Edarabia had the opportunity to interview Principal Ann Djedid of Queen’s Qatar to discuss the school’s exciting plans for 2025 and beyond. With a strong focus on academic excellence, inclusivity, and student well-being, Queen’s Qatar is poised to make significant strides in the coming years. This interview provides valuable insights into the school’s vision, challenges, and strategies for creating a nurturing and dynamic learning environment for its students.

1. What are your plans for 2025?

2025 promises to be an exciting year at Queen’s! We are thrilled to be expanding our secondary curriculum with the addition of Year 10 and the prestigious IGCSE examination program. This will be celebrated with an Options Evening in February.

As the school grows, we will continue to expand with new classes and senior leadership positions, ensuring organic growth and continued excellence.

We invite you to join us for our Open Day and Spring Fayre on February 22nd, featuring a variety of vendors, activity stalls, and plenty of family-friendly fun, all free of charge. Our Artemex sports program will add to the excitement with interactive activities, bouncy castles, and games for everyone to enjoy.

Our community events calendar includes Movie Night, International Week, and an Iftar Buffet, fostering connections and cultural understanding. Sports are also a key focus, with a full day of National Sports Day activities for students and parents alike.

We’re also holding a special Ramadan assembly to educate our community on the traditions and spiritual significance of Ramadan, ensuring greater awareness and unity.

In March, we will open our brand-new, state-of-the-art facilities, which will significantly enhance our curriculum and extracurricular offerings. These include a 25m indoor swimming pool, a training pool, a full-sized basketball court, sports halls, multi-sport areas, and an astro turf field. Additionally, we’re adding a Padel Court and a fully equipped gym, and our 580-seat auditorium is equipped with the latest sound and lighting technology. Our goal is for Queen’s Qatar to serve as a hub for our parents and the wider community, with these exceptional facilities available to all.

2. How do you decide what to focus on academically each year, and which new ideas are you pursuing?

At Queen’s we follow the English National Curriculum, supplemented by the Dimensions and Fusion curricula. This gives students a thematic approach to learning and includes key competencies and 21st-century learning skills. We want our students to ‘Discover their Greatness’ so our curriculum has been chosen to promote critical thinking, creativity, and skills such as communication and resilience, designed to prepare or students for an unknown future. At Queen’s, we have a Digital Coding Lab and science labs for use in primary and secondary so AI is at the fore of our thinking and how we can use it to redefine education, whilst maintaining that essential human connection.

3. What challenges do you anticipate in the field of education over the next 5 years?

I recently attended the BSME conference, with the theme, Redefining Education and there was much discussion about how we are preparing students for the future. A lot of research is being conducted in the UK and International schools about a curriculum fit for a purpose that will equip students with the skills they need to enter university and the workplaces of the future. An overhaul of the examination system is being discussed, and inevitably, the role that AI will play in enhancing and redefining education.

4. How do you keep students interested in learning, especially those who struggle or seem unmotivated?

Our curriculum content is thematic and both hands-on and engaging. This coupled with excellent teaching strategies, helps to keep our students engaged and focused. Making sure that we offer individualized learning so that every child is stretched and challenged to make progress is essential but so is building relationships and making learning fun.

5. How does the school ensure all students feel welcome and have the same chances to succeed?

We have welcome meetings for new students and parents when they join Queen’s, including our Queen’s Bear, Bruno. Our students receive a warm welcome when they enter the classroom and are assigned a buddy to help them settle in. Our teacher and pastoral leaders ensure that children are supported and conduct regular check-ins to support those who need a little extra.

Our curriculum offers an assessment systems that ensure that we know every child’s starting point, and we track and monitor student progress. Learning is differentiated to meet the needs of the learner so that every child experiences success and is encouraged to challenge themselves, with lots of praise and encouragement along the way. Our rewards and House systems support key aspects of the qualities and behaviours we want our children to develop, and this is supported at weekly assemblies and House meetings.

6. How proactive is the school in matters of student stress and bullying?

At Queen’s, we have a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and any incidents of misbehaviour are dealt with swiftly and effectively, in line with our policy. We encourage our children to be kind and thoughtful and to support each other at school.  Our teachers and leaders know every child and are on hand to offer support to a child if they need it. Our Learning Support teacher offers additional support, socially and emotionally, to those who need it.

7. How do you help students build the skills they need for life after graduation?

It is important that our students cultivate a growth mindset and are prepared to excel academically, socially and emotionally. We achieve this through quality first teaching and learning and through building strong relationships between our students, teachers and their families so that when our students leave Queen’s, they have a high level of skills that they can adapt to their chosen workplace.  An essential part is giving sound guidance on a student’s strengths and skills and assisting them with choosing a study pathway conducive to success. In addition, skills such as resilience, critical thinking, communication, and questioning are at the heart of our curriculum so that students are equipped with the skills they need to thrive in the workplace.

8. How involved are parents and the community in making the school better?

Our parents are very involved in school life. They have a monthly coffee morning where they meet senior leaders and discuss the school’s growth and development. There is an active PTA that assists with key events and the sharing of ideas. Our events are very well attended and supported, and parents’ views are listened to and well received.

9. How do you develop a school culture that attracts and keeps great teachers?

An essential part of attracting and keeping great teachers is staff development. Ensuring that teachers are inducted into the school effectively and that expectations are clear. Then ensure that teachers are given opportunities to grow and develop their skills and share expertise. A mix of external and internal learning opportunities is given to develop talent within the organization and to ensure continuous school improvement. Performance management and a supportive climate of monitoring and feedback are essential for teachers to work towards achieving their targets and growing personally and professionally.

10. Do teachers at your school have growth opportunities for leadership roles?

As a new school, there are many opportunities to grow as leaders. We have a relatively small team at the moment, which will grow into an established middle and senior leadership team both next year and in the future as the schools grow. We actively recruit high-calibre teachers with strong leadership potential.

11. Which after-school activity would you say has the biggest positive impact on a student’s future?

OUR CCA programme is designed to give students an opportunity to attend a wide range of activities and extend the curriculum. In that sense, all CCAs offer further opportunities to learn and new experiences so all contribute to a holistic education.

12. As a Principal, what is your definition of success?

Success is about promoting the overall growth and wellbeing of the entire school community by fostering student achievement academically, socially and emotionally; building strong relationships with families and the community; supporting and empowering teachers through targeted CPD, creating a positive and inclusive school culture that values diversity, developing a growth mindset for continuous improvement and cultivating a safe, positive environment where students can thrive.

13. If you had the opportunity to inspire the world in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

Let us unite to ignite a passion that empowers every student and teacher to dream boldly, excel fearlessly, and uplift each other toward a brighter future.