British Primary School in Doha, Qatar

Teacher reading to a primary school student at Doha College

A wonderful learning adventure

As a leading British International School in Qatar, Doha College has enjoyed delivering academic excellence for over 40 years. We believe in an inclusive approach to education that engages and inspires a happy and positive mind-set in children's approach to learning and indeed life.

By putting children and their needs at the heart of everything we do, we are able to adapt and meet the individual needs of each child, providing happy and memorable early years.

At Doha College we work as a united team to shape a modern, relevant and multi-skilled education for young people. For our youngest, we follow the world-renowned Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum for England.

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The Primary school at Doha College is one of the most successful international British education's in the world.

Martin George, Principal

The Primary Curriculum

Doha College Primary follows the National Curriculum for England, providing an education for children between the ages of 3 and 11, covering EYFS to Year 6.

We provide a broad and balanced curriculum enabling students to achieve their full potential and develop essential skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Our Primary nurtures an environment where students feel comfortable and happy and this leads to success. The education, care, happiness and wellbeing of every child is our priority.

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)
Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)

Children in Key Stage 1 are taught through an approach called ‘IDL’. Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) is an engaging pedagogy which develops a mastery approach with the Early Learning Goals and the National Curriculum at its core and is underpinned by rigorous and responsive assessment. It is the development of authentic and meaningful learning opportunities that enable autonomy and ensure high levels of creativity and engagement in which learners are challenged. Across Key Stage 1, children have autonomy in their learning to choose their area of focus and decide how they want to demonstrate their learning.

This stage consists of three core subjects:

MATHEMATICS

Mathematics is based on a spiral curriculum which includes numbers, shapes, space and measures.

ENGLISH

In Year 1, English focuses on the development of phonics to teach reading and writing through our Read, Write Inc. Programme. In Year 2, these skills are developed further by focusing on key texts to support reading and writing. We also focus on the development of spelling skills by teaching common exception words and spelling patterns.

SCIENCE

Science is linked closely with our other foundation subjects, and we teach this as part of our interdisciplinary approach to learning in an engaging and exciting way.

In addition to the three core subjects, seven foundation subjects are also taught through an IDL approach:

Geography
History
Design Technology (DT)
Art
Music
Physical Education (PE)
Computing.

Doha College is well placed in the exciting and vibrant Qatar. To identify with our location in the Middle East, Arabic is taught from Year 1 and continues through all Key Stages in Primary.

Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

The IDL approach that students become familiar with in Key Stage 1 is continued into Key Stage 2 and spans across the core and foundation subjects.

For example, if a Year 3 class is studying the Stone Age, their core text in English would be based around this topic. This approach allows us to immerse students in a chosen genre and fully develop their understanding of this.

Children engage in diverse learning contexts ranging from the rainforest and space, to sound and the Vikings. Doha College students are given ownership of their learning and teachers work tirelessly to ensure that each child is able to develop their interests within these broad topics.

Mathematics in Key Stage 2 at Doha College is based on the principles of teaching for mastery. This means we believe in all children having the opportunity to work at the appropriate standard for their age group. It also means that we do not believe in grouping children by ability. Our maths lessons are highly dynamic and allow for teachers and pupils to differentiate based on the performance of a learner in an individual lesson, rather than in a predetermined group.

We have invested significantly in resources and these play a fundamental role in acquiring new mathematics learning at every stage in the school. Every lesson in mathematics includes opportunities for our students to think more deeply about their learning and they are often challenged to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills in a range of contexts.

Language continues to be developed throughout Key Stage 2 with Arabic, and also the addition of French. Arabic lessons are taught by specialist Arabic teachers and lessons are split according to native and non-native Arabic speakers. French lessons are delivered by the class teacher in Year 3 and then by a French specialist for Years 4 to 6.

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The Primary Curriculum

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)

MATHEMATICS

ENGLISH

SCIENCE

Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)