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Living overseas

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Which one of you lovely people want to tell me all (and I mean all!) about Qatar?!

18 replies

waltermittymissus · 10/05/2012 18:29

DH is considering possibly taking a job there. With 3 children under 6! Any information will be very much appreciated :)

OP posts:
bedubabe · 14/05/2012 08:50

Check out the qatar forum on www.expatwoman.com

Hard to tell 'everything' but happy to answer questions.

With three kids under six your biggest issue is schooling.

waltermittymissus · 14/05/2012 08:59

Yay an answer! Thanks So much. Basically I'm wondering where to live and how the school system works? As in are there international schools? Which ones are good etc. I've seen websites but would prefer to hear from a real person! :)

OP posts:
bedubabe · 15/05/2012 10:58

Ok lots of international schools. The state school system is unlikely to be an option (unless your husband works for the government and you're happy with Arabic language and, well lets just say I've heard too many horror stories).

Problem is that the most popular schools are full. It's not a case of which are good but which will take you. To be blunt, there are several acceptable schools but not many (any?) great ones. Once to check out for primary aged kids are DESS (assuming you have a British passport but even so it's not going to have space), Doha College (again not going to have space but try although they will take your money and not tell you you've got no hope), British Montesori (prob no space), ASD (American, prob no space), Park House (prob no space), ACS (may be space in older classes, American/IB), Sherborne (prob no space), Compass (will prob have space, some people love some people hate, IB, v expensive), Canadian School (may have pref for Canadian passport holders, no idea on space, know it's v expensive), Newton (not raved about but ok and will prob have space), Loydence Academy (started to hear some good things but not directly), Global (again have heard some good things), Gulf English (Qatari preference, probably no space) and Qatar Academy (no hope), Cambridge (had some very bad reports recently), International School of London (IB, I hear some good things but apparently they're terrible at replying to queries) and Cheofiat (sp? v academic, testing led curriculum, probably full already).

There are more but that covers the main ones. The 'big three' schools are DESS, Doha College and Parkhouse with Sherborne, Compass and ACS also being pretty popular.

Don't worry about where to live. Get school places first. Schools are due to close for the summer soon and you'll get nothing out of them all year.

That said you will get places somewhere they may just be all over town and not in the 'big three'. You might have more luck getting places once you're on the ground.

shuz · 16/05/2012 13:55

We have moved from London to Doha recently and we are both, that is my husband and I having second thoughts or maybe regrets.......

Why do you want to move to Doha? if it is purely financial reasons then I suppose you can survive! Life here is not what you will be used to and I suppose coming to Doha for a few weeks before you or your husband commit yourself is a good idea.

PM me if you would like to ask any specific questions.

Flyingwithoutwings · 16/05/2012 16:44

My DH is having an interview very soon for a job in Doha. I'm more "up for it" than he is.
I'm worried about losing my job (I love it) but I'd also been happy to not work and sunbathe / shop / do nothing.
I do worry that the novelty would wear off though. But I think i'd save up and study whilst out there.
Is it easy for a strict vegetarian to eat there (no meat, fish or cheese)?
Is there much for children to do?
Although I think DS (3.5) would be happy with just a swimming pool.

louisea · 16/05/2012 17:26

Hi Shuz, sorry to hear you regret your move. Any particular reason? Doha takes some getting used to. I had a terrible time when we moved due to a difficult set of circumstances. However, 3 years down the line, I didn't want to leave and now, 10 months back in the UK, if the company offered us another job there I wouldn't say no. Did you get a place at DESS? Have you joined Doha Mums? Getting out and socialising helps a lot.

Hope you feel better about your move soon.

Flyingwithoutwings · 16/05/2012 18:47

What does DESS stand for?

louisea · 16/05/2012 20:51

Doha English Speaking School. Naff name, fantastic school.

Flyingwithoutwings · 16/05/2012 21:34

Lol, very naff name :)
What makes it fantastic? Smile

cgdoha · 17/05/2012 14:13

Have a look at their website, you can certainly get a feel for the school there. My DCs are there, they love it and so do I.
www.dess.org

Flyingwithoutwings · 17/05/2012 21:28

So if you send them there for Primary Ed, where would you recommend for senior school education?

louisea · 17/05/2012 22:50

My boys went on to Doha College. One to Sherbourne, one to ASD but I think that he has since moved to DC. Don't know why because he moved after we left but it may have been that it was because he was at DESS for primary and all of his classmates went to DC. Some go to boarding school. 95% of the kids went to DC in my boys' year. DESS kids don't take all of the spaces though. DESS has 4 classes of a maximum of 24 kids. DC has 6 forms in a year.

As has been said though on previous occasions, you may have to take what you can get and wait it out for a place in your preferred school.

Before we moved we didn't have DESS on our list of schools to consider because we were worried about he boys having to change schools for just one year before coming home. Because so many from DESS move to DC it is hardly a problem. They all go together and settle in well.

Flyingwithoutwings · 18/05/2012 07:20

Thanks for that. I am very tempted by Sherborne as I know of the school here. But as a new school I can see they are having a few teaching problems with building and staff pregnancies!
The appeal of that would be what I know of Sherborne over here.

How is DC overall? Good reputation?

Windandsand · 27/05/2012 17:47

Have a look at the expat woman.com site for Doha and the forum. It's a big change in the middle east, def. plan your time well and assume you will need to be out of the country June to sept as its school hols and too hot. Biggest thing is to get your house right so make sure they pay top whack for accommodation in a compound with other expats. Yes, there are cheap places, they are cheap for a reason - bugs, no pool or play area, nowhere to make friends easily.. Try and get a visit if you can, however if I had had a visit I would never have left the uk - don't worry am not in Doha:) am in middle east though!

Flyingwithoutwings · 27/05/2012 22:07

I've just registered with them, thank you.
DH is going to ask for a visit for himself (I need to change my passport to married name ASAP!)
I am worried about the heat: but I guess you're inside a lot at peek times.
It's looking likely that we'll be getting a job offer soon so fingers crosse that it all looks good.

bedubabe · 29/05/2012 09:11

You don't need to change your passport to your married name (unless you want to!). Plenty of women here don't have the same name as their husbands. It's the norm in many middle eastern cultures.

Herrena · 29/05/2012 09:17

Please don't ever send your kids to Choueifat - I went one in the UAE for 5 years and it was horrible, just horrible. Several exams every week, music and art are dropped by the age of 13 because they are 'a waste of time', non-academically gifted students are treated like dirt - it's just awful.

BTW (don't know if this helps) I grew up in the Middle East and enjoyed it for the most part! It'll be an adventure for your kids, albeit a rather steep learning curve for you and your DH Grin

HillyWallaby · 03/06/2012 13:32

Compass have recently opened a new campus for primary years and there is another planned in the next couple of years I believe. Loydence is very new so should be under-subscribed. Whereabouts will your DH be working and what kind of business is he in OP?

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