The Cambridge School, Doha, Qatar
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge School (also known as TCS) is a private
international school
that is located in Doha
, Qatar
, the school provides an education based on The National Curriculum for England to students from Kindergarten to Year 9. The school prepares students for the IGCSE
, AS and A Level, following the Cambridge International Examinations Board. The school has grown from just under 300 students seven years ago to almost over 1500 students with over 60 different nationalities. Most of the teaching staffs are from United Kingdom
, Scotland
, South Africa
, and India
. The school is founded by the philanthropist Mohammed Taleb Mohammed Al Khouri and managed by the Taleb Group. The company also own and manage two other schools in Qatar, Cambridge International School for Girls and Doha Modern Indian School
.
The school is organised into three sections: Kindergarten
, Primary
, and Secondary
. Each section has a Head of Section. The Cambridge School also has a sixth form
. The Primary and Secondary sections are further divided into key stages. Boys and girls are taught together in all grades. Students enrolled at TCS come from countries such as Australia
, England
, South Africa
, India
, Pakistan
, and South East Asian countries. All graduating students of Grade 11, 12 and 13 receive IGCSE
, AS and A Level certificates from Cambridge International Examinations
.
followed by A Level in 2005. The school inducted its first ever group of prefects in May 2003. Eighteen senior students were sworn in as house captains, vice captains and prefects.
Cambridge International School for Girls, established in 2004 with the primary objective of providing education for girls. CISG provides the National Curriculum for England and Wales, delivered in English by mostly native speakers. It has a thriving Kindergarten and Primary School, both based around the Early Years emergent curriculum. The Secondary School is only for girls offering IGCSE
and A Level. CISG is the first school for girls alone from year 5 onwards in the private sector.
In 2008, Taleb Group took over the management of the schools. The management of the schools which was previously carried out by the GEMS Education of the Varkey Group, were undertaken by the Taleb Group.
for students from Kindergarten up to Year 9. The Kindergarten follows the Early Years Foundation Stage and Primary and Secondary follow the British Curriculum. Toward the end of Year 9, students will make some choices about subjects for the International General Certificate Secondary Education
( IGCSE
) offered through the Cambridge International Examinations
Board (CIE). After IGCSE
, students will continue to study Advanced Supplementary (AS) and Advanced Level (A level) subjects mainly under the Cambridge International Examinations
Board.
The main subjects taught in school consist in 3 levels, Core, Foundation, and Additional Subjects. Core subjects include English
, Mathematics
, Science
, and ICT. The Foundation subjects include History
, Geography
, Art
, Music
, Physical Education
and a selection of second languages, which include French
and Arabic. Additional subjects include Arabic for both native and non-native speakers, Islamic Studies
for Muslim
students as well as Moral Education. The school offers IGCSE
for year 10 and 11. Students must take minimum 8 subjects which consist of 2 compulsory subjects and 6 elective subjects. AS and A Level offered for students in year 12 and 13. Students must take minimum 3 subjects and maximum 4 subjects. Students who wish to continue AS and A Level must have minimum 5 subjects with grade C in IGCSE
and B in order to take Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
The Cambridge School Doha offers a Sixth Form
for students in year 12 and 13 since 2005. The sixth form provides AS Level for year 12 and A Level for students in year 13. The school provides the same courses as a sixth form college in England
. Uniform is different for Sixth Form students; they must wear their formal suit. In Year 12, students may choose between 3 to 4 AS Level subjects to study. The school holds a sixth form open evening for students and provides them with choice application forms. At the end of year 12, students generally drop one subject; the majority of year 13 students take 3 subjects on to A level. Sixth form classes are much smaller than standard secondary school lessons.
Admission to the school depends upon an available space in the appropriate age group and the school's ability to meet the needs of the children. Students will not be admitted into a year group outside of their age group unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Priority usually will be given to students who have a sibling attending the school and boys transferring to The Cambridge School from the Cambridge International School for Girls. Priority is also given to the children of staff, but this is not guaranteed.
Each Tutor Group will elect two members to attend School Council and represent their views and concerns and to influence school procedures. School Council has an important role to play to ensure students are listened to and taken heed of. Also that they understand why decisions are made that affect them. The School Council members feed
back and discuss issues with the Tutor Group under the guidance of the Tutor.
The Cambridge School has been regularly active in opportunities outside of school, some of those include Interschool debate, CS4Qatar at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, and Qatar Debate
, AS and A Level certificates from Cambridge International Examinations
. Students of The Cambridge School are consistently accepted at many universities around the world, including University of Cambridge
, University of Sussex
, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and Georgetown University
, as well as many universities in their home countries.
, Egypt
, Hungary
, India
, Indonesia
, Iran
, Jordan
, Pakistan
, Palestine
, Philippines
, Singapore
, Sri Lanka
, and United Kingdom
.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
international school
International school
An International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national...
that is located in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, the school provides an education based on The National Curriculum for England to students from Kindergarten to Year 9. The school prepares students for the IGCSE
IGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
, AS and A Level, following the Cambridge International Examinations Board. The school has grown from just under 300 students seven years ago to almost over 1500 students with over 60 different nationalities. Most of the teaching staffs are from United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The school is founded by the philanthropist Mohammed Taleb Mohammed Al Khouri and managed by the Taleb Group. The company also own and manage two other schools in Qatar, Cambridge International School for Girls and Doha Modern Indian School
Doha Modern Indian School
Doha Modern Indian School, commonly known as DMIS, is a unit of Taleb School founded by the philanthropist Nassim Nicholas Taleb.It is located on the outskirts of the city of Doha, in Abu Hamour.-General Facilities:...
.
The school is organised into three sections: Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, Primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, and Secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
. Each section has a Head of Section. The Cambridge School also has a sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
. The Primary and Secondary sections are further divided into key stages. Boys and girls are taught together in all grades. Students enrolled at TCS come from countries such as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and South East Asian countries. All graduating students of Grade 11, 12 and 13 receive IGCSE
IGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
, AS and A Level certificates from Cambridge International Examinations
Cambridge International Examinations
University of Cambridge International Examinations is a provider of international qualifications for students between the ages of 14 and 19, offering examinations and qualifications in more than 150 countries. It is an Examination Board under Cambridge Assessment, founded in 1858 as a department...
.
History
The Cambridge School Doha was founded in 2001 and opened in September 2002 with under 300 students. In 2003, The school started to offer IGCSEIGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
followed by A Level in 2005. The school inducted its first ever group of prefects in May 2003. Eighteen senior students were sworn in as house captains, vice captains and prefects.
Cambridge International School for Girls, established in 2004 with the primary objective of providing education for girls. CISG provides the National Curriculum for England and Wales, delivered in English by mostly native speakers. It has a thriving Kindergarten and Primary School, both based around the Early Years emergent curriculum. The Secondary School is only for girls offering IGCSE
IGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
and A Level. CISG is the first school for girls alone from year 5 onwards in the private sector.
In 2008, Taleb Group took over the management of the schools. The management of the schools which was previously carried out by the GEMS Education of the Varkey Group, were undertaken by the Taleb Group.
Curriculum
The Cambridge School Doha offers the National Curriculum for England with the addition of Arabic and Islamic StudiesIslamic studies
In a Muslim context, Islamic studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge...
for students from Kindergarten up to Year 9. The Kindergarten follows the Early Years Foundation Stage and Primary and Secondary follow the British Curriculum. Toward the end of Year 9, students will make some choices about subjects for the International General Certificate Secondary Education
IGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
( IGCSE
IGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
) offered through the Cambridge International Examinations
Cambridge International Examinations
University of Cambridge International Examinations is a provider of international qualifications for students between the ages of 14 and 19, offering examinations and qualifications in more than 150 countries. It is an Examination Board under Cambridge Assessment, founded in 1858 as a department...
Board (CIE). After IGCSE
IGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
, students will continue to study Advanced Supplementary (AS) and Advanced Level (A level) subjects mainly under the Cambridge International Examinations
Cambridge International Examinations
University of Cambridge International Examinations is a provider of international qualifications for students between the ages of 14 and 19, offering examinations and qualifications in more than 150 countries. It is an Examination Board under Cambridge Assessment, founded in 1858 as a department...
Board.
The main subjects taught in school consist in 3 levels, Core, Foundation, and Additional Subjects. Core subjects include English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, and ICT. The Foundation subjects include History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
and a selection of second languages, which include French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Arabic. Additional subjects include Arabic for both native and non-native speakers, Islamic Studies
Islamic studies
In a Muslim context, Islamic studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge...
for Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
students as well as Moral Education. The school offers IGCSE
IGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
for year 10 and 11. Students must take minimum 8 subjects which consist of 2 compulsory subjects and 6 elective subjects. AS and A Level offered for students in year 12 and 13. Students must take minimum 3 subjects and maximum 4 subjects. Students who wish to continue AS and A Level must have minimum 5 subjects with grade C in IGCSE
IGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
and B in order to take Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
The Cambridge School Doha offers a Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
for students in year 12 and 13 since 2005. The sixth form provides AS Level for year 12 and A Level for students in year 13. The school provides the same courses as a sixth form college in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Uniform is different for Sixth Form students; they must wear their formal suit. In Year 12, students may choose between 3 to 4 AS Level subjects to study. The school holds a sixth form open evening for students and provides them with choice application forms. At the end of year 12, students generally drop one subject; the majority of year 13 students take 3 subjects on to A level. Sixth form classes are much smaller than standard secondary school lessons.
Admission
After the candidates completed the Application Form and return it to the School Office along with the supporting information requested on the form and the application fee. Candidates will be notified of their test result within one week of the test date. If they are successful, they will be offered a place or, if none is available, put on the waiting list. The majority of secondary pupils will also attend an interview with the Head of SecondaryAdmission to the school depends upon an available space in the appropriate age group and the school's ability to meet the needs of the children. Students will not be admitted into a year group outside of their age group unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Priority usually will be given to students who have a sibling attending the school and boys transferring to The Cambridge School from the Cambridge International School for Girls. Priority is also given to the children of staff, but this is not guaranteed.
Student's Leadership
A small number of prefects including a Head Boy and Head Girl are chosen each year from the students in Years 12 and 13. Their role is to assist the staff with specific duties and represent the school at specific functions. House Captains and Sports Captains lead competitive student activities in their House – Falcon, Hawk, Eagle or Kestrel.Each Tutor Group will elect two members to attend School Council and represent their views and concerns and to influence school procedures. School Council has an important role to play to ensure students are listened to and taken heed of. Also that they understand why decisions are made that affect them. The School Council members feed
back and discuss issues with the Tutor Group under the guidance of the Tutor.
School Timing
The normal school day begins with registration at 7.15am for students. Lessons for Kindergarten children end at 12.00pm and for other students at 1.15pm. Students in Years 2 - 4 are expected to stay until 2.15pm on Monday for Extra-Curricular Activities. Students in Years 5 - 13 are expected to stay until 2.15pm on Tuesday for Extra-Curricular Activities. The school year is divided into three terms of varying lengths. These dates are usually determined in part by major Islamic festivals.- Term 1 (Summer) : September – December
- Term 2 (Winter) : January – March
- Term 3 (Spring) : April – July
Extracurricular
The school also offers after-school activities. All students are expected to participate on Mondays and Tuesdays. Monday is for students in year 2 - 4 and Tuesday is for students in year 5 - 13. The activities include sports activities, science club, debate, and drama. Some students will be directed to certain activities such as additional graded Arabic or English courses.The Cambridge School has been regularly active in opportunities outside of school, some of those include Interschool debate, CS4Qatar at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, and Qatar Debate
Graduates
All graduating students of Grade 11, 12 and 13 receive IGCSEIGCSE
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is an internationally recognised qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of...
, AS and A Level certificates from Cambridge International Examinations
Cambridge International Examinations
University of Cambridge International Examinations is a provider of international qualifications for students between the ages of 14 and 19, offering examinations and qualifications in more than 150 countries. It is an Examination Board under Cambridge Assessment, founded in 1858 as a department...
. Students of The Cambridge School are consistently accepted at many universities around the world, including University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, as well as many universities in their home countries.
Annual International Food Festival
The International Food Festival is an event held every year at the Cambridge School in Doha. It is an open day activity for all students, parents, teachers and visitors to taste free food prepared by representatives of different countries and cultures. These countries include ArmeniaArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.