Sherborne Qatar Preparatory School Welcome Pack 25-26

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CONTENTS

HEADTEACHER’S WELCOME

INTRODUCING OUR TEAM

KEY INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND PUPILS

Academic Assessment

Attendance & Absence Reporting

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD Years 3-6 only)

Communication

Drop off & Collection

Ramadan

In School Programme

Key Policies

Medical forms

School Fees

Term Dates

The Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

The School Day

Transport

Uniform

WHAT TO EXPECT ON YOUR CHILD’S FIRST DAY

LOCATION

PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME

Dear Parents,

I am delighted to welcome you to Sherborne Qatar Prep School, Bani Hajer. Whether your child is in the Prep section or Qetaf you will be part of a school which aims to prepare well educated, well rounded children, who achieve their potential in a happy and nurturing school. Joining a new school, in a new country, can be challenging but it is our intention that our friendly and welcoming staff and pupils will help you and your children to settle as quickly as possible.

The following pages are intended to give you an overview of the information you will need for the start of the academic year. It is not intended to be an exhaustive guide and you will be welcome to ask questions as they arise. We are very much a community and the Home / School partnership is a very important one. The principle point of contact should be with your child’s Form Teacher, who will nurture and guide your child through the year and who will liaise with the relevant person if they cannot provide the information which you are seeking at any particular time.

The Prep School years are vital ones for the development of your child and our aim will be to develop your children to be the very best that they can be, both inside and outside the classroom. If you have any questions do get in touch and we look forward to seeing your child develop and flourish with us here in the Prep School.

With my very best wishes,

INTRODUCING OUR TEAM

With our outstanding pastoral care, built on our moral values of: Respect, Kindness, Honesty, Teamwork, Responsibility & Perseverance we know that for our children to thrive and find their brilliance they need to feel secure and happy in their environment, which is why all we do is based upon their needs as individuals. With a whole-school approach to well-being, underpinned by our wonderful House system, we pride ourselves on feeling part of ‘a family, within a family’.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Richard Williams Principal rwilliams@sherborneqatar.org

Sarah Bennett Vice Principal Prep sbennett@sherborneqatar.org

Julie Foot Vice Principal Sherborne Qetaf jfoot@sherborneqatar.org

Zara Dada Deputy Head Prep zdada@sherborneqatar.org

PASTORAL LEADS

Jannath Rahman

School Counsellor rjannath@sherborneqatar.org

Gail Williams

Senior House Leader gwilliams@sherborneqatar.org

Lindsey Wilkin Madiha Seedat

Head of Pre-School lwilkin@sherborneqatar.org

Sally Nixon

Head of Year 2 snixon@sherborneqatar.org

Head of Reception & EYFS oversight. mseedat@sherborneqatar.org

Head of Year 3 jdeane@sherborneqatar.org

Larissa Hughes

Head of Learning Support lhughes@sherborneqatar.org

Nicole Chambers

Head of Year 1 nchambers@sherborneqatar.org

Kathryn Mills

Head of Year 4 kmills@sherborneqatar.org

Steven Chong Abigail Floodgate

Head of Year 5 afloodgate@sherborneqatar.org

Head of Year 6 schong@sherborneqatar.org

Specialists

Cecilia Jin Head of Music

cjin@sherborneqatar.org

Suzan Saada Head of Arabic ssaada@sherborneqatar.org

Simon McDonough Head of PE smcdonough@sherborneqatar.org

Cesar Rozmus Head of Modern Foreign Languages crozmus@sherborneqatar.org

ACADEMIC

With the foundations of our Learning Dispositions: Communication, Creativity, Risk-taking, Independence, Resilience and Curiosity we have developed a curriculum, The Sherborne WAY, that is Wholeness, Aspirational and personalised - all about You (our pupils). The Sherborne WAY curriculum has the National Curriculum for England (2014) as its underlying structure but tailors all parts of the learning to the Sherborne Qatar pupils to ensure our content is enriching and purposeful – with our moral values and learning dispositions at its core.

Throughout the school, Read Write Inc. and the White Rose Maths and Science schemes of work are followed. The Talk for Writing structure is also used and these all ensure we do not lose the British nature of our education. The British nature of the school is also very evident in the themes and topics which are taught.

ASSESSMENT

We believe in a formative approach to assessment, starting in Pre-School with regular observations, carried out in partnership between home and school. This involves children identifying their ‘next steps,’ which are communicated regularly through written reports and online / in person parent meetings across the year. In Qetaf your child’s Annual Learning Plan (ALP) will be shared with you by the October half term with progress meetings being held formally in the Spring and Summer terms.

End of term or ‘unit’ assessments are carried out in our core subjects (as well as in Arabic, Islamic and Qatar History), but these help to provide evidence and are not the ‘defining grade.’ Through our outstanding teaching, we know your children, and therefore professional judgements, communicated clearly and regularly with you, is what we believe is best. We also regularly ‘assess’ how pupils in Years 4 - 6 are performing in relation to our values and learning dispositions and our aim to provide a well-rounded education.

In Qetaf we believe pupils should be involved in the assessment of their own work and progress as much as possible. All pupils will be encouraged to be involved in self assessment wherever possible by means of photographs, sharing learning objectives, ALP targets, comments on Annual Reports etc, using appropriate spoken language or AAC that they can understand. Child friendly Learning Targets are written in accordance with the pupil’s ALP

ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE REPORTING

Our minimum attendance target is 90% and this matches the Ministry of Education’s requirements for pupils attending Qatari Independent schools. Attendance is something which Form Teachers and the Senior Leadership Team monitor closely and Form Teachers will send a warning letter to the parents of any pupil whose attendance is significantly below the target figure. We would hope that this will be sufficient but, for those pupils whose attendance does not improve, there will be further periodic letters, which will escalate in seriousness and which will also be logged with the Ministry of Education & Higher Education.

Parents are reminded that whenever a child is absent an email should be sent to the Form Teacher with an explanation so that the correct entry can be made in the Register. Please note that all applications for leave of absence should be made, in writing and in advance, to the Vice Principal Prep or the Vice Principal Qetaf.

Applications are judged on a case-by-case basis and parents will be notified of the decision. Making an application does not guarantee that any absence will be an authorised Absence and leave will normally only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE

As new technologies continue to change the world in which we live, they also provide many new and positive educational benefits for learning.

Sherborne Qatar Prep School Bani Hajer is a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) School for Years 3 to 6 inclusive. We encourage pupils in Years 3 to 6 to use laptops with a Windows operating system. This is for them to participate effectively in classroom learning and develop their skills in presenting media, safely exploring the digital world and computer science.

As part of our continued commitment to digital learning and a secure, productive educational environment, we would like to share the recommended laptop specifications for pupils at Sherborne Qatar School.

These specifications are carefully selected to ensure compatibility with the school’s secure systems, such as Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Microsoft Intune, and other Microsoft 365 services that we use to manage and protect student devices.

Recommended Laptop Specifications

Component Specification

Operating System Windows 11 (Professional / Education / Enterprise Edition) Processor (CPU)

Memory (RAM)

8 GB or Higher

Storage 128 GB SSD or Higher

Display 13” Screen or Larger

Accessories Keyboard, Mousepad, Charger

Why Windows Professional / Education / Enterprise Editions Are Required

Using Windows Professional, Education, or Enterprise editions allows us to provide your child with a safe, secure, and distraction-free learning experience.

These editions support the following essential features:

• Remote Device Management: Through Azure AD and Intune, we can remotely configure settings, install applications, apply updates, and support students.

• Web & App Restrictions: We can block access to inappropriate websites, games, and unauthorized software to ensure a focused learning environment.

• Security Enforcement: Devices can be encrypted (BitLocker), antivirus protection can be enabled, and secure user policies enforced (e.g., screen lockouts, strong passwords).

• Learning Tool Deployment: Essential school applications such as Microsoft Teams, Word, OneNote, and PowerPoint can be automatically installed and managed.

**Please note that laptops running Windows Home Edition are not compatible with our school’s security and management systems and are therefore not supported.

Why not an iPad or Apple Mac?

For the purpose of learning, we are encouraging the use of laptops because although Apple devices provide learning facilities, we have noticed that they do not support the use of Microsoft software as easily as laptops with a windows operating system. Additionally, the use of iPads has affected our curriculum provision because not all software we use in the classroom is available for both iOS and Windows.

We appreciate your support in helping us create a digitally safe and academically focused environment. If you have any questions or require assistance, please feel free to contact the IT department at itn@sherborneqatar.org.

COMMUNICATION

Now that you are part of the Sherborne family it is vital that we have open lines of communication between us, yourselves and your child/ren. Form Teachers will remain your key points of contact throughout your time with the school.

We greatly value face-to-face meetings and there are numerous formal and informal opportunities for this to happen.

The school uses the Class Dojo application to share messages and information with parents through Class / School Story. The school also uses email to share important letters or key details when necessary. As well as our social media platforms, we also have weekly Parent Notices, providing brief overviews from the week just gone, important reminders of what’s coming up and other useful pieces of information.

We consider ourselves to be an open and friendly school, so if you have anything on your mind, please pick up the phone, send an email or come into school. We are always here to help

DROP OFF & COLLECTION

For the safety of the whole community we ask you to please take a note of the information listed below, so that at the busy times of the day, we are all working together.

5 Year 1 and 2

4 Year 3 and 4

Gate 1 Qetaf and Year 5-6 (in mornings, Y5-6 children can be dropped off at Gate 1. (No parking is permitted)

All visitors should enter through Gate 1 and report to reception.

Parents and children should enter through the gate of their youngest child in the school.

There is plenty of parking close to each gate and we politely request that you find a space and walk to the gate, rather than parking immediately outside the gate or in the central reservation. This improves the safety of the children and road users.

Please respect the instructions of teaching staff on duty and our security team.

RAMADAN

Ramadan is the Holy Month in the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast (also known as sawm) from sunrise to sunset for approximately 30 days (sometimes 29 days) and is one of the five pillars of Islam. The dates change annually as they’re determined by the sighting of a new moon – for many Muslims, from Saudi Arabia. The start and end of Ramadan will be declared the day before. Look out for announcements from school and Instagram pages such as ILoveQatar.net regarding the start of Ramadan.

Muslims will not eat or drink from dawn to sunset. It is also about practising generosity, goodwill and self-control. Generally, fasting is not recommended to people who suffer from medical conditions or women who are pregnant. Non-Muslims, menstruating women and young children are also exempt from fasting during Ramadan. Drinking and eating in public is considered very offensive and can even attract a fine or a reprimand from the police in Qatar, even if you are exempt from fasting. Everyone is expected to be respectful by not eating or drinking in public places or to use designated screened off areas within public places.

Here are a few things to be mindful of in Ramadan:

Restaurants are closed during the day and most shops according to industries have different opening times. It is important to double check times before heading out to avoid disappointment. Also try and get government, ministry or any official work done before Ramadan, as things slow down during this period.

With a large proportion of the community fasting, it is also important to consider refraining from wearing anything revealing or tight, avoid public display of affection or swearing and refrain from playing loud music. Although these are emphasised throughout the year in Qatar, the importance is heightened during Ramadan. Finally, be careful when driving during Iftar time (sunset) as this becomes rush hour. Please note, during the month of Ramadan, the school day is shorter. Timings are approved by the Ministry of Education, and these are usually confirmed a few days before the start of the Holy Month. In recent years, Ramadan hours for the Prep School have been 8:45am –1.15pm but are always subject to approval.

IN SCHOOL PROGRAMME

FOR INSPIRATION RECREATION AND ENRICHMENT

Complementing our exciting curriculum, our Enrichment programme comes in many forms and at many different times throughout the school day – seeking to provide our pupils with further challenge, inspiration and motivation. More than 40 activities are provided each week by school staff and specialist outside providers. Every Shirburnian has the opportunity to broaden their experiences and further develop their skills.

KEY POLICIES

At Sherborne Qatar we have a comprehensive range of policies that cover all facets of school life. Many of these are readily available on our website or on the parent portal. Other useful information, including up-to-date inspection reports can be found on the website too.

Parents will be asked to complete and submit our Home School Agreement and relevant ICT Child & Parent User Agreement before their children start school. These will be sent to you.

MEDICAL FORMS

The health and well-being of our pupils is so important. To ensure we are giving your child the appropriate care and advice, it is essential that our medical records are up to date. As such, all new parents are asked to complete and submit an online medical form before their children start school. It is your responsibility as parents to keep us informed of any changes to the medical needs of your child or medication. Failure to keep us informed may result in your child not being able to enter school.

SCHOOL FEES

All parents will be asked to read and sign the Fees Policy when they register their child. The Fees Policy can be found on our website. Sherborne Qatar Schools have 3 terms per year. Invoices will be emailed to parents by no later than one month prior to the payment due date. The Finance Office is open Sunday to Thursday from 7.00am to 3.00pm. Holiday opening hours may differ. For any queries relating to the payment of fees and the Qatari education voucher scheme, kindly email Mrs Amilasan on aamilasan@sherborneqatar.org.

TERM DATES

The first day of the Autumn Term will be Sunday 31st August. The rest of the term dates will be announced in due course.

THE PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA)

Dear Parents,

A warm welcome to Sherborne Qatar Schools! On behalf of the Sherborne Qatar Parent Teacher Association (PTA), I am delighted to introduce you to the PTA. We are a group of parents and teachers, whose priority is the well-being of our children and supporting the school community.

Throughout the year we have various fundraisers and events designed to provide funds to enrich our children’s educational experience, over and above what the school would be expected to provide from fees.

We are excited to build community across all of the schools within the Sherborne Qatar family. We are proud to bring those schools together and create connections across the schools and foster community amongst our parents and children.

In December 2024 we were thrilled to welcome more than 3,000 people from the Sherborne Qatar community to the Winter Fair, hosted at the Senior School. This is just one of the events we have planned for the year to come.

Your involvement and support are highly valued and greatly appreciated. If you would like to know more then please contact us on SherborneqatarPTA@gmail.com. Please keep an eye on regular notices from the PTA. Kind Regards

PTA

THE SCHOOL DAY

Please note:

• The times have been designed for curricular needs and to help with traffic flow

• Pupils must be in their classrooms in time for Registration

• Pupils who arrive late for Registration must ensure they register with their Form Teacher. This is to ensure that we have an accurate record of who is in school

UNIFORM

Sitting alongside our high expectations of attendance are our standards of school uniform. We are very proud of our school and the high expectations we set ourselves. A visible sign of these high standards is our school uniform. We believe wearing the Sherborne uniform:

• Promotes pride in ‘The Penny’,

• Engenders a sense of community and belonging towards the school and each other,

• Identifies the children with our school, with the Penny, which in turn, symbolises all the values and learning dispositions that we stand for.

EYFS

GIRLS’ DAYWEAR

Pre School / Reception

YEAR 3 TO YEAR 6

GIRLS’ DAYWEAR

YEAR 1 TO YEAR 2

GIRLS’ DAYWEAR

PRE-SCHOOL TO YEAR 6

Parents have a duty to send their children to school correctly dressed and ready for their daily schoolwork. One of the responsibilities of parents is to ensure that their child has the correct uniform, and that it is clean and in good repair. Thank you for your support.

All items on our uniform list are available to purchase from Noble House at www.noblehouse.qa and our unique school code is SG0805

Here is the uniform list and Noble House’s items can be viewed here.

Due to new ministry guidelines as we go to press, boys from Year 4 wearing shorts must ensure they are not above the knee and girls’ skirts must not be above knee and require non-transparent long tights. For PE kit, girls need to wear non-transparent tights or leggings beneath their shorts or can wear PE trousers. EYFS

Pre School / Reception

WHAT TO EXPECT ON YOUR CHILD’S FIRST DAY?

On your child’s first day, we ask that you meet us in the Main Reception where our School Receptionist, the members of SLT will welcome you and take you up to class, so you can see the environment and briefly meet your child’s Form Teacher – helping to put your mind at ease! We will then talk with you about morning and afternoon routines and answer any questions you may have. At the end of the day, like every day, your child’s Form Teacher will be on hand to meet with you let you know how well the first day went. Finally, please ensure your child brings in plenty of water and a healthy packed lunch.

New families will be informed of their child’s house and house colour shirt before starting school.

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