As Education CS Ezekiel Machogu announced the KCPE results last Thursday, my aunt Steph and my daughter Diana were having breakfast. Diana is in Grade 5 at a local school in our estate.
Usually, I would have breakfast alone on such days, save this was during the holidays as schools had closed. My aunt Steph, my wife Josephine and I had, earlier that morning, discussed transferring Diana to a better school, but we were in a dilemma.
We wanted a competent school renowned for its efficiency in teaching a Competency-Based Curriculum and where every teacher understands students' needs.
In fact, my wife Josephine preferred a school with a child-centred approach and facilitators of a fantastic educational experience. Thus, we were searching for a unique school, and the results of the final KCPE exam, which marked the end of an era, were a blessing.
As Machogu announced the top KCPE 2023 candidate, my daughter, Diana, rose and shouted, “Daddy, I want to join this school!”
Stunned, we looked at each other, and I immediately recalled that one of my friends usually speaks highly about the Riara Group of Schools.
Michael Warutere of Riara Springs Primary, Imara Daima, off Mombasa Road, topped the KCPE exams with 428.
But what surprised me the most was that Warutere was at Riara since the age of three in Rainbow, which was the youngest class in kindergarten at the time; now, they have a Playgroup for children aged 22 months to three years. He had thus spent 11 years with Riara.
"The Riara management is top-notch. We have been in this industry for the last 50 years now. The school has a history of success and we provide world-class education in all our institutions."
"We serve students right from kindergarten, primary, and junior secondary school. We have a girls’ high school, an international school and a university,” Warutere’s headteacher, John Muriithi, added, piquing my interest.
I poured some more tea and stared at Aunt Steph. There was that familiar look on our faces when our eyes met, and we realised what a gem we had just discovered.
Later, I read an article where Riara Group of Schools Director Juju Gachukia stated that the exam results were a testament to the passion and perseverance of teachers and the dream of the founders, Mr. Daniel Gachukia and Dr.Eddah Gachukia.
We immediately made a few phone calls to scholars we knew and checked the Riara Group of School website for more information.
Open Day
My aunt Steph and I discovered that the Riara Group of Schools was set to conduct an Open Day at all their schools on Saturday, December 2 this year, except for the Riara International School.
Riara Kindergarten and Riara Primary School, both located on Riara Road, off Ngong Road and Riara Springs Kindergarten and Riara Springs Primary, both situated in Imara Daima, will be hosting Open Days.
Additionally, the Riara Junior Secondary School on Riara Road off Ngong Road, the Riara Springs Junior Secondary School and the Riara Springs Girls High School, both at Imara Daima, will also be hosting their Open Days on the same date, December 2 this year.
I immediately thought this was a great opportunity to learn more and see why Riara is the perfect place for my child to thrive.
“Nephew, so this is the chance for Diana to join Riara,” my aunt Steph concurred with me as Diana finished a drawing she had started painting two days ago. Aunt Steph calls me Nephew rather than John.
On its social media pages, Riara Group of Schools stated that the Open Day will run concurrently across all schools under the theme Marked By Excellence.
I remembered that two years ago, my friend Jonathan had invited me to accompany him to enrol his daughter at Riara Springs Primary. Who was the best person to ask about the schools if not him?
“My guy, I knew you would come along.” Jonathan, a communication consultant and my former classmate, laughed and joked via phone.
“They have 360 academic solutions - like our daughters can study at Riara from Kindergarten to University. Boys can do kindergarten, primary, and junior secondary, as high school is for girls only. But boys can join the university later on.”
According to Jonathan, the Riara Group of Schools, which runs the 7 institutions I mentioned above, is the pioneer in high-quality education and offers local and international curricula.
“They have been around for nearly 50 years, and you won’t believe this; they are one of the schools that were benchmarked for CBC as they already had the practical training entrenched in their 8-4-4 delivery,” Jonathan stated.
“Wow,” Aunt Steph, who was listening in as I had placed the phone on the loudspeaker, was surprised.
Jonathan added that Riara keeps their class sizes small, a maximum of 25 students per class, ensuring a great teacher–student ratio meaning each student gets the attention they deserve.
“They also have a holistic approach to developing their student's academic, social and critical thinking skills that also heavily incorporates co-curricular activities such as music and sports,” he explained.
But what moved me most was that the schools focused not only on empowering students but also on empowering teachers. They understood the importance of ensuring a teacher has a conducive working environment and is happy.
“Riara Group of Schools has a track record of long-serving teachers. They even have a teacher who has been with them for 30 years.
“They are constantly training and retraining all teachers. They have a rich culture of high-quality pedagogy among their trainers, allowing them to train sufficiently in all local and international curricula,” he added.
Breakdown of Riara Group of Schools
“The Riara Group of Schools aims to pursue excellence in the provision of quality kindergarten, primary, junior secondary, high school, and international education,” Jonathan, a communication consultant and my former campus classmate, told me via call.
Jonathan added that RGS founders Daniel K. Gachukia and Dr. Eddah Gachukia have been key contributors to the country's educational policies. In fact, in 1994, Mr. Gachukia played a leading role in the establishment of the Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA), an association of owners of private schools in Kenya which follow the Kenya Curriculum of Education, for which he was founding chairman for 10 years”.
“The schools believe that learning is an interactive and exciting journey of discovery. Combining an individualised approach and wide-ranging learning opportunities, pupils are nurtured in a safe and secure environment. This combination brings out the best in every student who joins the Riara Group of Schools,” he added.
The Riara Group of Schools has nine schools located on either Nairobi’s Riara Road off Ngong Road or in Imara Daima off Mombasa Road, on Riara Road, the Riara Kindergarten, the Riara Primary, the Riara Junior Secondary School, the Riara International Preparatory School and the Riara International High.
Across town in Imara Daima off Mombasa Road, the Riara Springs Campus can be found, which is home to the Riara Springs Kindergarten, Riara Springs Primary School, Riara Springs Junior Secondary and the Riara Springs Girls High School.
In summary, a student can start learning from kindergarten all the way to Riara University.
Here are Riara Schools
Riara Kindergartens
Riara has two kindergartens; Riara Kindergarten along Riara Road, off Ngong Road and Riara Springs Kindergarten - Imara Daima off Mombasa Road.
The kindergartens cater for children aged between 22 months to 3 years for its playgroup and ages 3 to 6 for Reception Class, PP1 and PP2.
“We believe in laying a quality foundation in the early years of life. We aim to provide an enriched early childhood education experience that includes various aspects of our diverse Kenyan,” Riara management stated.
Riara Primary Schools
Students can join Riara Primary School along Riara Road, off Ngong Road and Riara Springs Primary School in Imara Daima, off Mombasa Road.
Riara schools are a model of excellence in both word and deed. In Riara, learning is an exciting journey. The schools pursue excellence in all they do. Their rich, comprehensive program and immeasurably talented, interesting faculty and learners set them apart.
Riara Junior Schools
Riara Junior Secondary School - Riara Road, off Ngong Road
Riara Springs Junior Secondary School - Imara Daima off Mombasa Road
The Riara Junior Secondary School, the latest entrant in the group of schools, carries on the long-established reputation associated with the Riara brand of ensuring students' needs are at the heart of learning. The schools seek to develop, nurture and provide every learner with the opportunities to succeed, all in a conducive environment supported by professionals who aim to get the best from each child.
Riara Springs Girls High School
This unique girls’ boarding school offers the 8-4-4 national curriculum. Its vision is to provide holistic education with deliberate structures put in place to cultivate the students' intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and physical development.
Girls are encouraged to become critical thinkers, innovators and decision-makers. The learning activities aim to bring out the skills and experience that young people require to meet the challenges and dynamics of a fast-changing world.
Riara Springs Girls High School empowers students to be all-rounded, with an added advantage over their peers regarding leadership, entrepreneurship, innovativeness and talent exposure.
It is also one of the only niche private high schools within the city, giving it a competitive advantage. The school provides an education designed to have its students thrive worldwide, with students going on academic and cultural exposure trips across the globe and interacting with certified professionals who mentor them.
How to Attend Riara Group of School’s Open Day
Visit the schools personally on Saturday, December 2 2023, and engage with teachers.
Riara schools accept all students, and there is a 100 per cent chance your student will be accepted.
Also, watch out for the Riara team at your nearest mall in Nairobi throughout December and feel free to engage with them.
Finally, visit our social media pages, learn more, or interact with us.
You can also fill in details on an Online Student Registration platform.
Click on this link and fill out the form. Someone from the Riara admission team will get back to you shortly.
Also, click on this link to see the admissions procedure.
You can also reach out to Riara schools and ask about the admission procedure, school fees and other programs via;
Email: admissions@riaraschools.ac.ke
Phone Call: 0703038100 / 0703038201
What are you waiting for? Register your child for the 2023-24 academic year.