OUR HISTORY
SHERBORNE School is an independent boys’ boarding school re-founded in 1550 under a royal charter granted by King Edward VI. It has grown into a modern school of nearly 600 pupils and about 100 teaching staff. Surrounded by the bustling market town, the school attracts pupils from across the world.
Sherborne Preparatory School is an independent co-educational school for children aged 3-13 years. The school has a long and distinguished history and an enviable academic reputation as a feeder to many of England’s leading independent schools. As of April 2021 Sherborne Preparatory School has been part of Sherborne School.
Sherborne Qatar was founded in 2009 and is a joint venture between Sherborne School and Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Thani. Members of the Qatari royal family such as the Emir, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, have attended Sherborne and Sheikh Abdullah and his wife Sheikha Amal have sent some of their sons there too.
Shirburnians follow a diverse range of careers at the highest levels and include diplomats, bishops, politicians, journalists, actors, poets and musicians. Sheikh Abdulla was keen that Sherborne should join him in a partnership to bring to Qatar education opportunities and values that he had seen and liked at Sherborne. He says: “Ahmed our oldest son was transformed by Sherborne. The school’s approach helped him to discover different talents in himself and he was greatly nourished by the experience. We are extremely grateful for what a Sherborne education has given him. Sherborne has history, culture, discipline and a willingness to transform a child. That is what it did for our child and that is what we want to give to Qatar. We need to bring a more structured educational experience to our country. Qatar needs Sherborne’s culture, experience and tradition.”
Sherborne Qatar is a founding member of Qatar’s Ministry of Education & Further Education Outstanding Schools Initiative and is overseen by the Ministry’s Private Schools Office. Sherborne Qatar is a self-financed, not-for-profit school with its own Board of Governors, of which Sherborne School has half of the appointed membership. Our ethos, brand and educational standards are overseen by and aligned to Sherborne School.
Our next development is to enhance the facilities at Bani Hajer as we convert the school back into a Junior School (KS2) and then we intend to redesign the Al Rayyan site to best educate our EYFS and KS1 children.
At Sherborne, we look to take our pupils on an educational journey. Pupils start at Al Rayyan, in a small school, specifically designed for 3 – 7-year-olds, where each pupil is known, understood, and supported to develop and grow. Pupils progress to the Junior School at Bani Hajer, another small school, where you are encouraged to develop your personal interests, your areas of strength, your leadership.
Finally, you transfer to the Senior School where you are educated in an age-appropriate building, with facilities designed pupils of secondary school age, where you grow and develop until reaching the Sixth Form. Here, you will be treated like the young adult you have become on your journey through the Sherborne Family of Schools.
William Henley was resolute during his extended stay in hospital; he showed determination to be the master of his own fate, to be the captain of his soul, a worthy and commendable trait. However, we are not alone; we have friends to talk to, to support us, to guide us and to teach us.
I encourage every pupil at Sherborne to take every opportunity that is presented to you. Look at this review of the last academic year, at all we have managed to achieve over the last year and ask yourself what areas of school life do you wish to enhance, to improve, to challenge, and then, as a member of our school community, you can say;
“I am the master of our fate, I am the captain of our soul.”
Nick Prowse Principal & CEO
HEADMASTER FROM THE
This is the climax of what has been another truly remarkable year, which saw us return to school, albeit with the backdrop of COVID-19,
As a whole community, we have pulled together to provide the very best learning opportunities for our children, doing whatever was required, sometimes at the drop of a hat.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for helping our school and our children reach the end of the year as successfully as we have.
So, we all know what school is? This has actually become a lot harder to answer over the last 15 months. School has become the kitchen table, the spare room, the makeshift desk in the shared bedroom. Without children in our schools, educators have been thinking about what schools truly are. Schools are not defined by buildings or physical structures, even though we miss them greatly. Even though it has been so good having children back in, they are not about noise and bustle and shared activity; it’s undoubtedly more than that.
Then what is teaching? We have not been able to roam the classrooms, crouch beside the struggler, eyeball the transgressor or step in to help support the one who is unhappy or sad – all this had been taken away from us.
If schools are no longer defined by buildings or physical structures, if they are not about bustle and shared activity – then what are they? What is teaching, if the freedom we once had to roam the classroom, or school, has been temporarily taken from us?
When you take away the shell, what remains at the heart of a school? In my view, it is our culture. A school that can create an active, thriving culture will continue to flourish through any pandemic, no matter how lengthy, because each of our children – despite sitting individually and separately in their own bedroom as they learn – is still at school. We instinctively understand and feel what being part of SQPS means and what are the corresponding values which drive expectations of us!
To paraphrase the environmental scientist, Donella Meadows, school is the guiding hand that shapes each child within a shared culture and then stays within them as they step out into the wider world, away from our direct guidance. While they are in school, pupils have the benefit of our guiding hand but, eventually, we must let them go and trust that they will propel themselves with purpose and energy, going on to think, explore and behave in the ways their school culture has encouraged them to.
Schools are not buildings; they are not people factories. They are systematic patterns of thinking and learning and being together. If we can establish, as part of a culture, the systematic pattern of thinking, that teaching and learning is about joy and curiosity, questioning and wonder, then that will remain, whatever the circumstances.
Then, (perhaps even more crucially, looking at what is happening in our world today) it must be our duty to establish a culture that looks to those young people’s later lives and the contributions they will go on to make to their own communities and to society more generally. It is our job, not just to help them to learn but to help them to develop an inner compass of values to guide them – a compass they develop because of us, their school, and then take with them, instinctively, for the rest of their lives; values of kindness, of self-belief tempered by humility, of strength that is equated with compassion. We must equip our children with what they will need to thrive and to be happy and successful, as they look to shape a better world for us all. We must give them an education for life.
As a community we have overcome the many challenges that this year has presented, the children have all been amazing and we are incredibly proud of them.
Nick Fawcett Headmaster
SUMMARY OF THE YEAR
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus.
We started this academic year with a phrase that we were still becoming accustomed to, Blended Learning. What would it look like? Would children adjust to alternate school days? How can we expect them to remain in their form rooms all day? The questions were endless, but unsurprisingly our school community rose to the challenge. Words like masks, bubbles and TEAMS soon became familiar and our children, yet again, demonstrated their unwavering resilience.
September saw a month of learning that focused on emotional and mental wellbeing. To ensure the children felt safe and reassured about being back in school, all year groups participated in The Colour Monster project, based on the book by Anna Llenas. The fabulous artwork and creative writing on display, highlighted the way our children were processing and adapting to the pandemic. This set the scene for the months and terms that followed; not only did being back in school quickly begin to feel normal again but it gave us an opportunity to really explore hybrid learning. Remote learners in EYFS and KS1 accessed lessons on Zoom, completing tasks and engaging in discussions, thereby demonstrating just how independent they were. During the Autumn Term KS2 saw the introduction of Microsoft Teams. Our older pupils soon proved they were ready to experiment with different types of apps and tools that enabled them to showcase their learning in a way that we had not seen before. Being in school on alternate days meant pupils were not seeing some of their classmates in person. However, this did not stop them from collaborating with peers online and producing fantastic learning outcomes. As always, our amazing teaching staff adapted the provision to meet the needs of pupils whilst making learning fun and engaging. Whether lessons were face-to-face or online, teachers maintained the high standards that we all expect from Sherborne. Landing Days were just as memorable for the children, as were other events such as Book Week and House Days.
There have been many moments this year that have presented us with challenges, but the support and determination of both parents and staff enabled us to always find ways to overcome these hurdles. This makes me immensely proud to be part of the Sherborne community. It is easy enough to talk about Growth Mindset principles, yet the true measure of our strength, I believe, lies in the way in which we demonstrate them through our actions. Our school values and learning dispositions have been at the core of all that we have done this year, as evidenced by the children’s learning and their impressive achievements.
As I write this piece, we are preparing for the children to return to Blended Learning for the final few weeks of term. Pupils, parents and teachers alike are excited to mark the end of the school year with what is the most natural way to be when it comes to educating our young people – in person, in school.
Thank you all for playing the role that you did in making this year a success. Have a wonderful summer break.
Nadira Rahman Deputy Head
BY ANTONIA CONFALONE
BY ANTONIA CONFALONE HEAD OF PRE PREP
This year, our staff faced a formidable challenge: to bring the children back into school yet to do so under precautionary measures, whilst still giving them a wonderful and fulfilling Early Years education, maintaining the ethos of active and play based learning with a range of multi - sensory resources. It is testament to the outstanding team of teachers and TAs in our EYFS Department, led by Heads of Year Mrs Wilkin and Miss Trainor, that I can confidently say that they achieved just that.
In my opinion, these are two of the most magical years of a child’s education and every effort was put in to ensure that children experienced the wonder of learning that is so special to Early Years.
Examples include individual playdough pots, mini sand boxes, dress up days and regular handwashing incorporated into daily routines through songs and games.
The teaching staff redesigned the classrooms, created boxes of resources for alternate classes to allow for deep cleaning and thought up different ‘hooks’ for the children in the absence of visitors and trips. They created daily videos and interactive home learning activities, taught both online and in class, to support children wherever they were and created a bright and stimulating environment in which they could continue to teach and learn.
I had the privilege of being able to teach across the whole of EYFS each week and these were some of my favourite times of day. Observing how fast the children settled and the progress being made, hearing the conversations between peers at break times as children grew closer and developed socially, seeing the delight they took in sharing their learning and watching the wonderful relationships they built with their teachers and Teaching Assistants. They were clearly thriving in the environment so carefully created by the EYFS team and buzzing with the creativity and wonderful ideas developed for them to enjoy.
When we returned to online teaching, the teaching staff revised and adapted everything once again and the children took on what seemed like an ambitious programme full of Zooms and activities. However, they once again demonstrated their seemingly endless capacity for change. Their delighted faces on the Zooms and their enchanting uploads will be uplifting memories that we will certainly carry with us.
It has been a pleasure getting to know you all; I thank you whole heartedly for your trust and support and I look forward to following your journey onwards next year.
Antonia Confalone Head of Pre Prep
To say that we have been proud of the Preschool children’s achievements would be an understatement. The children began their school careers during a pandemic, managing virtual learning alongside classroom learning. They have adapted to all the changes like little superheroes, demonstrating skills of perseverance and resilience.
We started the year off learning with our topic ‘Guess Who?’ where we explored all our favourite nursery rhymes. I loved watching the children reciting new rhymes as they played with the instruments outside and solving the clues to find out who pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall!
The children become members of our school Houses and experienced their first House Day! We learnt all about our different cultures and got to dress up in our national clothes. Another favourite day was Qatar National Day where we created wonderful collaborative artwork and learnt some traditional dances.
By the time Spring arrived, Preschool were well on their way to becoming fantastic Mathematicians! Through our topic ‘What do you find at the beach?’ we learnt different descriptive words like ‘bumpy’, ‘stripy’ and ‘smooth’ and began to create our own repeated patterns. The cooler weather gave us the opportunity to play outside and develop skills such as climbing and riding two or three-wheeled bikes. It was during this term that the magic of reading took place, and we began to see little budding readers developing sound knowledge.
At the start of the Summer Term we were once again home learning. The effort that has gone into home learning has been astounding, from playing ‘What’s in the box?’ to finding our new sound, to acting out our Talk for Write story ‘Goldilocks and the 3 Bears’. The children have brought every lesson to life with their enthusiasm and involvement. Who knew we could have so much fun on Zoom?
The skills and learning dispositions shown by our youngest learners is an inspiration to us all. I am certain that they will continue to shine on their journey into Reception.
Lindsey Wilkin Head of Pre School
BY ANTONIA CONFALONE HEAD OF PRE PREP
YEAR 1
BY JESSICA DEANE HEAD OF YEAR 1
WOW! What a year it has been! With so many challenges and uncertainties it has been quite a journey. However, no matter what has been thrown at them this year the Year 1 children have continued to achieve amazing things and we are so proud of them!
Even whilst following the strangest of rules to keep us all safe, our classrooms have been filled with laughter, smiles, teamwork and positive energy. Our learning journey has included some unexpected visitors (including a very cheeky Goldilocks!), lots of fun dress-up days, whole school celebrations, tons of creativity, helping the environment, so many fabulous learning opportunities and last but definitely not least the BEE MUSICAL! Together, we worked so hard to create a wonderful production packed with singing, dancing and acting. All of the proceeds will be given to United World Schools which the children are so enthusiastic about – they cannot wait to help give other children an education just like theirs.
This year has been a testament to the children, staff and parents in Year 1 who have all worked together, communicated and persevered in order to have a wonderful year of learning. Thank you to all of the parents and helpers at home for cooperating with us and for all of your efforts – the work that we have seen has been outstanding and it really has been appreciated.
Jessica Deane Head of Year 1
YEAR 2
BY LUCY MCFAUL HEAD
OF YEAR 2
What a wonderful year we’ve had in Year 2! During a year that has involved lots of new classroom rules and changes, the Year 2 children have shown true perseverance, resilience and determination. Despite the new rules, we have still managed to have lots of fun, learn and make outstanding progress!
At the beginning of the year, we learnt all about germs and how they spread. We found out lots of information about how Florence Nightingale helped to stop the spread of germs many years ago and found many similarities with keeping safe from Covid-19! We then learnt about the UK and Queen Elizabeth even accepted our invitation to our royal tea party! The Year 2 children did a great job of being kings, queens, princes and princesses for our royal parade and we even ate a yummy afternoon tea.
The children did an excellent job of finding answers to the question, ‘What does it mean to be alive?’ We had lots of fun talking about when we were smaller and thinking about what we can do now that we couldn’t do then. We learnt about life cycles, food chains and what animals need to survive. We also investigated what plants need to grow and planted our own seeds, which was messy but fun!
Whilst working from home in the Summer Term, the children enjoyed investigating the properties of different materials to answer the question, ‘Can different materials be used for the same job?’ We tested and compared different materials to find out about their suitability for making a boat that floats and is waterproof. Whilst we would definitely have preferred to be together in the classroom, remote learning has taught us that even when we are not physically together, we are still one big team, a team of staff, children and parents who have worked extremely hard to achieve great things. Whilst working online, the Year 2 children have proved how responsible and independent they are, as well as demonstrating their outstanding ICT skills. We are extremely proud of each and every one of the children.
Lucy McFaul Head of Year 2
Number
• COLLECTION
BY ANDY BRAY HEAD OF LOWER KEY STAGE 2
YEAR 3
Wow… what a year! What an unusual year! We have had a complete mixture of in-school teaching and learning as well as blended learning and a period of completely online learning!
It has been a challenge but there is so much to celebrate in Lower Key Stage 2 (LKS2) and the following paragraphs and photographs give just a flavour of what will be a memorable year for many years to come.
Without doubt, one of the biggest highlights of the year was World Book Week. It arrived at the perfect time as many restrictions in the country had been lifted. Pupils in LKS2 had an amazing time and some of the photos truly capture the joy and excitement of the week. Teachers thoroughly enjoyed trying to work out what ‘word’ each child was dressed up as!
Another lovely surprise, part way through the year, was the re-introduction of PE lessons. Form Teachers were delighted to be teaching the subject themselves and the Year 3 and 4 pupils learned a range of socially distanced activities including Follow the Leader and Traffic lights. This brought some much needed freedom and exercise to everyone and the pupils had beaming smiles on their faces every PE lesson!
In Year 3, pupils enjoyed learning about Africa and locating the different countries within the continent. They then compared two countries within Africa, but a definite favourite of the topic was the ‘sunset art’ paintings which saw children using vibrant colours to reproduce an African sunset with an animal of their choice.
Year 3 also enjoyed learning about the Ancient Egyptians and getting their hands dirty whilst making canopic jars from clay. The pupils discovered that canopic jars were used in Ancient Egypt times to hold the organs during the mummification process. In addition, some of the other stand-out moments in Year 3 have included fossil making and drawing a woolly mammoth during the Stone Age Enquiry, as well as potting plants and learning about shadows throughout some of the Year 3 Science learning.
BY SARAH BENNETT HEAD OF UPPER KEY STAGE 2
This year the world of education looked rather different as online education became a supplement, or for part of the year, an alternative to face-to-face learning and one that Year 5 embraced admirably.
As children returned to school to Blended Learning, Year Five started the year reading the story of Cloud Boy as we discussed the mixed emotions the pandemic had instilled through lockdown. Children set themselves targets and discussed their dreams and aspirations for the year ahead. The children then went back in time as they researched the history of space travel and conducted their own independent study on a famous influential person related to the world of space. The Space Day was a highlight for many as they dressed the part and presented their projects in an autobiographical style. Enthusiastically, the children conducted many scientific investigations as they discovered forces and learned how the solar system works. In Art, they dripped and splashed paint in the style of Jackson Pollock, to create their own ‘Space’ creation.
The Spring Term taught the children everything they need to know about Survival. Undoubtedly, the most thought provoking lessons for the children this term were those investigating the effects of global warming and pollution on our oceans and how they are going to survive. Passionate debates were conducted
on the use of single use plastic and beautiful art work was produced using recyclable materials. They read Michael’s survival story in Kensuke’s Kingdom and created their own warning stories as we saw their writing skills begin to flourish. Their science skills continued to improve as the children discovered all there is to know about materials, from their properties to reversible and irreversible changes. In addition, during the Survival Day, the children learned how to filter water and build a shelter with different materials. The Spring Term also saw the children being introduced to hybrid learning and Microsoft Teams, significantly enhancing their IT skills.
During the Summer Term, the children travelled virtually Down Under to learn about the first British settlements in Australia. Famous landmarks and key geographical features were identified on a world map and pupils played the role of a tour operator persuading different market groups to visit this unique country. Indigenous plants and animals were researched when looking at lifecycles in Science and the fun filled Art Day saw the children learn how to create Aboriginal art. Year 5 are leaving the year excited as they enter their final year of the Prep School, to a new curriculum the Sherborne Way!
Sarah Bennett Head of Upper Key Stage 2
‘My favourite highlight this year was Space Day where we dressed up as astronauts and presented our PowerPoints we had made about famous people who went to space – which for me – was Sally Ride. It filled me with confidence and the support Mrs Hamilton gave was off the charts! Everyone clapped which made me feel over the moon.’
- Mariam Rizvi 5H
‘It has been a thrilling experience just like the space race’
- George Edward Baber 5G
‘Year 5 is an excellent year with brilliant teachers. I loved all of the Maths, English, Enquiry and so much more.’
- Adam Khalil 5G
‘I have enjoyed the Science in Year 5!’
- Hamad Al Meraikhi 5G
‘I loved doing loads of cool things on Survival Day and coming back to school to see my friends.’
- Victoria Baron 5G
‘I liked that we could see our teachers and friends this year and I loved Survival Day. Art Day was great fun and we used lots of different materials.’
- Zaina Zaheer
‘This year has been by far been one of my favourites, despite Covid-19. Everything from the events like Survival to just the plain decency of the pupils is 10 out of 10.’
- Alex Leeder
‘I really loved learning about Australia’s history and it was cool to filter dirty water into clean water - it actually worked!’
- Ibrahim Akhtar
‘I loved being in 5H as there was always something new to try. My highlight of the year was Survival Day where we got to build shelters and learn how to purify water.’
- Khadija Javed Munir 5H
‘I have very much enjoyed this year; it has made me more confident with my work and Mrs Hamilton’s support has been great. My highlight was when we built the survival shelters and we put water on it and we had to see whether the marshmallow stayed dry or got wet!!’
- Kareem Molokhia 5H
‘My highlights of the year are World Book Day, when I got to dressed up and I was covered in paint, and when I was the Autumn Star of the Term - I was filled with joy.’
- Mofi Ogunbiyi 5H
‘Year 5 has been rough at times because of Covid-19 and being online but my favourite thing we did was learning about Space.’
- Ayad Saeed 5H
It has been a year like no other and not the way Year 6 had planned to end their time in the Prep School. It goes without saying that it has been challenging, but amidst these adversities, the children have shown admirable perseverance and resilience as they have embraced all that the year has brought.
Following a prolonged period in lockdown, the year begun with a gradual return to school and a focus on well-being and reflection, as we made an emotional journey with The Colour Monster. Children spoke openly of what they had learned so far, from living in a pandemic, reflecting on the positives and setting themselves goals for the year ahead. The sound of children laughing and the vibrant colours that emerged through the corridors was electric as children related colour to moods.
Feelings continued to be a focus throughout the term as the children took a journey back in time learning about World War II. Using the book Letters from the Lighthouse as a stimulus, the children experienced what life was like as an evacuee, as they recreated a typical evacuation and wrote a series of letters, poems and short stories from the heart. They created a moving tribute to veterans around the world with their virtual Remembrance Assembly and a flow of poppies down the Year 6 corridor.
The Spring Term for many was the highlight of the year. An element of mystery surrounded the children as they further developed their writing skills through the animated story of Francis and enquired Who is Banksy? The children creatively developed their own unique, vibrant street of graffiti art in his style, using stencils and spray paint. After extensive research, not only did they enhance their appreciation of this illusive artist, they confidently debated whether graffiti is art or vandalism. This term also saw the children develop their IT skills with our move to Microsoft Teams and the introduction to hybrid learning. The children were particularly proud of the biographies they wrote about Ernest Shackleton.
By the end of the Summer Term the resilience and maturity displayed by our pupils was exemplary. The Senior School were impressed with their knowledge during some live lessons, conducted as part of their transition. Their final enquiry took them to London where they made a city trail of London describing the main tourist attractions of this bustling city. Their science skills continue to develop as they constructed electrical circuits and learned about the circulatory system. This final term saw our children demonstrate every one of the Learning Dispositions, including creativity, curiosity, risk-taking and teamwork.
Sarah Bennett Head of Upper Key Stage 2
‘My highlight of the year was when we had our topic as Banksy. He gives hidden influential speeches within his art. The colours he uses are usually bright and beautiful but sometimes dark to express the tough times that the world has been through. I also enjoyed Banksy because of our spray painting activity. It was a fun, creative idea to keep us entertained through the term. I’m also very proud of how mine turned out!’
- Ediz 6C
“My IT skills this year just went zooming up the ladder!”
- Lucia Hanna 6L
‘My highlight of the year was VE day because we got to dress up and do fun activities.’
- Elizabeth 6L
‘Year 6 might be one of the most challenging year so far but is definitely the best. My favourite topic was Banksy. It let you creativity run wild!’ - Lehara 6L
‘There are no words to explain how I felt When I found out that I was Head Girl!’
- Claudia Brown 6S
‘The thing I most enjoyed about Year 6 was dressing up for World War II!’
- Aisha Ghaly 6L
‘Blended Learning was weird, but it gave me the chance to learn with my teacher one day and then test myself the day after.’
- Ahmed Ali 6L
‘If you give up, you’ll make less progress than if you try. In year 6 I never gave up!’
- Ibrahim Abdulla 6L
ARABIC & ISLAMIC STUDIES
This year began in an unusual manner in comparison with previous school years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pupils were following a blended learning system in which they had classes both online and in person. During the Autumn Term the Arabic Department offered live sessions for online pupils in order to maintain a high quality of teaching whilst covering all the necessary curriculum material for testing.
The use of technology was a major factor in the department this year; teachers had to rely on various programs that allowed the pupils to understand and stimulate an in-person learning experience. Many activities and events were offered, both on and offline. Such events included the Global Reading Day, Qatar National Day, and Ramadan Competitions. Learning Support was also offered online in 1-1 lessons in order to provide our pupils with an adequate array of support to allow them to achieve their potential. The pupils maintained an exemplary attendance record throughout the year and they were continuously engaged in the content presented in class. This is reflected in their grades which are similar to previous years.
The Arabic Department values communication with parents and this has been extremely important this year and has helped to maintain the high level of learning.
All in all, this year has been very successful for the Arabic Department and its pupils, despite external obstacles. The department has received excellent reviews from the Ministry of Education for its work and effort throughout the year. We can’t wait to see you all next year!
Suzan Saada Head of Prep Arabic and Islamic Studies
ENGLISH
Broadening the vocabulary range of our pupils has been a main focus within English this year. With our Words of the Week and vocabulary focus, we have allowed children to be immersed in the rich language associated with the topics that they are learning about, across the curriculum. Combining this with the continued, raised profile of reading we have encouraged our pupils to enjoy the magic of getting lost inside a book.
With the Blended Learning approach, we have had to think outside of the box with regards to how we structure our reading sessions and how our pupils access reading books. Through Reading Planet – an online reading resource which offers levelled reading books – we have supported our pupils to read a range of books and further develop both their phonics knowledge and reading comprehension. We still have our fabulous class reader stories which offer a wonderful opportunity for teachers and pupils to share a story and to inspire a passion for reading for pleasure.
Book Week was a fantastic opportunity for year groups to explore books with one-worded titles. As a school theme, we enjoyed hearing the story of The Word Collector and heard about the journey Jerome went on to collect words throughout his life. The pupils enjoyed quizzes, art tasks, creative writing tasks, Minecraft activities and much more, to further explore the story. No Book Week
is complete without a dress-up day, which we all know is just as exciting for the teachers as the pupils and this year was no exception. The theme was Words and we saw a range of creative costumes that included colourful, recycled, robotic and many more imaginative ideas. Due to the blended learning approach, we enjoyed two days of dressing up and even managed to share the wonderful costumes through a virtual parade. The book week cover design and story writing competition saw a range of pupils, from Pre School up to Year 6, winning book vouchers to spend on an exciting new story.
Throughout the year, our pupils have explored a range of genres and texts, through the Talk for Writing process. From performing a play in Year 1, writing to fairy tale characters in Year 4 and to recording and editing our own writing in Year 6, the pupils have had a range of opportunities to develop their writing, reading and reflection skills throughout the year.
Even when we have not all physically been in the same place, reading has been a splendid way to bring us all together again.
Hollie Steele Head of English
GIANT
BY ARNAV SINGH 6G
Bluewater Overlook
The Sun gleamed down upon the cliff. Its ragged and rough walls jutted out over the blue and foaming sea. The cliff itself is billions of years old, and the creatures that are there may be as well. They towered over the cliff.
The creature was a giant. A gigantic giant. His face was kind and puzzled with a Julius Caesar nose the size of a small building. The area where his hair would be had a single, twisty tree surrounded by grass. His eyes were filled with worry and he was nibbling his nails, looking at what was upon the cliff.
He had seen the little people building a peculiar object on Bluewater Overlook - the cliff’s name in his language. It was a strange monument with a sphere atop it. The Giant had approached from his forest perch and come to investigate now that the little people had completed it. Small fences surrounded the top of the cliff and the humans, for that is what he had guessed they were, liked to lean against, using small black boxes with small black cylinders attached to them that would often make flashes. As he loomed above the overhang, the humans looked up at him in awe and horror. He could not speak to them but, even if he could, they scattered, hurrying and tumbling over each other in an attempt to escape. He meant them no harm, and they seemed to be making no attempt to harm him.
The Giant was greatly upset with himself. He had hoped that they would not be afraid but, it seemed that whenever he encountered them, they always were. Even when he had the kindest smile on his face…
FRENCH
2020-2021 was a challenging year but the pupils have been incredible and everyone has adapted well to the change!
During the Autumn and Spring terms, we taught pupils from Reception to Year 6 in school whilst we were on Blended Learning. We enjoyed the environment and the atmosphere of school life. Doing their classwork in their own classes on their ‘in school’ was pleasant and exciting for them, as was chatting with their friends from a distance whilst completing various French activities and doing their classwork on their ‘at home’ days.
Recently pupils have had to go back to online learning. Pupils enjoyed working on Zoom calls and in Microsoft Teams, which enabled them to focus on the subject and become independent risk- takers whilst learning. I enjoyed teaching my pupils online; it was great to see them so energetic and excited in their classes.
As a teacher, I believe the classroom atmosphere is very important for pupils to stay focused and learn the subject at hand. However, online activities were a great challenge for pupils which they succeeded in mastering.
Nadia Sulaiman Head of French
MUSIC
This has been another unique year for the Music Department and not having the opportunities for our pupils to perform and experience music to its fullest, has been an unfortunate time. Nevertheless, we have persevered and continued teaching and developing our pupils through blended learning.
Many pupils continued to develop their instrumental skills and performed in two virtual recitals this year. This included Mariam Rizvi who achieved her Grade 3 Exam in piano and Luka Panaretos who passed with a Merit in his Grade 3 Guitar Exam. The Choir also continued virtually and created some amazing songs throughout the year.
EYFS enjoyed the online videos and really took a shine to them. It was interesting to see all the wonderful instruments our pupils have at home. It also allowed them to be creative and come up with wonderful and interesting instruments of their own.
KS1 and KS2 enjoyed learning about the Harmonium and created their own melodies using a virtual piano. They continued to develop their musical vocabulary and understood the association of music with other subjects.
They explored many instruments and continued to train their musical ears.
The future is exciting and as a department we are planning a creative and innovative way to deliver music to our pupils in the future.
We would sincerely like to thank all the pupils, parents, our peripatetic music team, the teachers and all the Sherborne community for their hard work and support.
Razwan Sarwar Head of Prep Music
My proudest achievement during this year was passing grade 1, 2 and 3 for piano in only a year. I will soon be giving my grade 4 ABRSM exam this summer.
- Mariam Rizvi
5H
AMNA
The Academic Year 2020-2021 has probably been the strangest year I have known in my (very many!) years of teaching! It has been a bit like that old children’s party game, The Hokey Cokey, because the children have been ‘in, out and shaken all about!’ Throughout all this, the children (and the staff) in Amna have demonstrated true ‘Shirburnian’ resilience and a positive mindset.
As always, the Inter House Cup has been fiercely fought and bravely battled and, whatever the outcome, we know that the children in Amna have done their best which is, after all, all we can ask. I know that the children are very proud of their House and work hard to earn as many Merits as possible.
We have been very lucky this year to have some fantastic young people in Year 6 to help lead our House. We started the year with Zainab as our Prefect but, unfortunately, we lost Zainab partway through the year when her family left Qatar. She was replaced by Lehara who, along with Malak as Digital Buddy, has done a sterling job under very difficult circumstances. I would like to thank these girls for their positivity, creativity and energy which has made a difficult year much easier and more productive.
House Days have, like many things, looked very different this year but many aspects remained the same –we showed many of our learning dispositions and Sherborne Values, we tried new activities, learnt new skills and of course, we had fun! I have very much enjoyed seeing the fantastic activities that all the children have done this year and one by-product of the House Days at home was some of the lovely evidence of siblings working together which is not always possible on House Days in school. International Day was one of my favourites and I loved seeing the different countries represented and explored.
I have very much missed the regular contact with the children this year and very much hope that we will be able to be back together, in person, very early next year.
Gail Williams Amna House Leader
IRONS
We have reached the end of another fantastic, but also very unusual, year! Who knew that when we had our first virtual house day in the Summer Term last year that it would be the start of something new?!
We began this academic year with the appointment of the lovely Leena as our House prefect, who over the years has demonstrated her commitment and dedication to the House, in addition to consistently displaying our values. With the later addition of Maythaa, who was chosen for the new ‘Digital Buddy’ role, both girls have been a great help to me by assisting with ideas for house days, filming videos to be shared across the school and thinking of strategies to keep the children engaged and soaring high as the Irons eagles we are!
Although we have not been able to meet as we would usually do, I have been SO impressed to see that the children have continued to earn a mountain of Merits through their hard work during in-school and online learning and have kept our team spirit alive by producing various colourful and creative pieces of work on every single one of our virtual house days! One of my highlights was the Zoom parade that we did on the House Day for Book Week as it gave us the opportunity to see all their smiling faces, to celebrate together and give each other a much needed virtual hug!
Sadly, this is my last year as Irons House Leader at Sherborne Qatar Prep as I am moving to a new position within the Sherborne Qatar family in the next academic year. Thank you all for an AMAZING two years as without your support and encouragement, hard work and effort from all the House Staff and most importantly every single one of YOU inspiring children, I wouldn’t have had such an incredible time! Keep on proudly flying the Irons flag and reaching for the stars…I hope to see you all in the near future!
Khadine Richards-Carberry
Irons House Leader
JASSIM
We managed to get through a tricky year and I’m sure we all missed meeting as a group and celebrating the best house at Sherborne; I know I certainly did. However, everyone has continued to keep the awesome Jassim spirit and passion alive at school and I’m very proud of you all for that. Luckily for us though, we still managed to create some amazing memories and we were able to take part in some great House Days, such as Friendship Day and International Day. Some of the work created, both in school and at home, was outstanding and you should all be very proud of yourselves.
This year we were very lucky to be the only house that elected two Prefects. We had the amazing twins, Ali and Hussayn Shah, as our Jassim Prefects. They have been very eager all year and were constantly coming up with different ways they could interact with everyone by making videos and writing messages. I think we would all love to say a big thank you to Ali and Hussayn from all the Jassim family.
The highlight of the year for me was when I was doing my walk through the school on House Days and getting to see all Jassim members wearing their shirts with pride. No matter what class I went to, I was amazed by the things you were creating and acting out. I also really enjoyed learning all about your different countries and cultures on International Day. I find it wonderful how we can all be from different countries and have different traditions but we can all come together as one at Sherborne and celebrate every individual.
I would like to thank all children, parents and staff of Jassim House for continuing to show your support throughout this year. I have no doubt that Jassim will be back at the top of the house leader board very soon.
Unfortunately, my time as Head of Jassim has come to an end. It has been an absolute pleasure and I will always have very fond memories of you all as I move on to my next adventure. Go Jassim!
Chris Flanagan Jassim House Leader
Jassim
KHALIFA
Well! What an incredible year! It was a year which provided various challenges for us to engage with our learning dispositions to overcome adversities and grow! With the necessary restrictions in place, the Sherborne community have done outstandingly well to thrive in a house system that is so reliant on social interaction, communication and togetherness. This year we have come together, but from afar! Our spirits have remained high, we were ready for each challenge and I think we have done stupendously well to keep our house system flourishing with enthusiasm, creativity and competition.
Our Prefect, Lina, was always there for us when we needed her helping hand in sending messages and announcements out via video. Her help was doubled when we appointed Samarah as Lina’s Digital Buddy to help the Heads of House provide new ways for us to communicate our House needs throughout the school. The girls were full of bright, inventive ideas to spread the word on Social Media and reach the greater community so we can spread the word about how great Sherborne Qatar has been!
Khalifa House showed tremendous independence in our ‘new look’ House Days that commenced at home. I must admit that I was a little nervous about House Days this year because the children were tasked to complete activities by themselves, without supervision from any teachers! However, Khalifa shone bright and produced some amazing, vibrantly creative work and executed our learning disposition of ‘Independence’ with rigour! What an amazing achievement! I was so impressed by the level of enthusiasm children in Khalifa showed and I couldn’t help but feel proud of everyone involved!
Children also enjoyed some House Days in their forms at school. Khalifa’s Digital Buddy commented that her favourite House Day was World Book Day because there was such a wide range of activities to choose from both in school and at home.
I mentioned that our House system also flourished on competition this year. Despite the various precautionary changes in school life at Sherborne, the race for the House Cup is unbelievably tight. Mr Williams has reported that there is less than a half merit, on average between first and third place! This shows that the pupils whole-heartedly believe in our House system and strive for perfection and earn Merits on behalf of their House. The love the children have for Khalifa is undeniable, we are currently in a very strong position yet again to win the House Cup. I would like to thank Khalifa, its staff and its pupils a sincere thank you for all their hard work and effort to ensure Khalifa are always in contention for the House Cup. Go Khalifa, Go!
Colin Smyth
Khalifa House Leader
POWYS
What a year! Things have certainly been very different at Sherborne Prep, but we have still had lots of fun and created some fantastic memories. I am so proud of the amazing attitude of everyone in Powys; you have all made me smile so much this year.
Our amazing Prefect Diti, who is also one of our Heads of School, and our super Digital Buddy Matthew have helped to keep the Powys spirit alive and I am so grateful for their tremendous help throughout the year. Together we thought of some great ideas to involve everyone in Powys House, through video messages and pictures to be shared with the school.
Despite not being what we are used to, our House Days (both in school and virtual!) have been a huge success and your creativity has shone through. I particularly enjoyed our International House Day, where Powys House taught me lots of new and exciting things about different cultures. The pictures, videos and pieces of artwork sent to me by so many were wonderful and I was so proud of you all. Our virtual parade for World Book Day inspired me with your creative and crazy costumes and Friendship Day demonstrated just how kind and caring you all are.
Keep working hard Powys! We have had a wonderful year and the number of Merits received by you all has been amazing! I am beyond impressed with your perseverance, courage and pride, just like the lions you are!
I would like to say a huge thank you to all the children, parents and staff in Powys House who have made my first year as House Leader so wonderful. It is all of you who make Powys the best House ever. I am excited to see what next year holds, enjoy creating more memories and continue to achieve greatness! Go Powys!
Katie Gittins
Powys House Leader
SHEPPARD
What a challenging and different year we have had at Sherborne Qatar and across the world. However, we are all exceptionally proud of how well the children have adapted and persevered to create some fantastic moments throughout the year.
I would first like to say thank you to Claudia, our Prefect and also Head of School. You have done a great job leading our school and you have been a fantastic role model to all throughout the school. Secondly, thank you to Elizabeth for supporting Claudia as our Digital Buddy. Both of you have given us a lot of great ideas to help move the House forward into the next academic year.
House days this year have been very different from the norm, having been both virtual and in school. However, these days have still provided a lot of fun and allowed Sheppard house to express and show off their creativity and spirit. My favourite house days this year were International Day and World Book Day. There are so many different cultures to celebrate through the school; it was amazing to see and learn about your home lives and your traditions. I loved how many of you became creative with your costume word choices. Through the year, the art work, photos and videos have been of a high standard and many will be displayed for a long time to come.
This year I have been so impressed with the merits received by everyone in Sheppard. Each week we have been in or just out of the top three on the leader board. This is down to all your hard work in class, your perseverance through the year, you independence, creativity and curiosity.
I would love to take this opportunity to thank all of you, the staff, pupils and parents who have made my time as Shepard House Leader a memorable time. I am so proud to see the passion the children have for this house and I am already looking forward to next year.
Andy Calas Sheppard House Leader
Sheppard
STAFF REMINISCENCES
I have worked at Sherborne Prep School for nearly 7 years now and there has never been a dull moment! Trying to put my memories into a few words is actually really hard as I have had so many wonderful experiences and I have had the pleasure of teaching the most amazing children.
My overriding feeling about being at Sherborne, is that you are part of a big family. The staff are incredibly supportive of each other and the children are never just a ‘number,’ they are all equally important and we know them individually. I have loved being part of this caring environment.
I have had many fun times over the years and I suppose I have to finally accept that I actually like dressing up! I have been Queen Elizabeth II on several occasions as well as Queen Victoria, Fiona from Shrek, a Dalmatian dog, a Soldier from WWII - I could go on but I won’t!!
I have thoroughly enjoyed various school trips as well as camping overnight at school, running breakfast clubs, putting on school productions, sports days and being a member of Powys and Khalifa Houses. Most of all I have enjoyed laughing every day, be it with the children or my colleagues; it is the happiness and laughter that I will remember the most.
For me, teaching at Sherborne has been about building relationships of trust with the children and creating a love and passion for continuous lifelong learning. I am very proud to have been a part of Sherborne’s ongoing journey, it has been a privilege to teach here and I wish all the children, parents and staff my very best wishes for the future.
Alison Hamilton
I am leaving teaching, at the end of this term, after thirty-two memorable years in the profession. I have been very fortunate to have spent my final three years at Sherborne Qatar Prep. An enormous thank you to all the children, staff and parents who have made my time here so fulfilling and interesting. Best wishes for the future to you all.
Kate Fryer
