Doha British School (DBS) Ain Khaled was founded in 1997, to meet an emerging need for educational provision in Doha. DBS now has three campuses, including Al Wakra and Rawdat Al Hamama.
The school’s organisation is typically British in style and reflects best practices both academically and pastorally. For pastoral care, the school has a typically British House System, which incorporates the key traits of Character Development which are embedded into the ethos and culture of the schools.
Leading all DBS schools is Executive Principal Paul Sherlock. Before embarking on a teaching career Paul played professional football in the football league in England for his local club Notts County FC and was later sold to Mansfield Town FC. After Paul’s football career had ended, he embarked on a successful teaching career where he worked in a range of different secondary schools, and was soon identified for positions at senior leadership level.
It was whilst Paul was part of the successful Redhill academy in Nottingham where he was part of the senior leadership team that secured two successful ‘outstanding’ judgements by Ofsted. Paul was then deployed at another local Nottingham school within the Multi academy trust tasked with improving outcomes and expectations aligned with the Redhill academy trust model.
After over 20 years of Headship and a range of roles in senior leadership, Paul left the UK in 2019 to join Doha British School in Qatar to further develop his leadership skills in an international setting. Paul is currently the Executive Principal of Doha British School here in Qatar.
Marhaba was eager to question Executive Principal Sherlock about the latest challenges that DBS has faced – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marhaba: This must have been a tough time for schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a new learning experience for schools, teachers, students and parents all together. Tell us how DBS has adapted to the ‘new normal’ brought by the pandemic?
Like many schools during the pandemic DBS schools have faced up to the challenges and used them as an opportunity to enhance our teaching styles and strategies. The introduction of live zoom lessons, combined with the use of google classrooms our online platform has enabled all of our teachers to be even more innovative and creative in the way they teach lessons. The restrictions have enabled our teachers to overcome barriers and embrace new technologies and think differently about how students are now learning in this new digital age. The school’s Covid measures continue to be rigorous as we continue to ensure the safety of all our students.
Marhaba: Since its establishment in 1997, what has been DBS’s key to the success through the years?
Visitors to all DBS schools comment on the friendly and approachable nature of our staff. DBS staff go the extra mile to support our students both academically but also through the strong pastoral care and support we provide. High quality teaching and learning is the bedrock of all our schools, this is complemented by an extensive range of inhouse CPD opportunities for staff to develop their pedagogy and teaching strategies. Students enjoy coming to our schools and parents appreciate the strong relationships we build between school and home. Our teachers know our students very well!
Marhaba: DBS is one of the leading international schools in Qatar. What do you think distinguishes DBS from other schools?
All DBS schools set high expectations and aspirations for all of its students. There is a strong academic focus combined with outstanding levels of pastoral care. All DBS schools have a strong focus on character development that is embedded into the culture and ethos of the schools. Students are encouraged to broaden their horizons and experience a range of ECA’s to enrich their experiences. Visitors comment on the friendliness of staff and accessibility of the senior leadership teams.
Marhaba: DBS has recently opened its third campus, and Al Wakra campus will move to a new building. Can you tell us more about it?
We are all so excited at the prospect of two of our DBS schools moving into new state-of-the–art campuses. This is a significant investment and one that reflects the reputation that DBS schools have in the local educational market in providing outstanding education for our local communities. Rawdat Al Hamama will be ready for completion in the early part of the new year and we are planning on opening the new Al Wakra campus in August 2023 which will continue to provide outstanding education for students from EYFS to Y13. Applications are currently open for all DBS schools.
Marhaba: If there is one piece of advice you have to parents searching for schools, what is it?
The first piece of advice we say to parents is to check that the international school you are researching is fully accredited. These are benchmarks provided by external providers that reassures parents that a school has met a set of rigorously set targets through an inspection process. All DBS schools have gone through BSO, BSME, CIS and QNSA accreditation processes. I would also encourage parents to look at a school’s website and social media accounts, you can gauge a lot of information from what schools publish through these different channels. Finally, speaking to other parents there is no better way than gauging a school than listening to what other parents say about their relationship and standards within the school.
Marhaba: What impact has DBS made on the lives of students in Qatar, and on Qatar’s education system throughout the years?
DBS schools have a long tradition and history here in Qatar. The first school in Ain Khaled opened in 1997 and is now a thriving multicultural and diverse school with 2,000 students on roll. Many of our students over the years have gone on to study at many of the top universities across the world. DBS schools pride themselves on having strong links with our alumni and ex students. It’s great when ex students return to share with the next generation their careers and success stories. DBS schools are an established cluster of schools here in Qatar and we look forward to welcoming the next generation of students into our schools over the coming years.
About Doha British School (DBS):
All DBS schools are private co-educational day schools for students from Foundation Stage to Year 13, offering the National Curriculum of England and IB programmes complemented by a traditional British Pastoral provision and an extensive range of extra-curricular activities. Students follow the English Early Years Foundation Stage, the National Curriculum at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 and at Key Stage 4 a comprehensive range of IGCSE courses. At Post-16 DBS are the only school in Qatar to offer 4 unique pathways for our Post 16 provision, which include a range of AS/A level, BTEC and the IB Diploma programme.
For more information on DBS, visit their website at dohabritishschool.com or call 4019 8000.