Welcome to Sherborne Qatar, a place where stories come alive and dreams take flight. As you step into our welcoming family of British schools in Doha, we invite you to find a seat and immerse yourself in the remarkable Sherborne WAY.
We understand your desire to provide the best for your children. That is why we offer an inclusive Family of Schools, with a range of single-gender and coeducational schools to suit your family's preferences. Our tailored opportunities cater to each child's unique needs, ensuring they reach their full potential.
The five schools currently consist of:
a co-educational Preparatory School, Al Rayyan for pupils from Pre School to Year 6;
a co-educational Preparatory School, Bani Hajer for pupils from Pre School to Year 6;
a co-educational Senior School for pupils from Years 7 to Year 13; and
a Girls’ School with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) focus for pupils
from Pre School to Year 12
Sherborne Qetaf a specialist provision catering to children aged 3 to 11 with a range
of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
| Number of students |
2035 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
60 |
| Most common nationality |
British |
| Ratio of local students to international students |
1:3 |
| Native English speaking teachers |
All members of the teaching staff are fully qualified and the overwhelming majority of teachers are from the United Kingdom. |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
English as a second language. |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
Arabic, Spanish, French. |
| Max. number of students per class |
KG1 - KG3: 18
|
| Average number of students per class |
20 |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
All Pre School, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 forms have classroom assistants and Years 3 – 6 share classroom assistants. |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
Every classroom is fitted with an interactive whiteboard to enhance learning. Pupils having access to desktop computers, laptops and iPads, which are all used across the curriculum. |
| Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
Yes, we use Microsoft Teams. |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
Muslim pupils receive Islamic Studies lessons. |
| How does the school accommodate non-religious students or students of a different religion? |
We welcome pupils of all faiths but Qatari law only permits Islamic Studies. |
| External examinations or assessments available |
I/GCSE, AS and A Levels |
| Results in these examinations |
I/GCSE 2021-2022:
A Level 2021-2022:
AS level 2021-2022:
|
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Yes |
| Approximate hours of homework given |
Daily reading for 20 minutes and most subjects have a 30 minute task per week. |
| Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
Each year, 95% of our students progress to university. |
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Sherborne cannot accept pupils with special needs, since it has neither the specialist facilities nor the expertise that they would need, although it does have staff to provide support for mild learning difficulties (such as dyslexia) and English as a second language. |
| Learning support offered |
The department aims to support pupils with learning difficulties and differences, which hinder their educational development and prevent them from reaching their potential. Support is offered in several ways, for example, through assessments to identify needs and inform planning; support for pupils in class; withdrawal from lessons to work on programmes to develop literacy, numeracy and study skills; advice and strategies for teachers to support pupils in the classroom; and advice for parents on how to best support their son or daughter at home. In some cases, a pupil might study a reduced number of subjects in Years 10 and 11, and be timetabled in the department during these periods. The focus for these pupils is support with the organisation of homework, coursework and study skills. Additionally, teaching is offered to develop the understanding of (I)GCSE course content and examination question techniques in English, Mathematics and Science. The department values pupils as individuals and strives to instil in them responsibility, effective work habits, confidence, enthusiasm and motivation to become life- long learners. Through discussion we endeavour to build self-esteem and a sense of identity enabling them to value themselves and others, and to feel engaged in the school community. |
| The school supports gifted, able and talented students |
These pupils are both stretched within the classroom and invited to extension classes in certain sunjects. |
| Student access to education psychologist |
Arrangements for appropriate assessments can be made. |
| Entry evaluation for students |
Yes. |
| Brief description of entry evaluation required |
For the youngest pupils we asses them to see if they are ready for school. The majority of applicants take an on line cognitive test and submit their most recent full school report. |
| Waiting list |
Depends on the grade level. |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
There is no deadline. |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes, families are arriving in and departing from Qatar all the time. |
| School start time |
07:20 |
| School finish time |
14:30 |
| Supervised care before/after school |
The school is able to provide care before and after the school day for a limited period of time. |
| School bus service available |
Yes and this is provided by an outside company and the relationship is between the parents and the company. |
| School provided lunches |
Pupils up to Year 2 have packed lunches. From Year 3 upwards pupils may bring in a packed lunch or choose food from the catering counter. |
| Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc) |
Yes, the caterer make provision for special diets. |
| Uniform required |
Yes |
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
The school offers over 60 different enrichment activities . Some of them are: card making, knitting, illustration in pencil and water colour, film making and photography, creative writing, debating, Model United Nations, book club, golf, sailing, badminton, table tennis, squash, Gaelic football, chess, dance, choir, drum club, band, Brownies and Rainbows. |
| Sports activities included |
Preparatory school: gradually, pupils are introduced to the skills and tactics relating to a wide variety of sports, for example: Basketball, Football, Rugby, Hockey and Tennis, Netball and Athletics. All of these sports are developed further in the Senior School and additional sports, such as Volleyball and Badminton are also included. Senior School: girls complete units of work in netball, football, fitness, volleyball, basketball, athletics and badminton. Boys complete units of work in football, rugby, fitness, athletics, volleyball, basketball and cricket. |
| Sports teams or sport competitions available for students |
Yes, we participate in all the local competitions and there are also inter school fixtures. |
| Facilities at the school |
We have Libraries, auditoriums, science labs, computer labs, VR rooms, music practice rooms and we are introducing design technology facilities in the Senior School. |
| Sports facilities at the school |
We have large indoor sports halls, astroturf pitches and swimming pools. |
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
Sherborne Qatar aims to develop the whole child by helping them to achieve their full potential in a nurturing, supportive and happy atmosphere. We want our pupils to leave us with an excellent education and as rounded, confident and articulate young adults. Sherborne caters for two separate constituencies: the international community drawn from across the whole world, whose skills and expertise are currently needed in the development of Qatar, and the local community who are keen to provide their children with the best education possible. The curriculum is delivered in English. Sherborne Qatar is a member of Qatar's Supreme Education Council's Outstanding Schools Programme. Outstanding Schools are selected from top schools throughout the world which teach accredited international or national curricula. Pupils from these schools are routinely admitted into the world's most prestigious universities. The School is accredited by the Department for Education as a British School Overseas (BSO), having met the criteria required by Ofsted of all British schools. It is an accredited member of of the British Schools of the Middle East (BSME). The Headmaster of the Preparatory School is a member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS). |
| Teaching approach of the school |
Sherborne Qatar is a British school in an international setting and pupils receive teaching of the same type and style that they would receive in the UK. Sherborne teaches an enriched curriculum that is closely based on the National Curriculum for England, up to Year 9. In Years 10 and 11, the school prepares pupils for public examinations in a broad range of subjects and they sit either I/GCSE or GCSE papers set by the Cambridge International Examinations Board (CIE), AQA or Edexcel. In the Sixth Form, pupils are required to study at least three subjects and to take examinations set by the same Boards. Sixth Form pupils are also expected to complete the Extended Project Qualification. The rigorous academic programme is rounded out with strong sport, drama, music and art at all levels, in addition to a wide-ranging enrichment programme of activities. The school also teaches Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qatar History and these subjects are taught in line with the syllabus prescribed by Qatar’s Ministry of Education. |
In the Prep School most teaching takes place in form groups although pupils are taught by specialist teachers for Arabic, Islamic Studies, French, Music and PE / Games. Year groups also come together for big projects like drama productions.
Classes are small, ranging from 16 in Pre School to a maximum 24 in Year 6 and teaching is delivered by a mostly British and British trained staff. Teaching is supporting by a well-trained group of Teaching Assistants, who work closely with both the Form Teachers and the Learning Support Department to provide classroom support to groups of pupils.
This support may be to help pupils who are finding a concept challenging, or it may be to stretch on the more able.
The Senior School follows an enhanced curriculum based on the National Curriculum for England in Years 7, 8 and 9. The school prepares boys and girls for I/GCSE and GCSE examinations in Year 11. In the Sixth Form the school offers a broad range of subjects leading to AS Levels (Year 12) and A Levels (Year 13). The school also offers BTEC Business in Year 12 for pupils who have not met the AS/A Level entry requirement or for pupils who are better suited to a project-based academic programme that has an emphasis on continual assessment.
All Senior School pupils are taught by specialist teachers who have experience of the British curriculum in their subject and classes are small, ensuring that all pupils receive plenty of individual attention.
Teaching in the Girls’ School follows a similar structure to that in the Prep School in that teaching takes place in form groups and some subjects such as Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qatar History are taught by specialists. The school has chosen to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education (STEM) through the use of increased ‘Enquiry Based’ and ‘Project Based Learning’ lessons.
Teaching is delivered by a mostly British and British trained staff. Teaching is supported by a well-trained group of Teaching Assistants, who work closely with the Form Teachers. Classes are differentiated to cater for all abilities but where pupils require further support, one-to-one support assistants may be employed on an hourly basis.
We are excited that you are considering Sherborne Qatar for your child's education. We understand that finding the right school that will fit your child's needs and meet your expectations can be overwhelming. We are here to help in any way we can so that you can get through the process as smoothly as possible. We look forward to hearing from you.
