Why JAMS?

Jane Adeny Memorial School for Girls

• Is a secondary school “good enough for the richest, open to the poorest,”
• Provides an innovative, effective pedagogical model for the nation of Kenya and East Africa,
• Empowers girls to become women who participate fully in the life of the nation.

Teaching methods, school governance, curriculum, and living conditions are all designed to empower the girls and develop effective life skills and leadership qualities. JAMS is grounded in a holistic philosophy: we care about the whole child, her emotional, physical, and intellectual well-being.

Results

• JAMS has grown from twelve students in 2011 to 168 in 2025.
• Since the first graduating class in 2014, all JAMS students have passed the national Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam—a graduation rate of 100%.
• Since 2019, all JAMS graduates have qualified for higher education (university or vocational college) while the national average is about 35%.

Teaching Methods

Teaching methods at JAMS focus on active learning and independent thinking.

• Students are encouraged to ask questions.
• Class sessions include discussion and hands-on activities.
• Students are taught to do research on their own.
• Students teach peers, lead group discussions, and collaborate on projects.

School Governance

JAMS students learn leadership skills through their involvement in school governance.

• Students participate in initiating and making policy for the school.
• This involvement in decision-making empowers students and instills self-respect.
• Students decide how to work together to keep their dormitories, dining hall, classrooms, and the school compound clean and organized.

Curriculum

JAMS is registered and accredited by the Kenyan Ministry of Education and thus provides the required secondary school courses: Kiswahili, English, history, geography, math, biology, physics, chemistry, business, agriculture, religious education. In addition, JAMS provides enriched resources and activities such as

• A library open to students and teachers
• A computer lab
• Fully equipped biology, chemistry, and physics labs for hands-on experiments
• On-campus micro-enterprises through which students learn entrepreneurial and agricultural skills: bakery, poultry, piggery, dairy, greenhouse, tailoring
• A music (instrumental and vocal) program
• Guest teachers who are expert in their fields
• Opportunities to engage in activities that include ball games, athletics, music, debates, and science competitions

The students have responded by organizing their own study halls and mini-classes that they teach themselves.

Living Conditions

The JAMS campus provides clean, healthy, spacious facilities for living, studying, and playing. Unlike most other high schools in Kenya, JAMS provides every student the necessities girls require to be healthy and productive, including plenty of nutritious food, sanitary supplies, mosquito nets, toiletries, school uniforms, and medical attention.