Stafford Sri Lankan School Doha

Stafford Sri Lankan School Doha (SSLSD) is a private, non-profit educational institute situated in Doha, Qatar, established in October 2001. The school operates under the affiliation of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Qatar. ^[1]

SSLSD is an approved educational institute by The Supreme Education Council and is known as the Sri Lankan Community School. The school is also an Approved Examination Center by Edexcel International (UK) which enables enrolled students to take Edexcel IGCSE and IAL examinations.^[2] SSLSD offers education from Lower Reception to Advanced Level. Governance of the school is overseen by a dedicated Board of Trustees.^[3]

SSLSD follows the Edexcel Curriculum. The school utilizes montessori methods in Lower Curriculum, offering students the choice to engage in preferred learning activities under the guidance of their teachers. Stafford encourages students to engage in extra-curricular activities, including sports and aesthetics. Each classroom is equipped with an interactive board and a computer connected to the Internet.^[4]

Examinations are internally assessed and are conducted in accordance to the British examination procedures.

The following examinations are available at SSLSD:^[5]

• Monthly / Weekly Assessments
• Semester Exams
• Pearson Achievement Test Primary
• Pearson Achievement Test Lower Secondary
• Cambridge ESOL Exams
• "My Language" Exams
• Mock IGCSE Exams
• Edexcel IGCSE Exams
• Edexcel IAL Exams

SSLSD offers a wide range of awards for its students, including four main awards and other international awards.

The four awards are:

• Highly Commended
• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold

International awards include the following:

• Outstanding Pearson Learner Award, which is categorized into further 3 levels:

1. Highest Mark in the Country
2. Highest Mark in the Middle East (region-wise)
3. Highest Mark in the World

• Duke of Edinburgh Award

These awards are presented to the students during the Annual Awards Day, which falls between November and January. The Ministry Of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) presents awards to schools nation-wide that follow the Edexcel or Cambridge curricula.

SSLSD presents a number of sports for its students in facilities provided by the school. Students can showcase their talents in the annual Sports Meet.

The three teams, or houses, include:

• Garnet (Red)
• Topaz (Yellow)
• Emerald (Green)

The current champions are Topaz (Senior Sports Meet) and Garnet (Junior Sports Meet) of the academic year 2024/25.

SSLSD implemented a new shift system in the academic year of 2023/24 to facilitate a rise in the number of students. Students of grades Upper Reception and Grades 2 to 6 attended school starting 7:00 AM with their day ending at 12:30 PM, and students of grades 7 to 13 attended school starting 01:30 PM with their day ending 7:00 PM.

SSLSD currently does not offer schooling for students in Lower Reception and Grade 1 due to the shift system. However, the school's Board of Directors recently approved an initiative to build a new school building to facilitate the increasing student population.

SSLSD offers a range of extracurriculars, including:

• SSLSD Scouting
• IT Club - subdivided into 'Robotics', 'Designers', and 'Coding'
• AV Club - also known as the Photography Club
• Scrabble
• Chess
• Popular sports

SSLSD was recognized by Pearson as an outstanding school for the results of the Edexcel International Primary Curriculum (iPrimary), Edexcel International Lower Curriculum (iLS), Edexcel International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE, also known as O/L or Ordinary Level) and Edexcel International Advanced Level (IAL, also known as A/L or Advanced Level) with 27 awards given to 26 students.^[6]

• Ministry of Education and Higher Education (Qatar)
• List of universities and colleges in Qatar
• Education in Qatar

• Stafford Sri Lankan School Doha Website
• Pearson
• Edexcel
• Sinhala Tamil Language Foundation Website

25°15′49.1″N 51°29′39.1″E / 25.263639°N 51.494194°E / 25.263639; 51.494194