Nova Academies starts a girls' high school in Kiambu

Founder Nova Academies Mr Christopher Khaemba with Pioneer Academy Jackal Creek campus students in Johannesburg in South African on December 10, 2016. Nova Academies has started a girls' secondary school in Kiambu County. PHOTO | ANTHONY NJAGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Nova Academies will deliver top academic results, strong values, and the holistic development needed to build the next generation of leaders and innovators.
  • The educationist says that at Nova Academies students will learn through creation and exploration rather than just memorising.

Nova Academies have started a girls high School, Kiambu County.

Former Alliance High School Principal, African Leadership Academy and Founding Team member of Nova Academies Mr Christopher Khaemba has told the Nation on Thursday the girls' secondary school will admit 128 students into the Form One in January 2017.

Mr Khaemba said that combining his experience in leading Alliance High School and the African Leadership Academy and working with top educators, they will help deliver top academic results, strong values, and the holistic development needed to build the next generation of leaders and innovators.

‘We are preparing our youth to succeed  in the 21st century and this requires teaching them new skills with a new approach," he said.

Nova, which currently has four schools running in South Africa, is opening its second in Kenya in Tatu City.

"Combining my experience leading Alliance High School with cutting edge methods from the best US Educators, Nova’s learning environment equips students to be globally competitive.’’

"The school, which opens in January 2017, seeks to put integrate teaching and coaching methods adopted from top schools and embellished with input from global captains of industry," said Khaemba.

"Our students will achieve tip KCSE results in addition to developing the character and skills they will need as the next generation of leaders and innovators," he added.

The Nova Academies — modelled on the  Pioneer Academies in South Africa — is likely to attract attention not only for its approach to education, but also the involvement of respected former Alliance High School principal Christopher Khaemba.

The system in the South African School  Nova Pioneer Academies is enriched and integrated with aspects of French, British and US systems with a focus on science, technology, engineering, mathematics and research.

The founders of Nova Academies Mr  Khaemba (Kenya) Mr Chinezi  Chijioke (Global CEO South Africa) and Mr Oliver Sabot (USA) have picked Dr Joy Kiano as the Nova Academies Girls High School Principal.

Founder Nova Academies Mr Christopher Khaemba (right) and Mr Nick Langford representing Tatu City management signing an agreement at the New Stanley Hotel in August 2016. Nova Academies Girls High School opens in January 2017. PHOTO | ANTHONY NJAGI  | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Mr Khaemba said construction of the modern campus, whose buildings have been designed by the award-winning architecture group Pharos, and are built by the experience developer TechnoConstruct using state of the art Light Gauge Steel technology, is near completion.

IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS

Nova Academies CEO Mr Oliver Sabot said the The Tatu campus will house state of the art classrooms and dormitories full size football and rugby pitches, as well as tennis, basketball, volleyball, an auditorium for theatre and music, and track athletics and a swimming pool.

"Nova’s first school in Kenya, Nova Academies Boys High School in Kikuyu town, has completed its first year and registered dramatic impact on students who have made impressive progress in developing innovation skills through Nova’s unique approach," said Mr Sabot.

Mr Khaemba says the system he established at the African Leadership Academy was quickly acknowledged as innovative and globally competitive as evidenced by 100 per cent admission rate to the leading universities worldwide.

“We tracked the performance of the students who had joined universities and all of them graduated with honours and had strong transcripts in their coursework,’’ he told Nation .

The educationist says that at Nova Academies students will learn through creation and exploration rather than just memorising.

He says that although the school is offering the 8-4-4 curriculum, the system is full of hands-on projects and problem-solving challenges that build the confidence and character that students need to become innovators and leaders.