Kenya's leading virtual school · Online school · Since 2019

Smartious — Leading Online & Virtual School for IB, IGCSE, Cambridge & Edexcel

Kenya-based, Kenya-founded, Kenya-operating. Live small-group classes 4-6 students. Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma, American AP, Ontario OSSD, and Kenya CBC. Two Nairobi centres for in-person supplementation. 2-8× cheaper than CHS Online, King's InterHigh, and Crimson Global Academy.

Est. 2019 · 400+ students in 22 countries · Two Nairobi centres (Diamond Plaza Parklands & Karen Hardy) · From USD 400/month personalized

Why we beat the competition 10-0

Ten reasons Kenyan families choose Smartious

2-8× lower fees

Smartious from USD 400/month vs CHS Online £10,950/year (USD 13,860), Crimson Global Academy USD 15-25K/year, King's InterHigh £8-15K/year. Same live small-group Cambridge/IB curriculum.

Live small groups of 4-6

Smartious classes 4-6 students. CHS Online up to 10. Crimson variable. Braeburn online 12-15. Physical international schools 15-22. Smaller = more teacher attention, faster feedback, stronger relationships.

Kenya-friendly time zones

EAT UTC+3 delivery matches Kenya school-day rhythm. UK-based schools (CHS Online, King's InterHigh) mean UK morning = Kenya afternoon, disrupting family routine. Smartious 9 AM-12 PM Nairobi = natural school day.

Kenya CBC available

Smartious offers full Kenya CBC (Grade 1-12, KICD-aligned, KCSE-eligible) alongside international curricula. NO UK, US, or NZ virtual school offers CBC. Kenya-domestic by definition.

Six curricula, one provider

Cambridge IGCSE + A-Level, Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma, American AP, Ontario Secondary School Diploma (via CCIS), plus CBC. Multi-curriculum families (CBC + Cambridge) welcome.

Two Nairobi physical centres

Diamond Plaza Parklands (HQ, Est. 2022) and Karen Hardy (Est. 2023). In-person supplementation, examination invigilation, holiday intensives. UK/US/NZ competitors have zero Kenya physical presence.

Kenya founder, Kenya operations

Founded 2019 by Alfred Ouko, BEd Mathematics & Physics UoN 2022. Local admissions team, local support. Understanding of Kenya families' needs, not a distant UK head office.

Kenya examination centres handled

Cambridge exam registration at British Council Nairobi, Braeburn Group centres, Peponi, Brookhouse, ISK, plus Mombasa/Kisumu/Nakuru. Edexcel three series per year. IB Diploma via authorised centres. All logistics managed by Smartious.

Sibling discounts 15-25%

Families with multiple children get meaningful sibling discounts. Not available at CHS Online, Crimson, King's InterHigh — Smartious specifically designs for Kenyan family sizes.

Personalized pricing (fair-play)

Every family gets a quote calibrated to grade level, curriculum choice, enrolment period, and specific needs. No one-size-fits-all pricing. Free consultation call included. Response within 24 hours.

Head-to-head comparison

Smartious vs the alternatives

Criterion	Smartious	CHS Online (UK)	King's InterHigh (UK)	Wolsey Hall (UK)	Crimson Global (NZ)	Braeburn Online (KE)
Annual fees	From USD 4,800 (personalized)	£10,950 (USD 13,860)	£8,000-15,000	£4,000-7,000	USD 15,000-25,000	KES 800K-1.5M (~USD 6,000-11,000)
Live small-group classes	✓ Yes (4-6)	✓ Yes (up to 10)	✓ Yes	✗ Self-paced only	✓ Yes (variable size)	✓ Yes (12-15)
Kenya time-zone-friendly	✓ EAT UTC+3	✗ UK GMT (Kenya lunch)	✗ UK GMT	N/A (self-paced)	✗ Mixed global	✓ EAT UTC+3
Kenya CBC available	✓ Yes	✗ No	✗ No	✗ No	✗ No	✓ Yes
Cambridge IGCSE	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
IB Diploma	✓ Yes	✗ No	✗ No	✗ No	✓ Yes	✗ No
Ontario OSSD	✓ Yes (via CCIS)	✗ No	✗ No	✗ No	✗ No	✗ No
Kenya physical centre	✓ Two Nairobi centres	✗ No	✗ No	✗ No	✗ No	✓ Multiple KE
Kenya exam registration	✓ Managed by us	✗ Family handles	✗ Family handles	✗ Family handles	✗ Family handles	✓ On-campus
Sibling discounts	✓ 15-25%	✗ Limited	✗ Varies	✗ No	✗ No	✓ Limited

Fees indicative and based on publicly available 2026 information from provider websites. Smartious personalized quotes may vary from anchor rates based on curriculum, class size preference, and enrolment period.

Trusted by 400+ families in 22 countries

Real results from real families

400+

Active students across 22 countries

96%

Cambridge IGCSE pass rate (2024/25)

78+

Qualified subject specialist teachers

7 yr

Teaching since 2019 · Nairobi HQ 2022

What Smartious parents say

Real families, real outcomes

A Smartious parent shares their experience

“

We tried Cambridge Home School Online for a term but the UK time zone was destroying our family evenings. Switched to Smartious and everything works — Kenya morning classes, examinations at British Council Nairobi, and the fees are less than half. My son is happier and doing better.

Wanjiru M.

Parent · Karen, Nairobi · Year 10 IGCSE

“

The class size difference is real. My daughter went from 24 students in a Nairobi international school to 5 students at Smartious. Her Physics teacher actually knows her thinking style now. She jumped from a C to an A in one term.

David O.

Parent · Kilimani · Year 12 A-Level

“

What sold us was the CBC option alongside Cambridge. My twins do CBC as their main pathway (they might go to Kenyan universities) but they also take Cambridge Maths and Physics for options. No other online school offers both.

Grace K.

Parent · Runda · Grade 9 CBC + IGCSE

“

Alfred personally answered my questions when we were deciding. That doesn't happen at CHS Online — you get a form response from a UK admissions clerk. Smartious feels like a real Kenyan school that happens to be online.

Mercy A.

Parent · Westlands · Grade 6 CBC

Parent names anonymized to protect student privacy. Full testimonials available on request during consultation.

Common questions

What Kenyan families ask most

What is the difference between a virtual school and online tutoring?

A virtual school delivers structured curriculum (Cambridge, Edexcel, IB, American, Ontario, or CBC) with live teacher-led classes, exam registration, and university placement support. Online tutoring is hourly-paid individual sessions with no structured curriculum. Smartious is a virtual school — though we also offer private tuition as a separate service if you need targeted subject support.

How does Smartious compare to Cambridge Home School Online (CHS Online)?

CHS Online is the UK market leader at approximately £10,950 per year with live small-group classes of up to 10 pupils and ISI accreditation. Smartious delivers the same live small-group Cambridge curriculum (4-6 pupils per class) at 2-3× lower cost with Kenya-friendly EAT time zones and Kenya CBC available. For families where UK ISI accreditation is essential (e.g. local authority commissioning), CHS Online is the safer choice. For everyone else, Smartious.

Do you offer Kenya CBC alongside Cambridge or IB?

Yes. Smartious offers full Kenya CBC (Grade 1-12, KICD-aligned, KCSE-eligible) alongside international curricula. Multi-curriculum families are common — child studying CBC as main pathway with Cambridge Mathematics and Physics as options is a typical setup for families who might target Kenyan universities but want international breadth.

Where do Kenyan students sit Cambridge examinations?

Multiple authorised centres in Kenya — British Council Nairobi, Braeburn Group centres (multiple locations), Peponi School, Brookhouse Schools, International School of Kenya (ISK), plus centres in Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru. Pearson Edexcel offers three examination series per year. Smartious handles all registration logistics — parents do not navigate this themselves.

What if we already have a physical Nairobi school but want to switch?

Common situation. Families switching mid-year work with our admissions team to align curriculum transition points (usually end of term for smoothest handover). We can accept students at any point in the academic year subject to assessment. Existing school records are reviewed and prior learning is credited.

What are the fees for Kenyan families?

Personalized pricing based on curriculum choice, class size preference, grade level, and enrolment period. Starting from USD 400/month (approximately KES 52,000/month at 2026 exchange rates). Sibling discounts 15-25% available. Request a quote via the pricing page and our admissions team will respond within 24 hours.

Can I combine online delivery with in-person supplementation?

Yes. Smartious operates two Nairobi centres — Diamond Plaza Parklands (HQ, established 2022) and Karen Hardy (established 2023). Families based in Nairobi can access in-person supplementary tuition, examination invigilation, and holiday intensives. This hybrid capability is unique to Kenya-based providers — UK, US, and NZ virtual schools have zero Kenya physical presence.

How do university applications work from Smartious?

Personalised university guidance sessions with the Head of Academics. Covers UCAS (UK Russell Group including Oxbridge admissions test prep — MAT, PAT, ENGAA, TSA, HAT), Common Application (US Ivy League + UC system with SAT/ACT + AP portfolio), OUAC (Canadian U15 via Ontario Secondary School Diploma pathway through our CCIS partnership), and Kenya universities via KUCCPS. UCAS personal statement coaching and Common App essay coaching included.

Have a question not answered here? Book a free consultation and our admissions team will walk through your specific situation.

Read the full analysis

The complete Kenya virtual school guide

Article · 10 min read

Virtual School in Kenya 2026: Smartious vs Every Other Option

A full comparative analysis of Smartious against Cambridge Home School Online, King's InterHigh, Wolsey Hall, Crimson Global Academy, and Kenya physical international schools offering virtual options. Fees, class sizes, curricula, time zones, exam centres.

Read the analysis

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