount Meru and the Monduli hills, all three homes are just a five minute walk away from school. This means it is easy to join together for different activities from time to time.

Each of the three homes boast spacious and comfortable lounges equipped with DSTV. There are a range of books and games for students to play including:

• board games
• table tennis
• outdoor games
• pool
• table football
• darts
• gym equipment

In addition there are internet facilities and computers in our prep rooms.

Our rooms cater for up to 4 students, and we try to organise you into rooms with others of a similar age. We want you to enjoy your own personal space so rooms are kept private. Each bed is protected with a mosquito net and there are cupboards and individual lockers in each room. Each room in the senior boarding homes have
ensuite bathrooms with two sinks, a shower and a toilet.

The Patron, Matron and Head of Boarding

The members of staff in the Boarding home are an important part of your Braeburn family and you can talk to them at any time about any concerns, worries or frustrations that you may have.

Mr Stephen Ngugi has been the Head of Boarding since January 2009. He has had a great deal of experience of working with young people. He was a trained foster carer in the UK and worked for the National Children’s Home in their Residential Care Unit.

Mrs Fina Mrosso started work as the matron for the home, in October 2014.  An experienced carer, both as a mother of 3, and of children from all over the world, Fina quickly became part of the team, working in all areas of BISA boarding. Her warmth, and motherly care ensure that she is a firm favourite with our girls of all ages and our younger students.

Mr Jacob Tungaine, an experienced father, is the much loved patron of the Boys’ Boarding house. Having worked in the boarding since September 2009, he is an enthusiastic and well-respected carer. Jacob loves watching football with the boys, playing games with them and helping out with home learning.

Shabani joined the team in September 2015 as a patron and driver for the home. His patience and sense of calm are a valuable asset to the team.

Musa, completes our team of patrons. He is instrumental in fostering a sense of community within the home. He is also responsible for monitoring routines, resources and maintenance in the boarding house.

In addition, there’s a resident chef and a team of gardeners, askaris and cleaners, all who help the home run like clockwork!

School Liaison Support Staff

Ms Ruth Ngave, a member of the teaching staff lives in the Junior House. She is there to support you and provide a link between the boarding home and the school. She will help to find solutions to any difficulties that have been raised or observed in school or in home. She can also support you with any problems you are facing with your home learning.

This is what one of our students said about the boarding house: 

"Someone asked the other day, what living in boarding is really like … If I had to sum it up in one sentence – it’s like living at home – but with a few more people – 56 of us to be precise! But inspite of the numbers, it really does feel like a home. Unlike the rest of the school, we can walk home at the end of the day, and so save on the long tiring journey into town. We go for a swim, relax, or play basketball before showering. We eat a home cooked meal at 6.00pm and then get on with our home learning. We haven’t got our mums and dads to ask if we get stuck, but there’s a lot of us … so someone is bound to know how to solve the problem!  And if they don’t, well there’s always a teacher nearby, who can be asked. At the end of our two hours of work, our home learning is checked and our planners are signed. We relax with an hour of TV, listening to music or playing computer games together, before taking some supper and going to bed at 10pm.

During the weekends we get more time to relax and have fun as there’s always a lot of activities on offer. Sport is big on the agenda: going to the gym; playing basketball, or taking part in school fixtures are all popular activities.  Going to see a film at the cinema is a favourite, but we also enjoy going to the French Cultural Centre from time to time to watch documentaries or see some live music.  

We have the opportunity to attend a place of worship on Sunday morning. Following that, BBQs and shopping make up our Sundays, but by 3.00pm we need to start preparing for school again and so we get out our home learning and pack our bags. It’s good to get everything prepared before our evening meal as it means that we can enjoy the rest of the night. I like the new ‘family group time’ that has been introduced on a Sunday evening. We get to meet our younger ‘siblings’ and reflect on the week. Times like this really help us to feel as though we are part of a family.

One of our highlights, this year, was preparing for our Dar trip.  This was great, as it enabled our parents to get a glimpse of all the fantastic things that we do at school. We were able to share lots of lovely photos with them as well as perform our school musical.  From all they said, they were definitely impressed!" - Justine, Secondary Boarder