Last reviewed: 24 October 2026
Arts and Sports Science is the third senior school pathway under Competency-Based Education. It gives talented and committed learners in music, art, theatre, film and sport a full senior school route built around those strengths. In the 2025 KJSEA results, 48.73% of learners showed potential for this pathway, according to the Ministry of Education. Here is how it works.
On this page
The Two Tracks
The pathway has two tracks, Arts and Sports. Examples of three-subject combinations from the Ministry’s published list include:
- Arts: Computer Studies, Fine Arts, and Music and Dance.
- Arts: Christian Religious Education, Fine Arts, and Theatre and Film.
The Sports track combines sports-related study with other subjects. Fewer schools offer this pathway than STEM or Social Sciences, because it needs specialist teachers and facilities, so it is especially important to check what each school offers on the official selection portal.
Core Subjects
Like every senior school learner, Arts and Sports Science learners take English, Kiswahili (or Kenyan Sign Language), Community Service Learning and Mathematics. They take Essential Mathematics. Physical Education and ICT are support subjects for all learners. See Core vs Essential Mathematics.
Signs This Pathway Suits Your Child
- Strong results in Creative Arts and Sports, including the three-month project done in Grade 9.
- Sustained commitment to an art form or sport, not just enjoyment.
- Participation and recognition in music festivals, drama, art competitions or school games.
- A willingness to practise regularly, often outside class hours.
Priority Boarding Slots
For the first cohort, the top two boys and two girls in Arts and Sports in each sub-county got their preferred boarding schools. See priority boarding slots explained.
Where It Can Lead
The pathway can lead to further study and careers in music, fine art and design, film and media production, theatre, sports science, coaching, physical education teaching, sports management and the wider creative economy. Pairing an arts subject with Computer Studies, as in one of the example combinations, also builds digital skills.
Talking It Through as a Family
Some parents worry that this pathway limits options. It is a full senior school pathway, and learners still take English, Kiswahili and Mathematics. The key questions are whether your child has real commitment to their talent and whether nearby schools offer the combination. Discuss both openly before making the choice in Grade 9.
Questions to Ask a School
Ask which Arts or Sports combinations the school runs, what facilities it has (a music room, art studio, playing fields or a pool), how many specialist teachers it employs, and how learners take part in festivals and games. A visit, where possible, tells you a lot about whether talent is genuinely supported there.
Choosing Schools
Use the Senior School Finder to list schools in your county by cluster and boarding status, then confirm which offer Arts and Sports Science. C1 schools offer all three pathways. Our pathway guide covers the decision step by step.
Keep All Subjects Strong
Placement still uses the combined KJSEA, school-based assessment and KPSEA score, so balanced preparation matters. Our free CBC Challenge is a quick check, and the Year Pass at KSh 4,000 (about KSh 333 a month) covers every learning area, paid by M-Pesa.