PREP SCHOOL PROSPECTUS
LEARNING TOGETHER PREPARATORY SCHOOL
WELCOME ACHIEVING THE BEST FOR YOUR CHILD
Sherborne Qatar Preparatory School is a young school, but it has developed from a school with a history dating back nearly 500 years. Our school opened in 2009 as the only overseas daughter school of Sherborne School in Dorset, England. The school was established at the invitation of the Supreme Education Council of Qatar and we are members of the ‘Outstanding Schools Programme’, an association of which we are very proud. At the Prep School we educate boys and girls from Pre School (3 and 4 year old) to Year 6, (10 and 11 year olds). We broadly follow the National Curriculum of England and Wales and create an exciting but rewarding programme of study for all of our pupils who are assessed at regular intervals. Across the age range, our pupils benefit from well qualified and experienced teaching staff and all of our class teachers gained their professional qualifications and have experience teaching in the United Kingdom. Pastoral care matters to us; Form Teachers get to know not only their
Nick Prowse Headmaster Prep School
pupils but also families, because we are all part of the same community, one that has at its heart has the children we teach and care for. We also have a very successful House System which provides additional pastoral support through the House Leaders, but it also allows the children to take part in regular academic, sporting, musical or art based competitions. Sherborne Qatar Prep School is recognized by the UK Department for Education as a British School Overseas (BSO), having met the inspection standards set by Ofsted. We are also members of the independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and the British Schools of the Middle East (BSME). This brief prospectus can give only a snapshot of what Sherborne Qatar can offer its families. There is so much more to learn about us, and the best way to do that is to visit us. You are assured of a warm welcome and we look forward to meeting you.
“Across the age range, our pupils benefit from well qualified and experienced teaching staff”
ACADEMIC STUDIES The Prep School Curriculum is broad, balanced and offers pupils a wide range of learning opportunities. Pre School and Reception follow the UK’s Early Years Foundation Stage and Years 3 – 6 broadly follow the English National Curriculum. Form Teachers teach the core subjects and specialist teachers extend the curriculum with Music, Modern Foreign Languages, PE and Games. The curriculum is enriched by topic themes such as Rainforests, The Stoneage, Space, Wonderful Me and World War Two. We also have Book and Maths Weeks. There are also regular visits from children’s authors, guest speakers, year group musicals or plays and charity days. The curriculum is further enhanced with school trips. Recent day trips have included all the local museums and galleries, flower nurseries and a nature reserve. Residential trips have included BSME sports events and ‘outdoor pursuits’ visits to Oman and the UAE. Our curriculum is delivered in English, with the exception of Modern Foreign languages. Islamic Studies is delivered in both Arabic and English. We are supportive of the SEC’s requirements for the teaching of Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qatari History because we believe that as guests in Qatar we should support these initiatives.
PASTORAL
Pastoral care is at the heart of all that we do in the school because we regard it as integral to a successful school. Our aim is that, by the time they leave, all pupils should be well adjusted, rounded and confident individuals. The school is open and welcoming to pupils and parents and all pupils are valued and known as individuals. Form Teachers have the prime responsibility for the welfare of pupils in their forms. They will help pupils to develop their social skills, confidence, independence and the ability to work and play harmoniously together. We want our
pupils to be caring and considerate of others and to respect fellow pupils and staff alike. A whole school PSHE programme includes a variety of developmental issues and Assemblies during the week both underpin the school’s ethos and celebrate pupil success. The school also has three nurses who administer to the pupils day to ailments and maintain an overview of the pupils’ health and physical development. All pupils and most staff belong to one of five houses, which have a prominent position in the life of the
school. They allow for the vertical integration of pupils, particularly through the various Inter House events which regularly take place. Allegiance is strong and the Inter House Cup is keenly contested. We have a positive rewards system through which pupils earn Merits. These contribute to the Inter House Cup and towards personal certificates at different levels. Pupils can also become Star of the Week or Term. The sanctions policy considers that ‘Behaviour mistakes are learning opportunities’.
ENRICHMENT We believe that education is a ‘whole life’ process, not just what happens in the classroom. The Prep School is enriched with a strong extra-curricular programme to extend pupils’ skills and interests. Pupils can participate in a range of sporting, arts and crafts activities, in school and at specialist centres like the Sailing Academy. We also have Rainbow and Brownie packs. Many pupils represent the school at Qatar Schools and BSME events. We have a link with the charity Education Above All, giving our pupils an insight into education in a very different setting. Pupils can contribute to school life through the School Council and senior pupils can serve Prefects with The Headmaster appointing a Head Boy and Head Girl who help to greet and host some of our visitors to the school.
“Education is a ‘whole life’ process, not just what happens in the classroom.”
For an application form go to: www.sherborneqatarprep.org Or contact the registrar on: registrar@sherborneqatar.org School office opening hours are: Sunday – Thursday 7:00am – 3:00pm Prep: +974 4459 6566 (Office hours) Senior: +974 4459 6400 (Office hours) Fax: +974 4459 6412 PO Box: 1108, Doha, Qatar