How long in advance should we look for school places
Hello,
We're moving to Qatar from London in around 2 years time. We have 3 children who are currently in Year 3 and nursery. How far in advance of our move should we start looking for school places for the children and is it worth trying to visit some schools before we come. I'm working on my husband to take me out to Qatar for a visit before we move the family.
Louise
I am not sure that I agree with you, Blondie. Perhaps there may be some connection between being fluent in English and having British parents. Maybe all of the American students at the school (if there are any) are never asked to read aloud and are never given spelling tests. As Alan J. lerner once wrote, "There even are places when English completely disappears / In America they haven't used it for years."
If Shell is a sponsor of Park House School, then that may also lead to British children being given priority. Wouldn't you agree that the Shell company sponsor the school because, in return, they want the children of Shell employees to be given special treatment? And isn't it common knowledge that many of the people who work for Shell are British?
I was under the impression that Park House School insisted on entrance tests for all of the children whose parents want them to go to the school. You say in your posting that "Park House English School does not give priority to British children" , but are you suggesting that a Chinese child has exactly the same chance of passing the entrance test as a British child?
Please note that Park House English School does not give priority to British children but to those who are fluent in English - irrespective of nationality.
The lack of available places for the children of parents who are relocating to Qatar seems to be a perennial topic.
Of course, some families do not find out about "the big move" until it's too late. I suspect that part of the problem is that some schools switch on the answerphone as soon as the summer holidays begin. Even if you do manage to speak to a real person, most probably the school secretary, my guess is that you will be told, "Thank you for telephoning, but only the principal is able to make decisions about places and he/she won't be back until the end of August."
Husbands don't really understand what their wives are worried about. I know, I'm a Shell wife, I've been there. I'll be in Surrey from mid November and I'll be happy to talk to you. E-mail me (click on my name to get into my profile).
Thankyou.
I believe that Shell is a sponsor of Park House school, so your kid(s) should be fine. Attached is link of some schools in Doha:
http://www.qatarembassy.net/educenters.asp
Thanks to both of you for your replies. My husband works for Shell. Will that make any difference in our access to school places? He said that some companies have access to certain schools. I've asked him to find out more from his HR department but it seems as though there isn't too much to worry about.
Louise
That certainly is forward planning!
Who knows what this place is going to be like then. Presently it's chaotic, but this is mainly due to Asian Games. If you were coming now, schooling is an issue. But in two years time there could be more schools. Also, a lot of people who have come here for the Asian Games would have left .... unless we get the Olympics ... then we are all back to chaos again!
If it gives you peace of mind I would put your kids names down ...
Most schools do have a wait list of sometimes upto a 1 year, but depending on your husband's employer and nationality, you will be given preference at certain schools. For example, if your husband's employer is a sponsor of Parkhouse and your children are British nationals, then they will be given preference and accomodated, assuming they meet the minimum entrance requirements.