King’s College Doha – A bold new vision

Having recently hosted a “Vision Launch event”, welcoming the whole school community, it's clear Mr Mike Seaton, the school's Principal, and his vastly experienced Senior Leadership team have one goal: to create the best British School in the Middle East.

Mr Seaton shared more insights into the school’s vision and the exciting developments which current and new pupils can expect. 

Tell us more about the Vision for King’s College Doha?

This is a great question, and one which sometimes can be overcomplicated. We simplified this and began by asking ourselves the following questions, applying the extensive experience of our school leadership team, combined with extensive feedback from parents and others affiliated with our school community. 

What does it mean to be a member of the King’s community?

This is a tough question to answer – because every child is different. But, from August we will be developing a set of shared characteristics in every child that makes them recognisably King’s. And in doing so, we have drawn inspiration from our friends and partners at King’s College UK.

So, what should a King’s pupil look like when they leave our school? The answer to this question goes to the heart of everything we do, and – more importantly – why we do what we do. We will not define the success of our young people solely in terms of examination results, as important as they are – not if behind the results the child has not achieved their full potential.

Instead, we want to focus on the education of each pupil in its broadest possible sense – and then let the results follow on naturally, ensuring that every child is equally important.

For example, it is vital that our bright pupils – and there are many – have opportunities to go way beyond the requirements for A* success – and so it is vital that we do not place a ceiling, consciously or otherwise, on what we expect them to achieve.

To be a King’s pupil, then, will be to embrace, adopt and engage with three interlinked areas of an educational model that we have developed in collaboration with our British sister school: The King’s Identity, King’s Tapestry and the King’s Pathway. 

We believe that this interwoven model will, in time, help us to provide all pupils at King’s College Doha with a British education that sets the standard in the Middle East.

Tell us more about this model? How will you bring these to life for the King’s community?

First, The King’s Identity defines what we would like all our pupils to become. These are the characteristics with which we will equip pupils during their time at King’s so that, when they leave us, they realise that their learning journey has just begun:

Afterall, Confident, Creative, Committed, Caring and Curious pupils will lead happier and more fulfilled lives in adulthood.

The King’s Tapestry illustrates our new, holistic approach to educating the whole child. It provides a framework for how we will educate all King’s pupils in classrooms, on the sports pitch and on the stage, so that they can become the very best version of themselves. 

At the heart of this educational approach – designed in collaboration with King’s College UK - will be the fusion of the highest academic standards with a commitment to the nurture and wellbeing of our pupils. 

The King’s Tapestry will inform our lesson planning, underpin the professional development of our teachers in school – and is steeped in the latest educational research. 

And finally, The King’s Pathway is the answer to a challenge we have set ourselves as a school: how do we harness the talents of the thousands of members of the King’s College community, both in the United Kingdom and Qatar, to enrich the educational experience of our pupils above and beyond what they learn in school each day?

We will do so via the establishment of four new networks that will deepen relationships between our school and its wider communities, both in Qatar and overseas, and will result in academic enrichment opportunities, social gatherings, charitable giving and expert careers guidance for our young people that will go way beyond that which we have been able to deliver in the past.

The aim of a King’s education will be to allow our pupils to develop themselves fully in every sense. The journey towards true confidence in one’s capabilities will be reflected in what will become the broadest co-curricular programme of any school in the region – allowing every child at King’s to discover and develop fully their talents, passions and interests.

 In our Prep and Senior Schools, every single child will now take part in at least four co-curricular activities of their choice per week, which will be called Electives, will be built into the normal school day and will become part of our core curriculum for the first time.

In this way, we will place the development of confidence at King’s ‘front and centre’ – because those who try something new and ‘believe they can’ will be the leaders and game-changers of the future.

We also want pupils at King’s to be creative and to unleash their imaginations, both within and beyond the classroom, to inspire others. 

That is why we will be pushing hard to further increase the large proportion of pupils who already learn a musical instrument at King’s next academic year, whilst also widening the number of opportunities that our pupils have to stand up on a stage and inspire others.

And that is why we will radically redevelop our learning environment over the summer to place creativity at its very core.

Tell us more about the school curriculum?

The King’s pupils of the future must move into the world equipped with the resilience to engage wholeheartedly in all that life has to throw at them. 

That is why we are developing a Character Curriculum for our pupils from next academic year, which will supplement the Academic Curriculum and include an array of residentials, trips and expeditions that push our young people to the edge of their comfort zone. 

We know that the child who gives their all in everything they do will form the inner steel that will serve them well for a lifetime. And that is why we will place added emphasis on rewarding pupils who display the best effort in class as we move forward, identifying and rewarding Stars of the Week in the Prep and Senior Schools, not just in the Pre-Prep School.

When our pupils eventually leave King’s College Doha, we don’t want them to do so in a bubble of privilege, but with the moral values and social conscience to serve others and do good in life. This is why we will be setting up a service programme for our Prep School pupils – called King’s Cares – that will provide them with opportunities to make their local community a better place. 

And that is why our Senior School pupils will be working directly with their fellow pupils at King’s College UK on a series of global charitable endeavours that will involve exchange visits to spend time with one another in England and Qatar. 

In short, we will encourage our pupils to combine daily acts of kindness – in school – with the firm belief that they can make a difference, locally and globally, right now.

We also want our King’s pupils to develop a love of learning for its own sake, because we know that interested children eventually become interesting adults. It is so, so important that the boys and girls at our school don’t just come to King’s to endure it – but to enjoy it. 

As they grow older, our young people will need to move into the world able to think critically and engage in deep learning. And so we will teach them to study beyond the bounds of the taught curriculum, to be inquisitive and ask questions of everything around them, and so to be imbued with a life-long love of learning. 

And so, The King’s Identity, as it will become known, will come to encapsulate what makes a King’s College Doha education so special. It will become the ‘golden thread’ that binds together all pupils who walk through our gates.

What does the future hold for King’s and how will this impact King’s pupils?

The new academic year that awaits us will mark a new chapter for King’s in more way than one, as we open an elite new Sixth Form for the first term in August. This will be open for 16-to-18-year-olds who wish to undertake their A-levels at our British independent school overseas. Our new Sixth Formers will make use of an outstanding Sixth Form Centre, complete with its own seminar rooms, common room, debating facilities and even a barista space, providing our sixth formers with a pre-university experience as they develop their independence and intellectual curiosity in their very own learning space.

This is an enormously exciting time to be part of King’s College Doha's school community as they build a first-rate British independent school education that is befitting of their famous school in England, King’s College UK. 

For more information, to apply, arrange a tour, or to simply speak with a member of King's friendly admissions team please call 4496 5888, WhatsApp 6006 2023, Email admissions@kingscollegedoha.com or visit their website now! You can also find King's College on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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