Welcome Pack 2025-2026 | Sherborne Qatar Boys School
PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME
Dear Parents/ Carers,
I am delighted that you have selected Sherborne Qatar School for Boys for your son in the next academic year. After a successful start to the school in September 2024, I am delighted to now be able to offer the additional Year group of Year 6 from September 2025. With our amazing team of staff, which have each chosen specifically for the skills they can bring, I am extremely excited about the prospect of continuing to develop thriving, innovative school for boys.
In September 2024 our school started small with only one or two classes in each year group so we could really develop the literacy skills of the boys and cater for their academic needs. Whilst the school is growing, with several of the year groups being two form entry, the school site has plentiful space to offer boys the chance to move, run, exercise and ‘let off steam’, whilst engaging their brains in high quality indoor and outdoor learning experiences. We have developed a curriculum that focuses on literacy and oracy, and builds skills associated with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). In our gender-neutral environment we will provide your sons with the opportunity to flourish and thrive without any unnecessary distractions and pressures. We have incorporated more time for practical activities, more sport and frequent ‘brain breaks’ between lessons. We aim to do something different to help your sons develop their confidence and overall motivation for lear ning.
We have created a non-self-conscious, fun, active, values-led, and disciplined learning environment which allows boys to reach their true potential in a friendly, nurturing and caring setting, where individual talents, strengths and interests can be identified and enhanced.
I look forward to welcoming you all very soon and hope this guide helps to introduce you to our school. If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact me through Mrs Reem Othman my personal assistant : rothman@sherborneqatar.org.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs J Goldsack Principal of Sherborne Qatar School for Boys and CEdO of Sherborne Qatar
INTRODUCING OUR TEAM
With our outstanding pastoral care, built on our moral values of Respect, Kindness, Honesty, Teamwork, Responsibility and Perseverance, we know that for your children to thrive they also need to feel safe and secure in their educational setting. With a whole school approach to wellbeing, underpinned by our House system, we strive to create a happy and nurturing environment.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Principal Mrs Jane Goldsack jgoldsack@sherborneqatar.org
Vice Principal
Head of Pre-Prep
Head of Key Stage 2
Mr Justin Goldsack jugoldsack@sherborneqatar.org
Dr Victoria Taylor vtaylor@sherborneqatar.org
Ms Joanna Gilbert jgilbert@sherborneqatar.org
KEY INFORMATION:
ACADEMIC
The School’s Mission Statement is:
To produce ‘well-educated, well-rounded individuals who have high aspirations and achieve their potential, in a happy and nurturing school’.
To fulfil this, we aim to:
• Create a school where every boy’s individual talent and skill is realised, nurtured, and grown; an inclusive school in which all pupils can achieve their potential and excel.
• Create and maintain a learning environment that is secure, diverse, disciplined, stimulating and enjoyable.
• Enable our pupils to benefit from a curriculum rich in enquiry, project based and STEM educational learning opportunities.
• Help pupils prepare for adult life by developing appropriate values and fostering selfconfidence, self-regulation, mutual respect, independence and a sense of duty and charity.
• Enable pupils to learn about, and benefit from both British and Qatari culture.
The school aims to offer a varied, diverse curriculum to its pupil cohort that prepares young people for future life opportunities and further study if desired.
Mrs Jane Goldsack Principal
Mr Justin Goldsack Vice Principal
Dr Victoria Taylor Head of Pre-Prep & Head of Inclusion Sherborne Qatar Schools
Miss Joanna Gilbert Head of Key Stage 2 & Head of Innovation and STEM
We plan a curriculum that is balanced, challenging, practical and relevant for the 21st century. As such, it is designed to deliver our vision and mission. It is based on the National Curriculum of England 2014 (including later updates in 2015, 2016 and 2021), adapted with STEM and practical opportunities throughout, and adapted towards the local requirements of our international setting. Pupils with additional needs are supported, whilst our more able pupils have the opportunity to deepen their understanding and develop their skills to a higher level.
The curriculum is enriched by a wide range of extracurricular activities which are offered both, within and after the school day.
All pupils have an Arabic curriculum set by the MOEHE with lessons in Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qatar History. The boys will follow the curriculum and exam cycle set by the ministry. Our Arabic staff will communicate with parents weekly to enable you to support their learning at home – both physical and online versions of the textbooks will be given to the boys in September.
We offer Spanish as an extracurricular activity.
Physical Education and Performing Arts form part of every pupil’s curriculum from Pre-School to Year 6 and there is the option to opt into extra-curricular Music and Physical Education lessons during and after school.
STEM learning opportunities and the concepts of STEM education are built into all teaching throughout the school. STEM is more than just the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - it is a holistic method of learning where inquisitive thought processes, collabouration, critical thinking, communication, creativity, innovation and teamwork are embedded into the way pupils acquire knowledge. A STEM approach to the curriculum looks at the acquisition of skills prevalent in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (as shown in the diagram below) and embeds these skills through creating learning opportunities to practice them throughout every subject.
With Science facilities, a Maker Space, and designated ‘STEM time’, our pupils can access additional educational opportunities. We encourage all our teachers to build an exciting STEMrich, curriculum and fully utilise the resources we have.
STEM EDUCATION
The school is currently split into two key sections:
• Pre-Prep: Pre-School, Reception, Year 1, Year 2
• Key Stage 2: Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6
This split is driven principally with pupils’ pastoral and social considerations in mind. Both sections enjoy separate play spaces on the campus dedicated to their learning and physical needs.
The academic curriculum is currently split into three sections:
• Early Years (EYFS: Pre-School and Reception)
• Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)
• Key Stage 2 (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6)
In time we will add Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9), Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) and Key Stage 5 (Years 12 and 13)
The curriculum is designed each year, to commence at the beginning of September and end in late June (an academic year at Sherborne Qatar School for Boys).
In both sections of the school pupils are taught in a form setting, mostly by one class or form teacher who oversees their overall progress. Each class will have a British teacher and will be assigned an Arabic teacher for Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qatari History. Both the Arabic and British teachers work closely together and share the classroom space creating for pupils a bilingual environment. Pupils also have access to specialist teaching provision in Physical Education.
The school has digital curriculum packages and schemes to support lear ning. We use Read Write Inc, Talk for Write, Accelerated Reader and MyON, White Rose Maths, and iREAD Arabic. These schemes provide material and a means to track pupil progress in specific areas of the curriculum.
ASSESSMENT
Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. It plays a key role in all areas of school life. Assessment is ongoing and is carried out in a variety of ways:
• Working with or speaking to pupils – questioning and discussion,
• Observation of practical tasks and pupils working,
• Through enquiry-based learning,
• Through consistent marking and moderation of written, verbal, and pictorial tasks,
• Through summative assessments: regular testing and more formal examinations.
More detailed information will follow in the parents’ handbook/ prospectus that will be issued at the beginning of term.
ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE REPORTING
It is important for children to attend school unless they are unwell. Getting children into good routines and habits supports their learning and development. Parents are asked to make sure their child arrives on time so that the working day may commence on time. If you arrive after the start of day, please take your child to the reception office so that he can be marked on the class register.
Please note that our target attendance 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. Allowing for periodic illness and any authorised absence, Form Teachers will send a warning letter to the parents of any pupil whose attendance is significantly below the target figure. This letter will state the current attendance % and say that the school is looking for a significant improvement. 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.
If your child is going to be absent from school due to illness, a medical appointment etc. please could you ensure that you telephone the school office by 8am. Whenever a child is absent an email should also be sent to the Form Teacher with an explanation as to why, so that the correct entry can be made in the register. If we have not received notification that your child will not be in school an unauthorised absence will be placed against their name in the register. This is recorded on their school report can lead to further issues should attendance fall below 90% in any given academic year.
Please note that all applications for leave of absence should be made, in writing and in advance, to the Vice Principal, Mr Justin Goldsack (jugoldsack@sherborneqatar.org).
BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE
(BYOD) YEARS 1 - YEAR 6
As new technologies continue to change the world in which we live, they also provide many new and positive educational benefits for learning. This year we will continue to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) from Year 1 to Year 6. In this initiative every pupil brings their own technology device to school to engage in learning in innovative and 21st century ways.
To suit the specification and the age of the pupils currently in the school we recommend that the most suitable option is an android tablet with keyboard, stylus and protective case for Years 1 & 2 and either a Microsoft Surface Pro device or laptop equivalent.
As a STEM school and a Microsoft school the devices the pupils bring in are an important part of the education we provide. Your son will use this as a tool for learning across the curriculum and it will be used daily. He will have weekly computing lessons that cover knowledge and skills in the areas of computers and networks, creating media, data and information and programming.
Our aim is for your son to leave our school with transferable skills to use in higher education and the workplace – including certificates in Microsoft programs. Your son will receive a school email that which should be used to set up the device so you can use the school license for Microsoft 365 and Minecraft.
The devices can be purchased from stores across Qatar or you can contact Mannai Trading for a SQSFB package deal – look out for the popup shops in school, too, An important part of BYOD is that pupils use devices with an android or 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. The decision to have a set device is to allow us to teach the pupils to use these effectively to support their learning.
We have invested in docking stations and screens in all areas of the school that are compatible with these devices. Our staff have had training to become Microsoft Innovative Educators and we aim for our pupils to have many extra digital literacy skills as a result of using their device in both computing and other class lessons.
The android tablet device is a small, lightweight design, made for school pupils. It is able to be used as a tablet and a laptop with the magnetic keyboard that is easily removed. The Surface Pro device is a suitable upgrade once your son is ready to fully use the Microsoft software. Your son will be given a school email which will be used to access all the Microsoft programs. You do not need to purchase any Office licenses or security packages.
If your son is joining Year 1 – 6 you will need to purchase
Preferred device to be fully compatible with docking stations.
Meet the Surface Pro – A powerful AI 2 -in-1 laptop tablet | Microsoft Surface
Device
Keyboard
Stylus
Protective case and screen protector
Wireless headphones – buds or full ear covers
Optional (but strongly advised as repairs are costly) – accidental damage insurance
Why not an iPad or Apple Mac?
Alternative option
Android tablet with similar spec Not iPad
Display – 10.9” LCD (2880 x 1800)
Adaptive refresh rate – Up to 90Hz
Durability – IP68 rated water & dust resistance
Battery – Up to 20 hours video playback
S-Pen – included
Attachable keyboard - included
Connectivity – 5G/Wi-Fi 6E
Storage – Up to 256GB internal
Tablet
Stylus
Keyboard
Protective case and screen protector
USB C Wire
Wireless headphones – buds or full ear covers
Optional – accidental damage insurance.
Laptop with similar spec not MacBook
Touchscreen: 12” PixelSense LCD display 3
Resolution: 2196 x 1464 (220 PPI)
Refresh rate: up to 90Hz (60Hz default)
16GB LPDDR5x RAM
Processor - Snapdragon® X Plus (8 Core)
Storage options: 256GB, 512GB (UFS)
Battery - Up to 16 hours of local video playback
Up to 12 hours of active web usage
Device
Stylus
Protective case and screen protector
USB C wire – to use school docking stations.
Wireless headphones – buds or full ear covers
Optional – accidental damage insurance
Although Apple devices provide learning facilities, we have noticed that they do not support the use of Microsoft software as easily as Microsoft Surface Go devices with a windows operating system. The software that we use in the classroom is better accessed through these devices and we have purchased docking stations for the IT classrooms that fit these devices.
CANTEEN
Our provider offers a wide variety of healthy snacks, drinks and meals from our spacious Cafeteria before, during and after school. The canteen is currently available as an alternative to packed lunch for pupils in Years 1 to 6 only. Pre School and Reception will eat packed lunches brought from home in the dining area.
We operate a cashless system with pupils using cards to purchase food and drink. Credit can be added to the cards by parents online, and by pupils before and after school.
Your child will receive a card from the tutor at the beginning of the year, or new or replacement cards can be received from the cafeteria staff directly.
In terms of packed lunches, please note in line with our health-promoting school ethos, sweets and chocolate are discouraged and fizzy / energy drinks are not allowed.
Finally, due to the allergies of others, seeds and nuts are forbidden in school. Thank you for your understanding.
HEALTHY EATING
At Sherborne Qatar School for Boys, we are committed to promoting healthy eating habits and maintaining a safe environment for all students. As part of this commitment, we encourage families to pack nutritious lunches that support students' growth and learning.
High carbohydrate foods such as cakes, candy, chips and chocolate raise blood sugar levels and can impact on pupils learning in the classroom and we ask that these are not included in lunches.
We also ask that all packed lunches follow our no-nut policy, as we have students with severe nut allergies (This includes chocolate spreads such as nutella). Please ensure that lunches do not contain peanuts, tree nuts, or any products that may contain traces of nuts. If they are observed to be in a packed lunch, they will be removed and returned to parents at home time.
We also request that fruits such as grapes are cut into quarters and cherries have their stones removed. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us create a healthy and inclusive space for everyone.
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, and Section Leads will remain your key points of contacts 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. As a parent you will be given access to the Parent Portal where you can find all the key policies, and this is where your child’s school reports are published.
All parents will receive an activation email when their child joins the school and this will include guidance on how to access reports. If you do not receive the email kindly contact Ms Joanna Gilbert on jgilbert@sherborneqatar.org
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 the School Newsletter which is shared weekly, providing brief overviews from the week just gone, important reminders of what’s coming up, as well as 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 AND 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.
GATE 1: (MAIN ENTRANCE) – YEAR 1, YEAR 2 AND YEAR 3
AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS/ THE ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME
We provide our pupils with a broad range of extra-curricular activities for all abilities and skill sets. Parents will receive details of each of the activities on offer and whether there is a cost or not at the beginning of the academic year.
Activities fall into five categories (pillars) of provision:
1. Sports/ School Teams
2. Drama/ Music/ Creativity/ Art
3. Design/ Technology/ Robotics/ Computing
4. Humanities/ Languages/ Environment
5. English/ Mathematics/ Sciences/ Academic Support
THE 5 PILLARS of Enrichment Approach
Purposeful Outcomes
DROP OFF / COLLECTION Parking spaces Do not park here
GATE 2: DROP -OFF/ COLLECTION FOR YEAR 4 AND 5
GATE 3: GATE CLOSED
GATE 4: DROP-OFF / COLLECTION FOR PRE-SCHOOL AND RECEPTION
Note: The red and green highlights are intended as a guide. The laws of the road take priority. Cars should never stop next to a black and white curb or in front of a private driveway.
• U-turns cause holdups and also pose a danger to children crossing the road. Please drive around the perimeter of the school instead.
• There is plenty of parking within a 2-minute walk to the school gate and we politely request that you find a space and walk a short distance to school rather than parking immediately outside the gate. Doing this improves the safety of children and road users.
Outside providers and staff from school offer these activities five days per week.
Our enrichment programme aims to provide truly holistic provision to develop pupils skills and broaden their experiences.
FORMS: MEDICAL, IT AGREEMENT AND HOME
SCHOOL AGREEMENT
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 an online Home School Agreement and relevant IT Child & Parent User Agreements before their children start school. Our Admissions Department will send you the link separately to these policies.
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 are asked to read and sign the Fees Policy when they register their child. The Fees Policies in both English and Arabic can be found on our website. Sherborne Qatar has 3 terms per year.
Tuition fees for each term are payable on or before the first day of term. Invoices will be emailed to parents by no later than one month prior to the payment due date.
The Finance Offices in all our schools are open Sunday to Thursday 7.00am to 3.00pm. Holiday opening hours differ. For any queries relating to the payment of fees and the Qatari education voucher scheme, kindly email Mrs Amilasan on aamilasan@sherborneqatar.org.
PASTORAL CARE
Teachers have the day to day responsibility for the welfare of pupils in their forms and they monitor pupil progress by taking account what is happening in a pupil’s life. Additionally, all pupils and staff belong to one of six Houses which allow for the vertical integration of pupils and the House Leaders, in particular, become important people in helping to shape and guide the pupils out of the classroom.
Each house has senior House Captains who are elected by staff and pupils in their house. They will be involved in actively organising teams for various events throughout the year. House events will include sporting, academic and creative arts events. When participating in house events pupils wear a plain shirt in their house colour. Pupils from Year 3 will also wear a tie as part of their Winter Uniform that has their house colours on it.
We have chosen house names to honour three outstanding Qatari gentlemen and three outstanding British gentlemen. They act as the pupils inspiration for different skills and talents showing our young men that they can be anything they want to be if they have the determination to succeed. Parents will be sent confirmation of which house your son is in the first two weeks of term. Please wait to buy the appropriately coloured house shirt.
OUR HOUSES
HAMAD (SHEIKH HAMID BIN KHALIFA AL THANI) - BLUE
Sheikh Hamad was the ruling Emir of Qatar from 1995 until 2013. During his 18-year rule, Qatar’s natural gas production reached 77 million tonnes, making Qatar the richest country in the world per capita. During his reign, several sports and diplomatic events took place in Qatar. Sheikh Hamad established the Qatar Investment Authority and invested $100 billion around the world. He founded news media group Al Jazeera and played a part creating numerous peaceful diplomatic relations between countries. Sheikh Hamad graduated from the British Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1971, and was then commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in Qatar’s armed forces. In 1977 he was named Minister of Defense.
Sheikh Hamad is our inspiration for leadership and innovation.
JASSIM (SHEIKH JASSIM BIN HAMAD BIN KHALIFA AL THANI) PURPLE
Is the former heir apparent of Qatar. He is the third son of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the first child of the Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned. He abdicated his position as Crown Prince in 2003, in favour of his younger brother Tamim. Sheikh Jassim was educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst UK and Milton Abbey School, UK. He was commissioned as 2nd-lieutenant in the Qatari armed forces on 9 August 1996 and is the honorary president of the Qatar National Cancer Society (QNCS). Sheikh Jassim is the chair of the supreme council for the environment and natural resources since 2000, patron of Aspire Academy since 2003 and a member of the Board of Trustees at Qatar Foundation.
Sheikh Jassim is our inspiration for charity and service.
JOAAN (SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD BIN KHALIFA AL THANI) ORANGE
The fifth son of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the third child of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned. He is president of the Qatar Olympic Committee.
Sheikh Joaan was educated at École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, France. He also attended Oak Ridge Military Academy in the USA. In May 2015, he was appointed president of the Qatar Olympic Committee. Sheikh Joaan has been involved in the successful organization of several international sporting events in Qatar in recent years. He is enthusiastic about equestrian sports and he is currently serving as the Chairman of Al-Shaqab Racing.
Sheikh Joaan is our inspiration for sport and teamwork.
DYSON (SIR JAMES DYSON) RED
Dyson is a British inventor, industrial designer, farmer, and business magnate who founded the Dyson company. He was educated at Gresham’s School, the Byam Shaw School of Art and the Royal College of Art. Dyson helped to design the Sea Truck, the Ballbarrow, (a modified version of a wheelbarrow using a ball instead of a wheel), the Trolleyball (a trolley that launched boats), the Wheelboat, vacuum cleaners, a washing machine (called the ContraRotator), an airblade hand dryer, air-purifiers, fans without external blades (the Air Multiplier) and heating, air purifying and humidifying units. In April 2016, Dyson launched a smaller and quieter hair dryer, the Dyson Supersonic.
Dyson is our inspiration for Design, Creativity and Art.
LEWIS (JASON LEWIS) YELLOW
Jason Lewis is an English author, explorer and sustainability campaigner. He is credited with being the first person to circumnavigate the globe by human power. Lewis is also the first person to cross North America on inline skates (1996), and the first to cross the Pacific Ocean by pedal power (2000).
Lewis is our inspiration for Literature and Adventure.
BAMFORD – (ROBERT BAMFORD) GREEN
Bamford along with Lionel Martin, founded a company in January 1913 that became Aston Martin. Aston Martin is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Bamford and Martin joined forces to sell cars and in 1922 produced cars to compete in the French Grand Prix. These went on to set world speed and endurance records. Before his career in the car industry Bamford was active as a racing cyclist. Robert and his two brothers Edward and Arthur were educated at Sherborne School in Dorset. Robert also attended Trinity College, Cambridge.
Bamford is our inspiration for Engineering.
TERM DATES
Term Dates will be replaced with Term starts on 31st August 2025.
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.
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.
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 that wearing the Sherborne uniform:
EYFS TO YEAR 2 DAYWEAR
EYFS TO YEAR 6
SPORTSWEAR
EYFS TO YEAR 6 HOUSE SHIRT
YEAR 3 TO YEAR 6 DAYWEAR
YEAR 3 TO YEAR 6 DOUBLE STRIPE TIE
Accessories are compulsory for pupils at Sherborne Qatar School for Boys.
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 (access via Gate 1), where our School Receptionist and members of the School’s Senior Leadership Team will be there to 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 to let you know how well the first day went.
