ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE REPORTING

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.

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 Assistant Head, Mr Williams at rwilliams@sherborneqatar.org

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.

It is essential that these laptops have the following specifications;

• Windows operating system 10 or above

• Touch screen

• Window ink

• Keyboard

• Mouse

• Stylus

• Webcam

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.

To suit the specification we recommend that the most suitable option is a Microsoft Surface Pro. Surface Pro 8 or 9.

Some other suitable suggestions for devices are:

• Microsoft Surface Go 2: Introducing the Surface Go 3

• Microsoft surface Go 2 LTE Advanced

• Microsoft Surface Laptop 4: New Surface Laptop 4

• Microsoft Surface Pro 8

• Microsoft Surface Pro X

Local Suppliers: There are a number of ways to purchase these Micorsoft devices. We suggest:

• Jarir Bookstore - Qatar Shopping Guide (jarir.com)

• Virgin Megastore - MICROSOFT Online Store | MICROSOFT 2021 Products| Virgin Megastore Qatar

Additionally, Amazon can deliver to Qatar relatively quickly but with a delivery charge.