School for Boys Curriculum and Academic Focus

The Early Years are the foundation of everything that follows, and we aim to give every boy the best possible start.

Young boys learn through movement, and our Early Years are built accordingly. Physical education, music and movement are part of every week from Pre-School onwards, alongside the seven areas of learning set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

Specialist teaching begins immediately: our youngest pupils have dedicated lessons in Arabic and Islamic Studies from their very first term. Phonics begins in Reception through Read Write Inc., taught daily in small groups matched to each child.

In Key Stage 1 we extend the independence established in the Early Years and give our pupils real opportunities to lead their own learning.

This is where an enthusiasm for STEM takes hold. Through hands-on, project-based work, the boys are taught different ways of thinking: how to find things out, and how to communicate what they have discovered. We make lessons thought-provoking and inspiring, so that our pupils ask questions, research answers and carry the conversation home.

Mathematics is taught every day through White Rose Maths, beginning always with materials the boys can handle before moving to pictures and then to abstract concepts. Writing develops through Talk for Writing, and daily phonics continues in ability-matched groups, alongside guided reading, spelling and handwriting.

Because boys enjoy physical activity, extended PE and games sit alongside music and movement in the timetable, and short brain breaks are built between periods of focused work. From Year 1, every boy brings his own device to school.

Key Stage 2 is broad, balanced and increasingly ambitious, building on earlier foundations while preparing our pupils for the demands of Key Stage 3.

STEM teaching deepens here, with a particular focus on technology. Our pupils become genuinely proficient with their devices, and robotics and critical thinking take their place on the weekly timetable alongside discrete Science and Computing lessons. Enquiry projects draw these skills together across subjects, culminating in a performance, a report, a presentation or a sharing day with parents.

Mathematics continues daily through White Rose Maths and writing through Talk for Writing, with Accelerated Reader tracking reading progress alongside a weekly changing library of physical books.

Year 4 marks the beginning of our Prep Section. From Year 5, our pupils begin to be taught by specialist teachers qualified in their own fields, and the move towards senior-style learning is under way.

By Years 7 and 8, our pupils are taught entirely by subject specialists, working towards the standard they will require when IGCSE study begins in Year 9.

They are also, quite simply, at the top of the school. Our oldest boys mentor younger pupils, lead parts of lessons, captain teams and represent the school as ambassadors. It is a position they have earned and one they visibly grow into, and it carries a respect from the rest of the school that is worth a great deal at this age.

Old enough for genuine responsibility, young enough to still enjoy the warmth and breadth of prep school life: these two years are designed to be the making of them.

e teach the National Curriculum for England (2014) in full, from Pre-School through to Year 8, shaped thoughtfully to reflect the culture and heritage of Qatar and aligned to the four pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030. All pupils follow the Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qatar History curriculum set by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

Our pupils then continue into one of our senior schools for Year 9, where IGCSE study begins.

We accept that boys learn differently, and our environment is designed around that. It shapes how we teach, how the school day is structured and how physical activity is built into learning. Our curriculum is enhanced with STEM and practical opportunities throughout, and lessons are designed to be hands-on, because that is how boys engage best.

Yes, from Year 1 through to Year 8. We are a Microsoft school, and every boy brings his own device to support innovative, twenty-first century learning, using it across the curriculum and in weekly computing lessons. A recommended specification is published for each year group, and every boy receives a school email address and a licence for Microsoft 365 and Minecraft.

Our enrichment programme runs five days each week, delivered by school staff and visiting providers across five areas: sport and school teams; drama, music, creativity and art; design, technology, robotics and computing; humanities, languages and the environment; and academic support in English, mathematics and the sciences. French and Spanish are offered here as after-school languages. Every activity works towards a purposeful outcome, celebrated at the end of each term.

Assessment is an integral and continuous part of teaching rather than a series of examinations. Teachers assess through discussion and questioning, observation of practical work, enquiry projects, consistent marking and moderation, and regular summative testing. Full written reports are sent to parents twice each year, complemented by parents' evenings and by informal conversation whenever it is needed.