At Doha College, we view co-curricular education as an essential part of a child’s development, complementing and extending the learning that takes place in the classroom.

Our programme is continually evolving to provide meaningful opportunities that nurture personal growth, independence, and resilience. In line with this vision, we are delighted to be introducing both the Junior Duke Award in Primary and the Senior Duke Award in Secondary. The programmes will be led by Ms Dani Sposi in Primary and Mr Jamie Winter in Secondary, as part of our broader co-curricular offering.

The Junior Duke Award, available to Years 5 and 6, places a strong emphasis on life skills, confidence, and independence. Year 5 pupils will work towards the Gold Award, while Year 6 pupils will progress to the Platinum Award. Through challenges in areas such as First Aid, Budgeting, Sport, Cookery, Cultural Activities, and Caring for Others, pupils will develop resilience and practical abilities that will serve them well both in school and at home. Most challenges are undertaken with the support of family and friends, alongside guidance and encouragement in school.

The Senior Duke Award, available to Years 7 and 8, continues this focus on life skills while encouraging even greater responsibility and independence. While not affiliated with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, it serves as an ideal bridge before pupils are eligible to participate in DoE. The Senior Duke equips pupils with experiences and attributes that strengthen future university applications and develop the kinds of transferable skills that employers highly value.

Participation in either programme costs  QAR 100 for the year, which includes the award booklet (to record progress and provide evidence), ongoing support throughout the year, and the certificate and badge awarded upon completion.

We are proud to be launching both the Junior and Senior Duke Awards as part of our wider co-curricular journey at Doha College. These initiatives represent an important step in supporting our pupils in becoming capable, resilient, and confident young people, while also promoting excellence beyond the classroom. More detailed information from both Primary and Secondary will follow shortly. In the meantime, we invite you to view this short video for further insight:

 Junior and Senior Duke Information Video. 

Ondrea McSwiggan

Director of Co-Curricular Activities & Head of MFL Primary 

As part of our Council of International Schools (CIS) Preparatory Evaluation Visit taking place from 2–4 December, we are inviting parents to share their feedback to help us better understand our school community. Your responses will enable us to celebrate our strengths while also identifying areas where we can grow. Please be assured that the survey is confidential, and all feedback will be shared only in summary form.

Doha College is deeply committed to providing the very best education and continually striving for excellence. Taking part in the CIS Accreditation process is an important step in this journey. This internationally recognised quality assurance mark demonstrates that we meet the highest global standards in teaching, safeguarding, well-being, and leadership. Importantly, accreditation is not a one-off inspection, but an ongoing process that helps us improve year after year.

The accreditation will focus on three key areas:

• Our values and principles: what we stand for and how we run the school.

• Well-being: how we care for the happiness, safety, and health of our pupils and community.

• Learning: how we teach, support, and inspire children to grow, achieve, and prepare for the future.

To complete this process, CIS requires schools to collect the views of parents. We would therefore be grateful if you could take a few moments to complete the short Google Form. Your constructive feedback is essential in reflecting both the strengths of our school and the areas where you feel further growth would be valuable.

The accreditation team greatly values hearing how our community works together to provide the very best for our children.

If you have specific concerns that you would like to discuss in more detail, please remember that our Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) is always available:

• In person every Wednesday at 7.30 am in the Sports Café.

• You can also contact us by email at any time.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership and continued support.

Uzma Zaffar

Vice Principal – Executive Designated Safeguarding Lead