Doha College - Admissions

Now that Doha College are opening a new primary school - what does this mean for DESS kids trying to get into DC secondary school - DC already favour their own kids

Now that Doha College are opening a new primary school - what does this mean for DESS kids trying to get into DC secondary school - DC already favour their own kids

Yes its a Shame on DC who claim to be a British Embassy Sponsored School yet they do little to support British community in Doha!

They are so concerned about been academic selective, without serving the community it was intended to serve in the first place!

Thats really bad and leaves a lot of families really stuck. It's a shame they can't give priority to british families at least - after all they are British Embassy sponsored

I heard that out of 200 kids that applied for the 140 places for years 7, only 150 passed the test so 140 get the places and 10 on waiting list!

Yes DC is playing games!

I see DC are playing mean again - 14 kids from DESS didnt get year 7 places - leaving families in a dilema

Check on their website - thats the most up to date information

how much do you pay termly/yearly in doha college and if you know about middle east international school please tell me . :)

in response to britlady's comment, my son is going to Qatar International School in September and they definitely do IGCSEs and AS/A levels. They do not do the IB.

Flowerz, unless you are married you cannot come with your partner to Doha. And people are saying that it's too late to get kids a place at school now.

Mandi

Congratulations on your child getting a place at Oxford.

Which school did he attend at the end?

I m from UK looking to move to Qatar as my Partner has been offered a job there.

Which school would you recommend?

Thanks

Sarah. xx

Not really. I know English Modern School does IGCSE.

DBS may have come third - because there are only 3 schools who do IGCSE's in Doha. ASD do american exams. QA, QIS etc do the IB. Sherbourne and ILS don't have exam results yet, Compass don't do IGCSE's !

Yes, but PHES and DC got substantially higher results. Sherborne haven't had any results yet

IGCSE results.

Which exam results did they come in the top 3 of ????

michellebailham I have to desagree with you, not all classes have 24/25 but they can have also 30/31.

Doha British School, this year came in the top three for exam results, I stongly recommend them, you might hear stories of overcrowding of classrooms which is just hearsay, my kids are there and they have 24/25 to a class. The classrooms are big bright and airy, with great facilities, teachers mainly British who interact very well with pupils and parents alike. Fees wise much cheaper than DESS, Doha College and Sherborne and just as good educational wise.

yes Britlady - I heard the same thing - bit of a fundraised for DC really - I do know of a couple of non-DC and non-DESS kids who got places though - but they were expectionally gifted.

Agree with Britlady - Best bet is to get into DESS or DC primary - then you are guarenteed a place at DC secondary school - yes there is an exam ( LOL) but strangely this year all the DESS and DC applicants got places - even the ones at the very bottom of each school.

DC have just pubished their results for their Year 7 exams today and everyone who took the exam got a place - even kids who were borderline remedial !

Looks like all you have to to is pay your money to get a place

DC parents to have a 'lording tendancy' suggesting if your kid is not at DC its because they werent clever enough to get in - without realising there are very clever kids at PHES, Sherborne, Compass etc

I'm not lording it over others,just saying i had no problems with the school..Others can report bad experiences about Doha College but no-one is allowed to report positives in case it offends those who's children didn't get in...Sounds like sour grapes to me..

My children are half English/half Scandinavian. I'm English myself. My children are at the top of their classes back at home, but seemingly not good enough for here. Just because you have had success, please don't lord it over others. There are many children, 100% English or otherwise, who have excellent reports and exam results who cannot find places here.

My son is English.. ( British )

Good for you.

Are you your children British by any chance?

Good for you.

Are you your children British by any chance?

I have even been advised to change my children's passports to a British one. They have the standard EU one in any case, even though it's from a Scandinavian country rather than the UK. What next? Change their names to Smith or Jones? Same kids, what does it matter?

I have even been advised to change my children's passports to a British one. They have the standard EU one in any case, even though it's from a Scandinavian country rather than the UK. What next? Change their names to Smith or Jones? Same kids, what does it matter?

I had no problems getting my son in to year 12 at Doha college and didn't know anyone!..He go in because of his exam results and previous reports.It's a fantastic school he has settled really well..I couldn't be more happy! :)

It's about who you know in the schools . Admissions is not transparent .

In some schools the passport is the key factor whatever the official blurb says !

I know how you feel about paying money for deposits . The schools should return it if you decide to withdraw .

.....the schooling issue is a nightmare here. Unless of course your company is in the know and has an agreement with a school. I'm British.....have been trying since August 2011. I will be leaving in August 2012 that's for sure. I know these facts are hard to comprehend, but they are the truth. I think even the Qatari Govt. has acknowledged that there is an extreme problem. Perhaps it's time to do something about it then? Sponsoring FC Barcelona is one thing, how about sponsoring primary and secondary education?

NBS has passed its AdvancED inspection with flying colours. The team of four experienced inspectors were very impressed with what they found at Newton British.

The DC entrance exam is just a money making exercise - all the kids from DESS and DC get in , plus a few other british kids from other schools - DC do send out a caveat to the effect that other factors are also taken into account. My friend works there and confirmed that the school could make up their own minds from previous reports BUT the exams are are big source of income

All interesting stuff people! The above posts have helped me no end in looking at the right schools to get my 13 year old son into, let's hope that the applications work and that a positive result comes out of it.

Can't believe the post about DC's staff being rude, they have been nothing short of excellent when it comes to communication and help, for us anyhow!!!!

Regards

Since the discussion is mostly all about schools in Doha.....anyone has a say on QIS (Qatar International School)anyone having a child enrolled there??

I will appreciate your comments...Thanks

I know of a number ( at least 20 ) kids who are not currently at DESS or DC but will be taking the Doha College entrance exam next year ( for secondary school).

My son is currently at DESS - and in the bottom sets. Should I be worried that he might not get through or will in reality DESS kids get priority.

Does anyone know of any DESS kids not automatically transferring to DC ?

Us too. No interview at DESS three years ago when our children joined in Y1 and Y5. We visited the school in person because hubbie happened to be in Doha on business and I joined him for a few days but the kids didn't set foot in Doha until we moved here.

kiwinyc Our daughter was offered a place without any assessment or interview at DESS too for year 1 based on her report from English State school.

You are correct there is no standard policy - my friend got offered a year 5 place in DESS last year with no interview - infact there were still places in the year 5 classes for sometime during the year.

Whilst we walked into Sherborne with no exam or interview

Frenchiman - its hardly an 'issue' is it, unless you have personal vested interest on insisting the 'rules' have to be followed, which would be a mistake. A good school recognises each of its pupils as individual human beings with amazing potential - and evaluates them as such, with flexibility and understanding. I would be much more wary of any school that only does everything 'by the book' and treats every student exactly the same.

Also waiting lists are not the same for every year within a school - it was relatively easy to get our daughter into an older year, vrs her younger sibling. In our experience Reception, yr1 & yr2 are the years that have the very long waiting lists, many people leave when their kids get a bit older.

kiwinyc--This IS surprising and certainly not the policy of DESS as I understand it. I'm also shocked you were offered a place given the lengthy waiting list. Thank you for pointing it out. I'll raise the issue.

evidenced by the place offered to my daughter in yr4 starting Sept 201l several months ago. No assessment, no interview, no visit by her was required, they just took a look at her yr2 end of yr report from a London state school in her application and that was enough.

Sherborne on the other hand put her through a 2hr computer assessment before offering her a place. Her younger sibling spent 2 hrs in a classroom with other children so she had time to become comfortable and the teacher could see how she interacted with other children and in the classroom situation.

In comparing assessments between schools, Doha colleges' assessment of our younger one consisted of a 15 min chat with a teacher, no warm-up, no interaction with other children or observation in a classroom setting.

I'm mentioning our experience to illustrate that there is no school that applies their admission policy consistently and that what they do as an assessment varies too. Whether a school carries out or waives their normal admission procedures is not an indication of quality, or lack of it.

You might have no choice - I doubt if you will get places at Doha College

ASD is American, ACS is American curriculum mixed with International curriculum. They have am IB program and AP courses.

I still feel ACS is British wrapped in sheep's clothing. Even the website uses British English. If you are really trying to pass off as an American school, get rid of British spelling!!!

Otherwise it looks like a good school.

Sherborne school is planning to open the Secondary school very soon however it all depends on how fast they can get their own piece of land/ or a suitable building with the facilities like Seience Lab, Library for KS-3 etc.

Sherborne is a very good choice.

My children are at Sherborne and its been a very positive move - they have made huge progress. The senior school is a lot smaller than Doha College. The list of new senior staff coming in is impressive - all have GCSE, A Level / IB experience - my children will be staying. To be honest I dont think you can go wrong with either school. Depends on which school you think will be best for your child. One is very much established and the other is very much up and coming - I'd rate both.

ASD is from the UK but its American Curriculum not British.Its always enjoyed a good reputation.

Can't comment on Compass as I know little about it - expensive I think but not sure.

Read more: http://www.qatarliving.com/node/1881637#ixzz1OmnZBY9G

But it isn't British Curriculum is it??

ACS is a new school opening in September. It is a great back-up for those wanting ASD or DESS and can't get in.

http://www.acs-schools.com/acs-doha.aspx

As for Compass, there is a reason why it is the only private Western school without a waiting list. It stinks. It is purely for profit.

I've been offered places for my kids at Sherborne, and am wondering what the feedback is on the high school from parents whose kids are currently at Sherborne in Years 7 & 8.

How are they doing? Is it going well, or should I rather be thinking of a more established school, like Doha College?

Sorry but I don't see what the big deal is about interviewing children??? Its a good way of sifting out the thickos to my mind......

Thanks for your advice Frenchieman! Appreciate that! :)

simonsmity--I am not sure of Doha College's association with the embassy (I have been told it has an affiliation for the senior school), but I do know DESS is affiliated. Personally, I think an embassy's endorsement is important, but I certainly don't think it is the most important aspect of any school here. An embassy endorsement does suggest some oversight and there are plenty of benefits of being the 'official school.' Also the embassy does not endorse for-profit schools.

More important is the endorsement of parents voting with their feet. When I posted earlier on this thread, I phoned Compass and Sherborne to ask about available places. Both had places, and Compass did not even require an interview of my child; Sherborne was willing to waive it after I told them my children were native speakers. To be fair, by children are young, so maybe this is not a policy followed all the way through. DESS and Doha College, in contrast, both hold assessments of ALL children, and DESS stopped putting kids on its waiting list for early years months ago.

I am very glad that you are happy with Sherborne. Everything I have read and seen suggests that it is good school, and I hope it develops and excellent secondary school in the years to come.

Frenchieman - you make a big deal about DESS and Doha College being sponsored by the British Embassy - all this means is that the staff are sponsored by the Embassy and someone ( who is not an education specialist) from the Embassy sits on the board of governors. Neither of these make any difference to the academic ability of the schools.

I heard ACS Schools from UK is opening up. The facilities seem pretty good.

If you are American, then ASD hands down. Compass is for-profit, which means some of your fees go to turn a profit for the the company. ASD is not, which means ALL of your fees support the school. That is why even though they are comparable in price ASD has fantastically better facilities. ASD also receives massive financial support from the big oil companies. Don't get me wrong, Compass is one of the better schools in Doha, but usually (but not always) it is the second choice of parents who could not get a spot at ASD or DESS. The fact that ASD requires and interview of the child and an assessment and Compass typically does not for early years, should speak volumes about their regulation of the intake of children.

Personally, I am more than a little suspicious of SOME of the Sherbourne posts here--way to jingoistic and enthusiastic. I've visited the school, and it's nice, but it is not yet in the same league as DESS or Doha College for British kids. It's new and still suffering from growing pains, it has limited facilities, it is for profit (see above), and does not enjoy the support of the British Embassy (DESS does). Having said that, DESS is notoriously difficult to get into, and Doha College is hard, too. Sherbourne, Compass and Park House make for excellent back-ups.

Hello,

I am currently considering either Compass or ASD for my kids (age 7 & 5). My hubby has visited both schools, and he's really impressed with the superb facilities in ASD but we both like the IPC system that Compass is currently using. Anyone heard any good feedback from these schools? would appreciate it if you can share...

Thanks!

Also, becareful with your money when applying for Doha College - they will NOT EVEN CONSIDER your kid for primary unless you are prepared for them to attend a face to face interview. So, if you are not yet in the country ( which happened to my friend) forget it. They were not even prepared to consider a video conference call ( and this was for a six year old with really good reports)

Sherborne is definately the place for British kids - Be assured they are ensuring that their intake is not too diluted.

Yes Sherborne includes Year 9 next year. My children are there and we are very impressed. Future plans look good also. Definately worth checking out if you are looking to move your kids to Senior next year. I know there are still spaces available but its filling up quickly with many year groups wait listed.

In the current academic year Sherborne goes to year 8 and in sept will have a year 9, increasing with each subsequent school year.

Thanks.

I was not impressed with Doha College for the same reasons the posters above gave. My eldest fortunate enough to get a place at DESS, and the sibling preference rule has enabled my others to attend (by virtue of their mother's side, they have British passports).

Unfortunately DESS is only a primary school, so the real problem for us will be finding an adequate secondary school. Lots of of DESS parents send their kids to Doha College, but so many complain about it. Some have been opting for ASD. Others send them off to boarding school.

Does anyone know how soon Sherborne will have a secondary school?

Sherborne will eventually go all the way through secondary.

Don't worry about swimming there are plenty of excellent clubs and you kids will get to mix with kids from other schools

i think you should go to sherborne school...its the best school here as far to my knowledge

SS1 - get your children on waiting lists now, it is already very late for the better schools for entry in September.

fdsg

SS1, I would suggest you try this website instead www.expatwoman.com

There is a Qatar chapter. The ladies there will be happy to help you, plus you will find a lot of info if you serch the site. Good luck!

Hello

For, can you please help with school details. My family are looking at a possible move to Qatar and I am currently trawlling through school websites like a mad woman, firing off e-mails and comparing schools - not an easy thing to do, recommendation from other parents is key!

I had originally struck off Sherborne from my list as it is Primary only and we are looking at an all through school (seems a good idea to get your children into a good school and have them stay there - rather than stressing about getting school spaces when Secondary age looms). Also, I am being rather anal about the school having a swimming pool so that my girls can continue with swimming at school....I haven't even visited Qatar yet (that should be happening in June), are there public swimming pools in Qatar (besides the one's in hotels) where children can have swimming lessons?

Final thing, what do you do with your children in holiday times and at weekends? I am trying to find a thread so I can investigate exactly what such a big move will do to our family life.

Thank you in anticipation!

Hows AKIS [british stream]? Al khor international school?

I want to enroll my kids in the same next year.Any experiences or comments?

Yes, it is true. I am a teacher and several teachers at Doha College admitted to me that it is the school's policy to reserve places for younger brothers and sisters of students in the senior school. That is why there are so few primary school places available at Doha College.

Is it true that Doha College give priority to siblings in the junior school where to the older children are in the secondary school ?

Glad you got into Sherborne and are happy, its good to have another British School to choose from and a quality one at that.

Yes, the school is excellent and maybe you will have a better chance than we did. I am not sure quite why our application was completely ignored, hopefully you will have better luck.

Hi britlady

I refer to your experience with Doha college and was wondering which school you would recommend for my 14 and 16 year old sons, as well as the one who does not have a long waiting list(who will be in year 10 and first year of sixth form in September.

Congratulations on your sons excellent achievement at Oxford.

Glad you are now sorted, hope your kids will be happy.

We've ended up at Sherborne and are very very pleased wiht the school - It exceeds our expectations.A bit pricey , but worth it for the quality of the education.

Don't worry Simonsmithy, Doha College did the same to me 5 years ago. They took my deposit money and I never heard from them again. My son has just won a place at Oxford to study medicine so obviously they are not as clever as they think about who they select. We are white and British as well .......... so don't think that that makes a difference.

I have left messages for the headteacher to call - but they never bother calling back !

I suggest that instead of airing your issues on this forum about this excellent school that you take it up with the primary head mistress!!

Yes Sherborne for me also - my children love it there - we are very happy with the school - we are also British.

Doha College took our money and we never heard from them again. We have our British children in Sherborne and could not be happier. It's a fantastic school and I would like to add that we let a place at Dess go and chose instead for Sherborne. Teachers are of very high quality and go out of their way to assist both the children and the parents. The openness towards the parents is something I have not experienced in any other school

Forget Doha College for primary, I took a tour there the other day,tiny class rooms, a tiny library, I have more books in my house, and the play area, what play area? I'm going to the American school. the best facilities in Doha. Cut your loses and run be glad you didn;t get excepted.

Try Compass School - I heard wonders of it, as good if not better then Doha College.

Money was paid as a deposit - they must rake it in by charging this to every desparate parent, then totally ignoring them

I would not say that DC primary is the best and don't understant what QR1,000 you have paid. I tested my children there once and only paid for the actual test on the testing day. Problem with Doha is that there are not enough good schools and thus some believe they can behave anyway they want.

You are getting good lessons of being expat...I think you are taking classes in HOW TO BEHAVE WITH NON-LOCALS...

You are getting good lessons of being expat...I think you are taking classes in HOW TO BEHAVE WITH NON-LOCALS...

The best cheaters, yes.