Quick summary of key school information
All the details about this school in their own words
Nationalities
Number of students |
330 |
Number of nationalities represented in the school |
50 |
Most common nationality |
15% Egyptian |
Ratio of local students to international students |
7% Qatari, 93% non-Qatari |
Languages
Native English speaking teachers |
All class teachers are professionally qualified, native English-speaking educators with a passion for teaching and learning. They are up-to-date with the latest developments in education practice and are committed to ensuring each and every student makes exceptional progress. |
Language support for students not fluent in English |
Yes. |
Additional language classes offered by the school |
Arabic |
Classroom
Max. number of students per class |
24 |
Average number of students per class |
20 |
Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes |
Use of technology in the classroom |
All classes have touch-screen smart boards and all teachers have their own laptop.
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Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
Yes - online lessons have continued throughout the Covid-19 crisis using a mixture of Zoom face-to-face lessons, pre-recorded instructional videos and online learning. |
Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
Classes in Islamic Studies are available to Muslim students by specialist teachers |
How does the school accommodate non-religious students or students of a different religion? |
Alternative lessons with the class teacher are available for all non-muslims |
Academics
Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Yes |
Approximate hours of homework given |
1 hour |
Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
We are Primary level only (to Year 6) |
Admissions
Entry evaluation for students |
Yes. We normally meet with every child and ask them to complete some age-appropriate tasks. |
Brief description of entry evaluation required |
Students entering Year 2 or below will be invited to a brief interview with the teaching staff, together with at least one parent. The purpose of the interview is to assess the social, emotional and intellectual readiness of the child and how they would fit in with their peer group.
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Waiting list |
In most, but not all, year groups. |
Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
There is no formal cut-off date. However, where possible parents are recommended to apply by February to ensure the desired year group has not already been filled. |
Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes, subject to spaces and limitations imposed upon us by the Qatar Ministry of Education and Higher Education |
School day
School start time |
7:00 am |
School finish time |
FS1 - FS2: 1:00 pm
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Supervised care before/after school |
An "After School Club" is available for Foundation Stage students from 1 - 2 p.m.
|
School bus service available |
No |
School provided lunches |
There is no cafeteria on site so a packed lunch must be brought by students each day. |
Uniform required |
Yes |
Extracurricular activities
Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
The school offers many clubs and activities. |
Facilities
Sports facilities at the school |
Football pitch.
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About the school
Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
Al Wataniya International School is an international primary school located in north Doha, close to Qatar University and the Doha Golf Club. The ethos of AWIS is to create an enjoyable, open and collaborative environment where children, their families and staff feel secure, valued, confident and independent. We work closely with our parents to forge a strong home/school relationship through effective communication to ensure the needs of students are consistently met. |
Teaching approach of the school |
The school's core curriculum is the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), a cross-curricular, thematic curriculum that incorporates much of the new research into learning styles. The IPC is supplemented by external schemes for numeracy (Maths) and literacy (English). The core mathematics programme is the Abacus Mathematics Scheme – a comprehensive and well-respected Primary maths scheme widely used in the UK and international schools. This is supplemented with regular opportunities for students to become competent users of the language of mathematics, who can begin to use it as a way of thinking, as opposed to seeing it as a series of facts and equations to be memorized. For English, the main reading scheme is the Oxford Reading Tree; this is supplemented with a range of reading materials that meet the needs and interest of the student body. Jolly Phonics is a structured phonics programme that supports spelling and grammar, while ‘Big Writing’ by Ros Wilson is the bedrock for our writing programme. Arabic language and Qatari history and culture are taught to all, with students streamed by Arabic language ability. Qataris and other Arabic speakers are taught in Arabic, while international students are in a separate English language class. |