Christian Life for Staff

Staff Church – Every Sunday morning during term times (excluding VISO weekends), staff are invited to the Phoenix Club Café for a time of collective worship. It is a casual ‘cafe style’ church service full of variety, discussion, sung worship and prayer as well as a short talk by a member of staff.

Children are encouraged to take part in an Bible based activity in the adjoining room. Staff gather at 9.30 for coffee with the service starting at 10am. Often, this time is used to pray for the School and aims to develop fellowship as a community.

Homegroups – Everyone is encouraged to join a home group – small casual groups which meet weekly to learn from the Bible, support each other and pray. Leaders volunteer to host and run the sessions in their homes.

Weekly Prayer meetings – These are held at both the Senior School and Prep Schools, during one-morning break. They aim to ‘cover’ the School, staff, and students in prayer.

Alpha Course – A fourteen session Alpha course for staff runs each academic year. It usually takes place in the leader’s home and is a chance to develop friendships as well as learn and discuss personal beliefs. The evening follows the normal Alpha structure with a casual meal, a short video by Nicki Gumble (Alpha founder) and group discussion.

Prayer Triplets – groups of three (or so) people often meet to pray and support each other. They are able to keep each other accountable, encourage depth and growth in individual faith journeys.

Holiday services – Special services are run at Christmas and Easter. Holiday services are held at the start of each term and half term which are a lovely end to the holidays. St Andrew’s Staff meet together in the School chapel for a short, relaxed service followed by refreshments on the terrace.

Outdoor chapel is held at Senior School every Wednesday morning before School starts. The outdoor alter and arch were built to celebrate 25 years of the Senior School in 2014, in what was believed to have been the place where Italian prisoners of war held an outdoor chapel many years earlier.

All staff and Senior School students are welcome to join in this short but special service. Communion is available on alternate weeks.

Courses – The Marriage Course, Parenting Course and Parenting Teenagers Course are run periodically. Staff are invited to join if they would like. It is free of charge and an evening meal is provided. The courses are video led and based on Christian principles with a practical application for everyday life.

The Rising Phoenix Staff Club and Café

The Rising Phoenix Club and Café is a place to relax and unwind. It is located at one side of the campus, away from pupils and other school buildings and is used solely by staff (including their families) and occasionally by parents, during VISOs (visiting weekends).

During the day time, the café serves a selection of coffees, teas, milkshakes and sweet treats. It boasts its own Barista coffee machine using freshly ground coffee beans. The café is a family friendly space, with a children’s play area and surrounded by green fields. The view overlooking the Rift Valley makes it the perfect place to meet friends, colleagues or relax with a coffee and a good book.

In the evening, the space converts in to an adult only bar serving a wide choice of soft and alcoholic beverages, all available at almost cost price. All drinks are deducted from staff accounts at the end of the month (from your payslip). All staff contribute an annual membership fee of 1,500 KES (~£10), to pay bar staff, for satellite TV and improvements to the facilities.

The bar has a relaxed feel, with a fire, comfortable seating and a music system. There is an adjoining room with a pool table, darts board and  television.

The Club is open every Friday and Saturday night and often hosts events such as quiz nights and volleyball competitions. It can also be booked for individual events such as birthday parties, formal dinners, courses (such as the Marriage and Parenting Courses) and regularly by the Chaplaincy Team to hold worship/ prayer sessions.

Staff Stories

Esther Youlten – Mum of three and teacher at Senior School
Arriving at Turi is something we will never forget. After the family goodbyes at Heathrow and the long-haul flight overnight with three young (and very excited) kids, followed by a lengthy bus ride with a gaggle of newly arrived teachers up into the highlands past zebras grazing on the side of the road and colourful villages, we finally stepped off the coach onto the lush, green school lawn and were surrounded by kind people offering us fruit juice.

It was a lovely welcome and the first week was a whirl of settling in, meeting new people, discovering Nakuru and preparing for the start of term. We had expected to feel some culture shock but five months in and we are still waiting for that – you can drink the water from the taps, buy Marmite at Nakumatt, there are no giant spiders or snakes (that we’ve seen!), punctuality is, if anything, more of a priority here than we have been used to in the UK and the weather ranges from the wettest that Lancashire could offer to the sunniest you could find in Cornwall.

Our day to day life is full of variety. Our children go to the Prep School and Nursery (called Turitots) for different amounts of the day. We run one of the two boys’ boarding houses at the Senior School and teach the rest of the time. We have found the pupils at the Senior School to be fun, hard working (on the whole!) and very caring towards each other. Similarly, the staff community is full of warmth and we are enjoying getting to know a wide range of people from all over the world.

The centrality of the Christian faith to what goes on here is a real strength and there are many ways to get involved if that is something that is important to you, from outdoor chapel services to prayer groups, Bible studies and Alpha courses.

Everyone has their story of how they found themselves at Turi, and many of them are extraordinary. For us it has been about the opportunity to pull together so many things that we love – experiencing life in Africa, working with people who are passionate about what they do, being part of a growing Christian community and being able to give our children experiences that we could not have imagined possible.

Georgia Long – Turi student and Gap student at Prep School
My Parents worked at Turi from 2005 to 2012, so I attended the Prep School and Senior School. I loved my time here and especially enjoyed the sport. Growing up at Turi was ideal for me because of the immense freedom. The Turi grounds have so much space to run around in, get muddy, climb trees and make dens in the forest. My siblings and I loved going on walks in the forest trying to search for the Colobus monkeys and going for bike rides around the site. I couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable childhood.

I went off to the UK for my sixth form to a school called Ardingly College and decided that I wanted to come back for my gap year which was what I did. I have loved being on the teaching side of the school and working with the sports teams.

The best part of being a gap student is you get to go on all the school trips! After my year at Turi I will head back to the UK to study Physiotherapy at Keele University, which I am very much looking forward to.

Sally Andwati – Mum of two, Senior School Teacher and Careers Advisor
I had always been a ‘city girl’. Born, raised and educated in Kenya’s capital city, I feel that can expertly use the phrase ’fast and furious’ to describe  Nairobi’s expeditious life style.  As much as I loved and enjoyed living and working in our great city, I soon began to feel a need for a change. It did not take me long before I had narrowed down to one school. After only one visit to Turi, I was completely sold.

Nestled in the hills of the Molo, Rift Valley region, I found a gem. St Andrew’s School appealed to me in many ways: I was taken by the beautiful environment, the fresh air and the lovely people. I met students that were so well grounded in their values and Christian ethos; I knew that this was where I wanted to continue my teaching career. Because our small classes are made up of students from different background, teaching is much more enjoyable when students share their experiences.

I have never enjoyed teaching English Literature lessons more. The staff was welcoming and very accommodating. As a mother, the School offers my boys a safe haven where, not only are they nurtured in their educational needs, but also in their social lives. Where else would my four year old find open, lush green grounds to run freely? My fifteen year old swims, cycles and enjoys playing rugby. Turi has offered him a place to simply be.

I cannot describe the peace of mind that I have knowing that my children are safe and happy while I am at work. I am only five minutes away from home.  Nairobi cannot compare. As a Christian, I value the fact that Turi has its core founded in serving others and loving God. My sons are constantly exposed to these ideals, and yet they are still allowed to grow as individuals. Since coming to Turi eight years ago, I have grown tremendously both in my profession and as a person.

Turi has provided me with opportunity to enhance my teaching and allowed me to pursue my talents. My husband and I are now very proud ‘country people’. We visit Nairobi every once in a while, but we do love the country air more!