Who we are

A place where every child
belongs & blooms

Niwa (庭, /nee-wah/) is a Japanese word meaning private garden — a quiet, beautiful space where things grow in their own time. That's exactly what we've built: a child-led kindergarten in Nairobi that honours every child's unique rhythm.

"Children don't need more stimulation. They need space, wonder, and someone who believes in them."

At its core, Niwa follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), then weaves in the best ideas from how young children learn around the world: the belief that every child is capable and full of ideas, a deep respect for independence, the joy of inquiry and big questions, and a steady commitment to strong foundations — all shaped into something warm, joyful, and unmistakably Niwa.

Built from the ground up

A purpose-designed facility where every detail — from the door handles to the garden paths — has been chosen with small children in mind.

Children exploring at Niwa kindergarten in Nairobi
6m
to 6yrs
A world-class approach

The best ideas from early-years education everywhere — child-led inquiry, hands-on discovery, language richness, and strong foundations — brought together in one joyful journey.

1500m² purpose facility

A state-of-the-art campus designed specifically for how young children learn and move through the world.

What we're really building

More than counting
and colours

None of us can quite picture the world our children will grow into. It's changing too fast. So we don't prepare them for a single right answer. We prepare them to think, to adapt, and to keep going when things get hard.

That's the deliberate, patient work beneath every Niwa morning. It rests on three commitments.

A child learning through play at Niwa
Pillar i.
Protecting childhood

These years are short, and precious. We keep them full of play, wonder, curiosity and exploration. We refuse to rush children into "schooliness" before they're ready. Childhood isn't a waiting room for school; it's where the deepest growing happens.

Pillar ii.
Strong foundations

Beneath all the play, the real basics take root: early literacy and numbers, rich language, independence, self-management, and the social skills to belong in a group. The careful groundwork that sets a child up for primary school and far beyond.

Pillar iii.
A future-ready mind

We deliberately build the psychology and grit no worksheet can teach: thinking for yourself, solving problems, sitting with frustration, and bouncing back. So that whatever the world becomes, our children can meet it, and thrive.

Who they become

A way of being
in the world

A Niwa child doesn't just leave with letters and numbers — they leave with five quiet qualities, built through years of warm mornings, scraped knees, hard puzzles, and big feelings, held by adults who notice everything.

i.
Well‑rounded

Curious across many worlds — books and gardens, music and maths, friendship and wonder. Never just one thing.

→
ii.
Empathetic

Listens before speaking. Notices when a friend is quiet. Carries the feelings of others as carefully as their own.

→
iii.
Humble

Knows that learning never ends, and that the smartest thing you can say is often "tell me more."

→
iv.
Resilient

Falls, breathes, tries again. Builds an inner steadiness that no setback can shake for long.

→
v.
With grit

Stays with the hard thing — the tricky knot, the long story, the unfinished tower — until it becomes a small triumph.

→
On track Build progress

On track for
Q1 2027

Niwa is moving from blueprint to garden, term by term. Here's what's coming, when.

1
Q2 · 2026
Site
groundbreaking
2
Q4 · 2026
Building
complete
3
Q4 · 2026
Staff
hiring
4
Q1 · 2027
Open day &
family tours
5
Q1 · 2027
Doors
open
The everyday · In practice

What this looks
like every day

The people, the place, and the small, everyday things that shape a Niwa morning.

Small groups,
warm ratios
Qualified, caring
educators
A real garden
to learn in
Purpose-built
& eco-conscious
Safe by
design
Meet the team

The people
behind Niwa

Niwa is being built by educators and parents who've spent their working lives thinking about how young children grow. You'll see them at drop-off, at parent evenings, and in the garden with your child.

Niwa co-founder portrait
Co-founder
Mirali Shah

Mirali has spent thirteen years in accounting and finance, with an equal share of her attention on early childhood. She is building Niwa to close the gaps she's seen between how young children actually learn and what most settings provide.

BA Accounting and Financial Management, University of Sheffield · Early Education Leadership, Harvard
Niwa Founding Head of Nursery portrait
Founding Head of Nursery
Victoria Ogilvie

Victoria is an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) specialist with over twenty years of leadership across the UK, the Middle East, and Asia. Her record includes a kindergarten's first 'Outstanding' inspection rating, successful HPL, ETEC and CIS accreditations, and the design of play-based EYFS programmes from the ground up.

PGCE (Primary, 3–11) · CACHE Level 5 in Leadership
Niwa co-founder portrait
Co-founder
Rushabh Shah

Rushabh has built his career across sales and marketing in agriculture — and travelled widely along the way. He's building Niwa to help raise a more resilient next generation, and to bring real-world skills into the classroom from the very first year.

BSc Economics, University of Warwick · Most Influential Visionary Leaders, 2026
Begin the journey

Tell us about
your little one

Share a few details and we'll be in touch — usually within two working days — with a warm welcome, our prospectus, and an invitation to meet the founders at Niwa's launch event.

  • 01We send you our family prospectus
  • 02An unhurried conversation with our founders at Niwa's launch event
  • 03A 20-minute call with our admissions team
Prefer to write directly? info@niwaschool.com

We'll only ever use your details to talk to you about Niwa — never shared.

Find Us
Niwa
Nairobi, Kenya
Get Directions
Tweaks
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Build timeline Show the "On track for September 2027" section between Outcomes and Promise.