Last reviewed: 25 October 2026
A well-run open day is still one of the most effective ways for a private school in Kenya to win new families. Parents want to see the classrooms, meet the teachers and picture their child there. A rushed or disorganised open day does the opposite. Here is a practical plan.
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When to hold it
Most families decide on schools in the months before a new academic year, which in Kenya starts in January. An open day in October or November, after parents have seen results and before the December holidays, catches families while they are deciding. A second, smaller open day in the first weeks of the year can catch late movers and families relocating to your area. Saturday mornings usually work best for working parents.
Invite the right people
Your best source of new families is your current parents. Ask them to bring a friend or neighbour. Also reach families through local churches and mosques, estate notice boards, your school website and Google Business Profile. If you do not yet have a proper website, read our school website guide; a site with an online enquiry form, such as those built with Anademy Sites, lets parents register for the open day in a minute.
Prepare the school
- Clean classrooms with learners’ real work on the walls, especially CBC projects and portfolios
- Safe, tidy toilets, kitchen and play areas; parents always check these
- Clear signs and a few learners or staff guiding visitors
- Your fee structure printed and ready, with no hidden extras
- Registration forms or a QR code linking to your online application
Show CBC in action
Many parents are still unsure what Competency-Based Curriculum learning looks like. Set up short demonstrations: a Grade 4 science activity, a junior school coding or agriculture project, a pre-primary play-based lesson. Let a teacher explain how learners are assessed with rubrics. Our explainers on school-based assessment and junior school projects are useful background to share with parents.
Run a short, honest talk
Keep the head teacher’s talk to around 15 minutes. Cover your values, class sizes, staff qualifications, results trends you can verify, safety, meals and transport, and fees. Avoid exaggerated claims; parents compare notes, and trust is everything. Leave time for questions.
Capture every enquiry
The biggest open day mistake is failing to record who came. Collect each family’s name, phone number, child’s age and the grade they are interested in. A simple sign-in sheet works, but an online form feeding an admissions list is easier to follow up. Anademy’s admissions CRM is built for exactly this: every enquiry becomes a record with a follow-up date.
Follow up within 48 hours
Call or message every family within two days to thank them and answer questions. Offer an assessment date or a second visit. Families who are contacted quickly enrol at noticeably higher rates than those who hear nothing for a week.
Measure the result
After the event, count visitors, applications and confirmed admissions. Note how each family heard about the open day. Over two or three events you will see which invitations actually bring learners, and you can drop the ones that do not.
Open day checklist
- Date set and announced at least three weeks ahead
- Current parents asked to invite friends
- Classrooms, toilets and kitchen ready
- CBC demonstrations planned
- Fee structure printed
- Sign-in or online registration ready
- Follow-up calls within 48 hours
- Results recorded
Budget for the day
An open day does not need to be expensive. The main costs are printing, light refreshments, a banner and staff time. Spend on the things parents notice, such as a clean compound and well-prepared teachers, rather than on decorations or entertainment.
For a wider plan, read how to market a private school in Kenya and visit the school owners hub.