Last reviewed: 24 October 2026
After KJSEA results and placement, each learner is given a Grade 10 school and an admission letter. For many families this is their first experience of senior school admission under Competency-Based Education. This guide explains how it worked for the first cohort, what to check in the letter and how to prepare for reporting day. Dates for the 2026 cohort had not been announced as of 24 October 2026.
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Admission Letters Are Issued Online
For the first cohort, admission letters were issued online through the Ministry of Education’s system after placement. Schools also publish their own joining instructions, often as downloadable documents on their websites. Always get the letter from the official system or the school itself, never from a stranger who asks for payment.
What the Letter Usually Contains
- The learner’s name and assessment number.
- The school’s name, cluster and whether it is day or boarding.
- The pathway and subject combination placed in.
- The reporting date and time.
- The fee structure and a list of required items (often called the shopping list).
Check the Fee Structure
Under Gazette Notice No. 1449 of 6 February 2026, public day senior schools charge parents nothing in tuition, and boarding schools may charge up to KSh 53,554 or KSh 40,535 a year depending on their previously approved ceiling. Special needs senior schools have a parent share of KSh 12,790. Fees are spread over three terms at a 50:30:20 ratio. The Ministry’s senior school guidelines say schools must issue fee structures broken down by vote head and give official receipts. If the parent total is above the ceiling, ask in writing what the extra is for and which approval covers it. See senior school fees 2026 and boarding fees per term.
Admission in NEMIS/KEMIS
Grade 10 admission is recorded in the Ministry’s learner database, NEMIS/KEMIS. Under the guidelines reported for the first cohort, principals may not admit a learner in the system before the learner physically reports. If your child’s record is not moved after reporting, ask the school to complete the admission promptly, because the record matters for capitation and future assessments.
A Reporting-Day Checklist
- The admission letter, printed.
- The KJSEA result slip and the learner’s birth certificate or other documents the school lists.
- Proof of any fee payment, using only the official channels named by the school.
- Items on the shopping list, labelled with your child’s name.
- Medical information the school should know about.
If You Cannot Pay Fees on Day One
The Ministry’s guidelines allow instalments under a signed payment plan while the learner stays in school, and prohibit sending students away for non-payment of boarding fees, as provided in the Basic Education Act. Talk to the principal early. Our bursaries and scholarships guide lists sources of help.
If the School Does Not Suit You
Transfer requests go through the junior school before reporting. Read Grade 10 transfer requests for how that works.
Look Up the School
Use the Senior School Finder to check the school’s cluster, county and boarding status. If you have younger children, the Year Pass at KSh 4,000 covers papers, quizzes and revision books for a full year, paid by M-Pesa.