Quick summary of key school information
All the details about this school in their own words
| Number of students |
961 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
80 |
| Most common nationality |
American |
| Ratio of local students to international students |
7:50 |
| Max. number of students per class |
25 |
| Average number of students per class |
Lower School (21-24 students per class) / Upper School (9 - 18 students per class) |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes |
| Native English speaking teachers |
The majority of our teachers are natives speakers of the English language. |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
No |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
Arabic, Spanish and French |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
Yes, such as laptops, iPads and tablets, C-Touch screens, littleBits Kits, EV3 Lego Robotics and Google Classroom. |
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Yes |
| Approximate hours of homework given |
The suggested amount of time depends on the grade level of the student. |
| Uniform required |
Yes |
| Waiting list |
No |
| Entry evaluation for students |
Yes. We require all prospective students to take an entry assessment. |
| Brief description of entry evaluation required |
This evaluation is a MAP assessment to measure a student's aptitude in Mathematics and Reading in accordance with their grade level. Also, our Admissions team conducts interviews with families as part of the interview process. |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
Our registration cycle is ongoing. However, the registration deadline for any academic year typically happens sometime in February. |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes |
| Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
Our first graduating class is 2019. We have a 100% acceptance rate into higher education institutions for our first graduating class. |
| External examinations or assessments available |
SAT, ILETS and AP exams |
| Results in these examinations |
We are above the international average in these examinations. |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
As a school in Qatar, we have prayer rooms for male and female students that practice Islam. |
| How does the school accommodate non-religious students or students of a different religion? |
As a diverse and inclusive American school, we accommodate all students, whether they are non-religious or religious. We respect everyone's free pursuit to freedom and liberty, including their choice of religion. |
| School bus service available |
Yes. Our bus service covers Doha and the Al Wakrah municipality. |
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Yes, each grade in Lower School (Pre-K - Grade 5) has their own Student Support Teacher (SST) that supports students with special learning needs. Our SST personnel works with parents inside and outside of the classroom on a daily and weekly basis. For Upper School, we have a SST person for Grades 6 - 12. |
| Learning support offered |
The level of support is based on individual learning plans. |
| The school supports gifted, able and talented students |
GAAQ has a Honors program as well as Advanced Placement (AP) courses. |
| Student access to education psychologist |
No, but our school has certified school counselors who have access to and can recommend educational psychologists. |
| School start time |
7:50 AM |
| School finish time |
2:30 PM every day except Tuesdays, where we finish at 1:30 PM to support teacher professional development and departmental meetings. |
| Supervised care before/after school |
Students are allowed to enter the school at 7:30 AM where students will be supervised by school staff. Also, we have afterschool activities (ASA) and clubs during the year for KG2 - Grade 12 students; these ASAs are supervised by a GAAQ teacher or staff member. |
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
GAAQ offers a variety of athletic, academic enrichment and interest-based extracurricular activities and clubs that are free. For example, we include, but are not limited to, academic enrichment clubs such as reading club, math club, Spanish club and science tutoring. Interest-based clubs include, but are not limited to, art club, fitness club, Qur'an study, Girl Scouts and environment science club. Lastly, athletic clubs include, but are not limited to, yoga, basketball, football (soccer) and volleyball. |
| School provided lunches |
Yes |
| Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc) |
Yes, we do have vegetarian and vegan options. Also, all food prepared is halal. |
| Sports activities included |
Pre-K has their own gym. KG1 and KG2 have their own gym space, as well. Grade 1 - Grade 12 use our Multipurpose Sports Hall space and we have an outdoor, rooftop play area. Recess is a common activity in the Lower School curriculum, so we have open, safe and shaded recess play areas for these activities. Upper School has a crossfit room and we have included physical fitness as an academic unit of Physical Education (PE). Also, we have an annual Sports Day where Lower School and Upper School students compete in various athletic events to increase and promote physical activity and teamwork. |
| Sports facilities at the school |
Pre-K has their own gym. KG1 and KG2 have their own gym space, as well. Grade 1 - Grade 12 use our Multipurpose Sports Hall space and we have an outdoor, rooftop play area. |
| Sports teams or sport competitions available for students |
GAAQ hosts an annual Sports Day for the entire school, monthly Upper School House challenges and a House football league during lunch every Tuesday, daily afterschool activities and are participants in QUESS League sports such as football (soccer), badminton and volleyball. In addition, we have other sports teams such as basketball and netball, all for boys and girls group by age. |
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
NEASC accredited school; The Knowledge Review Magazine's Top 10 Best International School in Qatar; highest parent satisfaction rating among American schools in the GEMS Education network; 1st K-12 Qatar school with a hydroponic greenhouse; Tuesday internship intensive for 12th grade students, Bring-a-Friend-to-School Day every 3rd Tuesday of the month; Offers an array of College Board-certified Advance Placement (AP) courses; Granted permission to offer the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award; approved to administer the IGCSE Arabic exam; student rock band, Steemgate, is the reigning back-to-back "Battle of the Bands" competition champions. |
| Teaching approach of the school |
GEMS American Academy Qatar believes that all people have unconditional worth and potential. So, one of our goals is to cultivate a lifelong and engaged learning environment where students, parents and teachers pursue learning long-term and appreciate curiosity and imagination. Moreover, the school teachers in diversified learning styles, where students learn through various approaches such as visual, auditory and tactile instruction. GAAQ is focused on developing the whole child in areas such as academic, social, emotional and cognitive development as we promote growth through learning, global citizenship, the pursuit of excellence and leadership through innovation. |