If you are planning to send your kids for sat exam preparation to London Academy, be advised that they are not at all the best choice. They are not coordinated at all. They don't give any advise on the registration date of the exam (which you may miss the dead line for the online exam registration). Their teachers are some times late or even miss classrooms. They are very very expensive.
In addition I asked them the fee for abacus (Math) and told me 175 QR/Hr and when I went to Global Education Center (near Old airport) the fee was 350 QR/MONTH. Meaning approx 44 QR/HR.
Bottom line is that don't send your kids to London Academy and try to find another center.
Not all teaching and education can come from text books. Some of the best education comes from experiences which is what ISL does offer. As for the statement about Maths and Science not sure where your coming from as both my children have done those subjects and extensively through some of their units of inquiry.
Obviously you do not understand the curriculum if this is your stance on the school. ISL-Qatar runs on the IB programme which if you knew anything you would understand is learner centred. Which contradicts your comment about the school not being focussed on the learner.
As for learning something useful, that depends on your take on what is useful. Did you want your children to memorise facts? Yes, then no ISL is not the school for you. Did you want your child to understand the deeper concepts behind, to be able to think critically and reflect on their learning? Yes, then ISL is the school for your child.
As for your statement about students leaving that may be the case but you should also be looking at staff movements. Are teachers changing every two years or are they remaining consistent? If the teachers are leaving it is cause for concern because they know something you may not. Having said that the only people I know leaving the school are leaving for Sherbourne because they wanted British Curriculum not International but were very happy with the school for the time they were there.
Before making grand sweeping statements perhaps acknowledge that the school was not for you but that the extensive waiting list says otherwise. The school has an international student body, and challenging curriculum. It may not be your ideal school but let people make their own judgements rather than being bitter in a public forum.
Over subscription to schools in Doha is a huge problem. I fully sympathise with those parents who have their kids on waiting lists. And I agree, the non-refundable application fee is a total scam which should be banned by the authorities.
As a possible short term solution you could try Cedars. We had our child enrolled there for a couple of terms whilst we were on a waiting list for another school. The standard of teaching is excellent (almost all teachers are British). To be honest, if if wasn't for the fact that their building is too small to offer PE we would have left our child enrolled there.
Anyway, just a thought. I know from experience how frustrating the whole schooling situation is here. Good luck.
But we all know that there are some pretty thick British kids there - all the bottom sets are full of them - bascially they got in on their passport not merit !
Ines_pt, I don't know about the classrooms being overcrowded in DB(Montessori), is it in primary or secondary?
But one thing I am sure of: I am very happy with the Montessori School. I find my son's class(11yrs) not overcrowded at all. What I find very good also is that there are two teachers in each classroom. I managed to get my daughter(7 yrs) in the school without waiting too long. May be because my son is already there.
In my opinion, the 3 best British schools are Montessori, Park House and DESS. DB Montessori standards are sometimes better than the UK national standard. I would not be surprised if the other two are higher as well.
Sponsorship by British Embassy does not mean giving British kids a priority. DESS provides a priority for British citizens but DC's vision is different and are very multi cultured. They thrive on meritocracy (which i rather have in a school).
hi n_Minie,unfortunately DC put my kids on the waiting list,I also tried with Doha British School with no results!Park House...forget about it!As I said the only two options we have are:Newton British School in Al Waab and ISL.Yestarday I've got an email from Cesk ( it's a nursery very close to DC),they might have place for my eldest son and tomorrow they will let me know if they have place for my youngest one.What's EMS?I don't know this school yet...
bluesky76 & n_minie: DC has a very long waiting list. Per class, they almost have a waiting list of 90 - 100 kids. They do keep the names on the list & certainly don't run away with the $$$. There is a whole process round selection and it is very transparent. They also don't go by nationality (i.e. British) as they look for the best international students. Going by that, they certainly would find it difficult to call each & every parent on the waiting list. I would highly recommend calling them every 2 weeks to check the status of the application. We were on the waiting list almost 1.5 years before we got our kid in (worth the wait though).
Have you tried looking at Loydence Academy. My kids started there 3 weeks ago and so far we are really happy. There website is not great and does not give a true indication of the school. If you are after a small school then this the one. All teachers are British and love working at the school which is always a good sign. We are Australian and is similar to what we would get at home. They have 2 campus we are at Al Aziziya campus. The other one only goes to year 2, at present our campus goes up to year 4 and year 5 in sept.We are happy, the kids are happy. Check it out.
Remember DC primary only has two classes and given their sibling policy it is almost impossible for an outsider to get a place. However the secondary school has 6 classes per year and it is much easier to get in. Most students - unless they are completely thick get a place. Even if your kid is not academic, you might be able to get them in based on their sports or music capability - you will need to send references from their respective clubs/ orchestras.
I have put my kids into waiting list for DC since last year Nov and don't get a response from them. They just take my $$ for the application & disappeared with it.Can't say much about ISL except for being expensive & fancy facilities. As for newton, there seems to be places available for those people who just arrived. Either they have so many branches & therefore easier to find a place or the school is not that good. The one with the best facilities is near the west bay ( I think ) . Huge compound. A lot of my friends ended up in newton while waiting to go to the school of their choice.
So have you took the assessment from Doha British School Montessori ? To me DBS is a better school compared to Newton in terms of education & facilities. Of course, recently there has been complain that they put too many pupils in a class. Suggest you talk to the school to better understand the actual situation. I have friends quite a number of them who are in DBS & DC and all are happy with the school.
My kids are in EMS. Not too bad also as my kids improved a lot in terms of Maths. Imagine this :He can count faster than me..!
thanks Cracking for your reply!I really appreciate...I'm interested in both the curriculum (IB and British),my only concern is to find a good school for them!I visited NBS last week and honestly I didn't like it at all.I feel better now ,hearing from you that ISL is not so bad!I applied also for Doha College,my kids are in the waiting list and I hope to find a place as soon as possible!
ISL is a decent school if you wish to enrol for IB. I would not recommend Newton as we also got our kid out within the first week and moved to ISL. luckily we have now managed to move him to Doha College (after almost 1.5 years wait) as its the best British school in Qatar with reasonable fees. Schooling is a real issue in Qatar. Sorry but I can only say good luck and an advise to start the kids in any school you get. I can feel your agony because we also moved to Qatar 2.5 years back.
Thanks Toni Doha for your answer!I feel so depressed, ISL is the only option for my two kids....the other is Newton British School....I 'm so confused,I really don't know what to do!!!!! HELP!
It is not the same quality of teaching as ISL in london. No text books (which is okay if there is a clear direction on what the students should gain at the end of each term). School is very weak in math and science. generally, students from this school fails most addmission tests at other good schools such as Doha College and ASD as they are have not acheived what their peers had in other school.
Honestly, One of the worst schools i have ever seen not just in Doha, but world wide. Not a learner place, but rather a place for kids to kill time. It looks organized, but kids learn nothing usefull at that school.
The international school of london is one of most expensive schools in Doha and yet the worst by far. Everyone i know attending the international school of London in Doha is about to leave the school.
Poor education and a total waste our kids time to send them to this school. Stay away of this school and try other ones. Such as Global, Doha College, DESS.
We and our friends had a terrible experience in regards to learning. Some of us managed to send the kids to other school and some are looking for places for their kids.
Ines thank you soooo much for your reply, I really appreciate!we are moving in May to Qatar and I'm going crazy with the School.This is my first concern about our move to Doha.My sons will have an assessment in march for Newton British School and I'm waiting for an assessment date for ISL....I'm planning to visit both schools and then I will decide
Hi bluesky76 Newton British is not that bad as you can read here in QL the level is fine, the number of pupils per class is a medium of 22 and it is a small family primary school I don't know much about International school of London (except what is in the website) but perhaps can be better as it is not just a primary but also is a well known reputable school internationaly.
Thank you Ines for your reply!What about International School of London? I have two boys aged 4 and 2,5.Newton British Schoool has places for both of them since Sep 2012 and Intarnational School of London only for my youngest one....We are moving in Qatar in May,hope to find a place for them. I tried Doha College,Park House,but no chances there and I'm waiting for an answer from Doha british Montessori...
Thank you for your replies.In my case, they only have place for my youngest son (2,5). I don't tnink I'm going to have any problem regarding his placement!but for my eldest son (4 years old) I will certainly beware of it! Thank you for your advice.
I'm still waiting for a possible assessment from British Montessori School ( cross fingers!)Let's see what will happen....
I would like to find the school first and then the house,as I know the trafic in Doha is a nightmare!
The ISL website is misleading because they do not place children in groups according to age. The placement is based on their view of your child's ability. Your child could be a star in your home country, but you may find him/her sharing a class here with children a year younger. I think this is the way they weed you out if they don't want your children. So, beware, don't hand over any fees until you get some straight answers, or you have a solid recommendation from someone else - whose children are actually at the school.
unfortunately I have no choice,my husband got a Job in Qatar,so we are moving there....His company gives us an allowance for education, but unfortunately it doesn't cover all the fee's cost.
I would like to have any comments from parents with children enrolled in these two schools (ISL and Newton British school)
Hi, I can only give you an account of my experience...whether it is a true reflection of the school I don't know. Firstly, it's in a lovely building, but it is only a temporary base. They could give no idea when a move would be made. The school has no sports facilities I was told. Secondly, I saw no children as they wouldn't accede to my request to look around the school. The only people I saw - Admin staff - were, without exception, Lebanese. Therefore, I got the distinct impression that it is a Lebanese School. Thirdly, they took my non-refundable application fees (QR1,500 for 3 children) quite happily, and haven't offered any places - they just request more and more pointless information. I, too, will be leaving Qatar at the earliest opportunity because of these school issues. They all take non-refundable application fees, whilst knowing that they cannot offer places - it's called fraud in the real World isn't it? My advice - choose a country that can actually offer education for your children. P.S. I have been here since August 2011....can you afford your children to be sitting at home all this time? Luckily, mine are still being educated back in my adopted home country. Good luck!
Visited ISL and have to say that it's a very impressive campus (Doha standard). Don't know much about academic.
Stay away from any Newton schools. I visited all 4 of them and could never thought of sending my kids there. It's a waste of money (if you have to pay for yourself). Education? Read more blogs from QL.
If you can afford ISL, then visit the new American school located closed to Landmark Mall. The campus is as nice as ISL.
Fees are way overpriced. Can't afford to send my 2 kids to these schools. We are leaving Doha because of school issues.
I'm so stressed with the school!!!!! My two boys have an assessment with Newton British School in march we are going to visit ISL as well and I hope they assess my yougest during that days. Currently we live in Bahrain and it's very hard for me to manage the school adsmissions from here.
Are you already in Doha? We are moving in Doha in May and I would like to find the school first and then the house, I don't want to spend all day driving around....
How was your first impression when you visited the school?what about the teachers? What kind of facilities they have?
Yes, I'm sailing in the same boat. I have applied for my son for preschool which starts in Sept. No one seems to know much about the school though. We couldn't find a spot in any of the other schools...and I didn't apply for newton as well. The only thing that concerns me about the school is the distance and that they do not have uniforms for kids..but I visited the campus and it's really nice..
Hi!I'm moving to Doha in May.I have two boys aged 2,5 and 4 and I have applied for this School.They have a place for my youngest son,starting Sep 2012 .I'm trying to find any comments from parents with children enrolled there too. I have a friend of mine who lives in Doha and she recommended this School to me.I tried in the "good" Schools,but no places available.The other option is Newton British School,but I didn't hear nice things about this school!
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If you are planning to send your kids for sat exam preparation to London Academy, be advised that they are not at all the best choice. They are not coordinated at all. They don't give any advise on the registration date of the exam (which you may miss the dead line for the online exam registration). Their teachers are some times late or even miss classrooms. They are very very expensive.
In addition I asked them the fee for abacus (Math) and told me 175 QR/Hr and when I went to Global Education Center (near Old airport) the fee was 350 QR/MONTH. Meaning approx 44 QR/HR.
Bottom line is that don't send your kids to London Academy and try to find another center.
Don't trust someone who had a bad experience. Visit the school, speak to the teachers and the students then make your own judgement.
Not all teaching and education can come from text books. Some of the best education comes from experiences which is what ISL does offer. As for the statement about Maths and Science not sure where your coming from as both my children have done those subjects and extensively through some of their units of inquiry.
Obviously you do not understand the curriculum if this is your stance on the school. ISL-Qatar runs on the IB programme which if you knew anything you would understand is learner centred. Which contradicts your comment about the school not being focussed on the learner.
As for learning something useful, that depends on your take on what is useful. Did you want your children to memorise facts? Yes, then no ISL is not the school for you. Did you want your child to understand the deeper concepts behind, to be able to think critically and reflect on their learning? Yes, then ISL is the school for your child.
As for your statement about students leaving that may be the case but you should also be looking at staff movements. Are teachers changing every two years or are they remaining consistent? If the teachers are leaving it is cause for concern because they know something you may not. Having said that the only people I know leaving the school are leaving for Sherbourne because they wanted British Curriculum not International but were very happy with the school for the time they were there.
Before making grand sweeping statements perhaps acknowledge that the school was not for you but that the extensive waiting list says otherwise. The school has an international student body, and challenging curriculum. It may not be your ideal school but let people make their own judgements rather than being bitter in a public forum.
Read more: http://www.qatarliving.com/node/2317901#ixzz1ydrO2UaJ
EMC-12, My son was in early years
Over subscription to schools in Doha is a huge problem. I fully sympathise with those parents who have their kids on waiting lists. And I agree, the non-refundable application fee is a total scam which should be banned by the authorities.
As a possible short term solution you could try Cedars. We had our child enrolled there for a couple of terms whilst we were on a waiting list for another school. The standard of teaching is excellent (almost all teachers are British). To be honest, if if wasn't for the fact that their building is too small to offer PE we would have left our child enrolled there.
Anyway, just a thought. I know from experience how frustrating the whole schooling situation is here. Good luck.
I totally disagree and you will be seriously surprised by the number of non-Brits in DC. Maybe you should take a tour of the school sometimes.
But we all know that there are some pretty thick British kids there - all the bottom sets are full of them - bascially they got in on their passport not merit !
Ines_pt, I don't know about the classrooms being overcrowded in DB(Montessori), is it in primary or secondary?
But one thing I am sure of: I am very happy with the Montessori School. I find my son's class(11yrs) not overcrowded at all. What I find very good also is that there are two teachers in each classroom. I managed to get my daughter(7 yrs) in the school without waiting too long. May be because my son is already there.
In my opinion, the 3 best British schools are Montessori, Park House and DESS. DB Montessori standards are sometimes better than the UK national standard. I would not be surprised if the other two are higher as well.
English Modern School oposite side of american Embassy
Sponsorship by British Embassy does not mean giving British kids a priority. DESS provides a priority for British citizens but DC's vision is different and are very multi cultured. They thrive on meritocracy (which i rather have in a school).
hi n_Minie,unfortunately DC put my kids on the waiting list,I also tried with Doha British School with no results!Park House...forget about it!As I said the only two options we have are:Newton British School in Al Waab and ISL.Yestarday I've got an email from Cesk ( it's a nursery very close to DC),they might have place for my eldest son and tomorrow they will let me know if they have place for my youngest one.What's EMS?I don't know this school yet...
But if DC are sponsored by the British embassy they must give priority to British kids
bluesky76 & n_minie: DC has a very long waiting list. Per class, they almost have a waiting list of 90 - 100 kids. They do keep the names on the list & certainly don't run away with the $$$. There is a whole process round selection and it is very transparent. They also don't go by nationality (i.e. British) as they look for the best international students. Going by that, they certainly would find it difficult to call each & every parent on the waiting list. I would highly recommend calling them every 2 weeks to check the status of the application. We were on the waiting list almost 1.5 years before we got our kid in (worth the wait though).
Thank you Fneal for you suggestion....I 'm going to google it!!!
Have you tried looking at Loydence Academy. My kids started there 3 weeks ago and so far we are really happy. There website is not great and does not give a true indication of the school. If you are after a small school then this the one. All teachers are British and love working at the school which is always a good sign. We are Australian and is similar to what we would get at home. They have 2 campus we are at Al Aziziya campus. The other one only goes to year 2, at present our campus goes up to year 4 and year 5 in sept.We are happy, the kids are happy. Check it out.
Remember DC primary only has two classes and given their sibling policy it is almost impossible for an outsider to get a place. However the secondary school has 6 classes per year and it is much easier to get in. Most students - unless they are completely thick get a place. Even if your kid is not academic, you might be able to get them in based on their sports or music capability - you will need to send references from their respective clubs/ orchestras.
I have put my kids into waiting list for DC since last year Nov and don't get a response from them. They just take my $$ for the application & disappeared with it.Can't say much about ISL except for being expensive & fancy facilities. As for newton, there seems to be places available for those people who just arrived. Either they have so many branches & therefore easier to find a place or the school is not that good. The one with the best facilities is near the west bay ( I think ) . Huge compound. A lot of my friends ended up in newton while waiting to go to the school of their choice.
So have you took the assessment from Doha British School Montessori ? To me DBS is a better school compared to Newton in terms of education & facilities. Of course, recently there has been complain that they put too many pupils in a class. Suggest you talk to the school to better understand the actual situation. I have friends quite a number of them who are in DBS & DC and all are happy with the school.
My kids are in EMS. Not too bad also as my kids improved a lot in terms of Maths. Imagine this :He can count faster than me..!
thanks Cracking for your reply!I really appreciate...I'm interested in both the curriculum (IB and British),my only concern is to find a good school for them!I visited NBS last week and honestly I didn't like it at all.I feel better now ,hearing from you that ISL is not so bad!I applied also for Doha College,my kids are in the waiting list and I hope to find a place as soon as possible!
ISL is a decent school if you wish to enrol for IB. I would not recommend Newton as we also got our kid out within the first week and moved to ISL. luckily we have now managed to move him to Doha College (after almost 1.5 years wait) as its the best British school in Qatar with reasonable fees. Schooling is a real issue in Qatar. Sorry but I can only say good luck and an advise to start the kids in any school you get. I can feel your agony because we also moved to Qatar 2.5 years back.
Thanks Toni Doha for your answer!I feel so depressed, ISL is the only option for my two kids....the other is Newton British School....I 'm so confused,I really don't know what to do!!!!! HELP!
It is not the same quality of teaching as ISL in london. No text books (which is okay if there is a clear direction on what the students should gain at the end of each term). School is very weak in math and science. generally, students from this school fails most addmission tests at other good schools such as Doha College and ASD as they are have not acheived what their peers had in other school.
Hi Tony Doha,could you please be more specific?what kind of bad experence had you?Thanks
Honestly, One of the worst schools i have ever seen not just in Doha, but world wide. Not a learner place, but rather a place for kids to kill time. It looks organized, but kids learn nothing usefull at that school.
The international school of london is one of most expensive schools in Doha and yet the worst by far. Everyone i know attending the international school of London in Doha is about to leave the school.
Poor education and a total waste our kids time to send them to this school. Stay away of this school and try other ones. Such as Global, Doha College, DESS.
We and our friends had a terrible experience in regards to learning. Some of us managed to send the kids to other school and some are looking for places for their kids.
Hi Bluesky76, you are welcome!
Ines thank you soooo much for your reply, I really appreciate!we are moving in May to Qatar and I'm going crazy with the School.This is my first concern about our move to Doha.My sons will have an assessment in march for Newton British School and I'm waiting for an assessment date for ISL....I'm planning to visit both schools and then I will decide
Hi bluesky76 Newton British is not that bad as you can read here in QL the level is fine, the number of pupils per class is a medium of 22 and it is a small family primary school I don't know much about International school of London (except what is in the website) but perhaps can be better as it is not just a primary but also is a well known reputable school internationaly.
Thank you Ines for your reply!What about International School of London? I have two boys aged 4 and 2,5.Newton British Schoool has places for both of them since Sep 2012 and Intarnational School of London only for my youngest one....We are moving in Qatar in May,hope to find a place for them. I tried Doha College,Park House,but no chances there and I'm waiting for an answer from Doha british Montessori...
Go Away from Doha British School (Montessori) they have excess number of number of pupils per class.
Newton British School is not perfect but is much better than many schools (including all the Newtons)!
Doha Colege or American School of Doha are the best ones!
Any comments about this school (bad,good)?
Thank you for your replies.In my case, they only have place for my youngest son (2,5). I don't tnink I'm going to have any problem regarding his placement!but for my eldest son (4 years old) I will certainly beware of it! Thank you for your advice.
I'm still waiting for a possible assessment from British Montessori School ( cross fingers!)Let's see what will happen....
I would like to find the school first and then the house,as I know the trafic in Doha is a nightmare!
The ISL website is misleading because they do not place children in groups according to age. The placement is based on their view of your child's ability. Your child could be a star in your home country, but you may find him/her sharing a class here with children a year younger. I think this is the way they weed you out if they don't want your children. So, beware, don't hand over any fees until you get some straight answers, or you have a solid recommendation from someone else - whose children are actually at the school.
Not the best, but not the worst - take the places for now and look to move them to a better school when you can
unfortunately I have no choice,my husband got a Job in Qatar,so we are moving there....His company gives us an allowance for education, but unfortunately it doesn't cover all the fee's cost.
I would like to have any comments from parents with children enrolled in these two schools (ISL and Newton British school)
Many thanks
What a rip off
Hi, I can only give you an account of my experience...whether it is a true reflection of the school I don't know. Firstly, it's in a lovely building, but it is only a temporary base. They could give no idea when a move would be made. The school has no sports facilities I was told. Secondly, I saw no children as they wouldn't accede to my request to look around the school. The only people I saw - Admin staff - were, without exception, Lebanese. Therefore, I got the distinct impression that it is a Lebanese School. Thirdly, they took my non-refundable application fees (QR1,500 for 3 children) quite happily, and haven't offered any places - they just request more and more pointless information. I, too, will be leaving Qatar at the earliest opportunity because of these school issues. They all take non-refundable application fees, whilst knowing that they cannot offer places - it's called fraud in the real World isn't it? My advice - choose a country that can actually offer education for your children. P.S. I have been here since August 2011....can you afford your children to be sitting at home all this time? Luckily, mine are still being educated back in my adopted home country. Good luck!
Visited ISL and have to say that it's a very impressive campus (Doha standard). Don't know much about academic.
Stay away from any Newton schools. I visited all 4 of them and could never thought of sending my kids there. It's a waste of money (if you have to pay for yourself). Education? Read more blogs from QL.
If you can afford ISL, then visit the new American school located closed to Landmark Mall. The campus is as nice as ISL.
Fees are way overpriced. Can't afford to send my 2 kids to these schools. We are leaving Doha because of school issues.
Good Luck
I'm so stressed with the school!!!!! My two boys have an assessment with Newton British School in march we are going to visit ISL as well and I hope they assess my yougest during that days. Currently we live in Bahrain and it's very hard for me to manage the school adsmissions from here.
Are you already in Doha? We are moving in Doha in May and I would like to find the school first and then the house, I don't want to spend all day driving around....
How was your first impression when you visited the school?what about the teachers? What kind of facilities they have?
Yes, I'm sailing in the same boat. I have applied for my son for preschool which starts in Sept. No one seems to know much about the school though. We couldn't find a spot in any of the other schools...and I didn't apply for newton as well. The only thing that concerns me about the school is the distance and that they do not have uniforms for kids..but I visited the campus and it's really nice..
Hi!I'm moving to Doha in May.I have two boys aged 2,5 and 4 and I have applied for this School.They have a place for my youngest son,starting Sep 2012 .I'm trying to find any comments from parents with children enrolled there too. I have a friend of mine who lives in Doha and she recommended this School to me.I tried in the "good" Schools,but no places available.The other option is Newton British School,but I didn't hear nice things about this school!