County News
From a humble start to one of the best, California Integrated Academy celebrates impressive KCPE results
NAIROBI—From a humble learning center at the backstreets of California estate in Kamakunji Constituency in 2010 to one of the top private primary schools, California Integrated Academy is a classical story of how not to lose the sigh of an antelope for a squirrel.
Despite its humble beginning, the school is now jostling for space with big institutions that have stayed in the field for more than two decades and more.
The original school conceived Califonia Educational Centre and California Secondary School where inaugural students are joining Form Three next year. The learning facilities are now under the umbrella of “California Group of Schools” and a new outlet is set for open in January 2020.
The secret? A well-equipped learning area, sound teacher-parents relationship and a team of committed teachers.
KCPE 2019 RESULT
It was yet another milestone for California Integrated Academy on Monday when the results of the year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Prof George Mughoha at Mtihani House.
The school posted a mean grade of 360 with the last student getting more than 320 marks and the leading girl scooping 400 marks out of the possible 500 marks.
Nationally, the best pupil—Andy Michael Munyiri of Damacrest Academy—
scored 440 marks. The number of candidates who scored 400 marks and above dropped from 11,559 in 2018 to 9,770.
“We are proud of that result and honestly, it is among the few impressive results in this region (Kamakunji),” Johnston Musau, the headteacher of the school told Kulan Post.
At the school compound, the successful candidates made merry; hugging, clapping and cheering each other. Happiness beamed out of their jovial faces as chants of “California e-e-e, California a-a-a,” rented the air. The pupils could not hide the joy of winning after eight years of toil.
“I want to be a neurosurgeon,” Fardhowsa said. She urged next year’s candidates to put more effort into their studies.
The school teachers credited the success of the school on sound teacher-parent relations and equipping the candidates for the final exams.
“Quality is our goal…we create an interactive session with the pupils and equip them for the exams from Class Seven,” the headteacher, Mr Musau said.
The vice-CEO of the school, Mohamud Sheikh noted that the impressive results posted were just a continuation of the school management’s commitment to progressively aim for higher grades.
“Back in 2017, we posted a mean grade of 383,” Mohamud stated, adding that the school’s “atmosphere of excellence” is the cause of the success.
Kulan Post caught up with the school co-founder, Abdirahman Shibli to ask about how a little known school became the talk of the town.
He said that the school directors availed all the needed support—both technical and moral—setting the atmosphere for greatness.
“The results were not just a sudden thing. It’s something that we heavily invested in in terms of time and resources,” Shibli said, adding that more efforts will be pumped into future national tests in a bid to clock better results.
Shilbli similarly thanked the school parents for the support, saying the school will only get better and post impressive results in the next year’s KCPE.
He also thanked the school parents for the support, saying the school will only get better and post impressive results in the next year’s KCPE.
“We started this journey together back in 2010 and we are indebted to you the parent for trusting the future of your children with us and also for having supported us all along,” Shibli said.
“We will never disappoint,” he insisted, confidence plastered all over his face.
