Qatar Leadership Academy

FROM OUR DIRECTOR

Thank you for visiting the QLA website.  We are very proud of what has been achieved at Qatar Leadership Academy in less than five years since its opening. We are also very proud to be a part of the well respected Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development created by the Emir of the State of Qatar, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in 1995 and chaired by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al Missned. We are honored to be part of their vision for Qatar and the Gulf in the coming decades.

Many educational institutions say that their school is unique. In introducing our school to you, I would like to point out a few of our distinct qualities and characteristics:

• We are one of very few boarding schools in the Arabian Gulf and Middle East region.
• We are designed for boys in middle school and high school (grades 6-12) seeking university preparation in Qatar, in the Gulf region, in Europe, or in North America.
• We have high standards and small classes to ensure academic excellence in and out of the classroom.
• Our internationally recruited teachers have the requisite degrees, certifications, and experience to offer an appropriate and challenging program to our students.
• We are a leadership-focused school. Most schools have a goal of developing leaders. What is unique at QLA is our intentionality. Leadership development lies at the heart of our mission and vision. It is developed in special leadership classes, after school activities, trips and camps, and in our regular classes in traditional subjects.
• We are focused on serving families from the Gulf and Middle East who want traditional values found in the Arabic Islamic culture, while offering the best of educational practices from international schools and promoting global citizenship and understanding and mutual respect in interpersonal relationships.
• While classes are taught in English, we teach Arabic and Islamic studies to all students. We have a special Heritage Program which keeps our students mindful of their history and culture in the Gulf countries.  Students are expected to be in our mosque for the traditional Islamic hours for prayers. Students learn about local history and geography and go on field trips to local cultural sites.
• Unlike many boarding schools where classroom teachers live in the student accommodations and supervise students after school hours, we employ a separate boarding staff of well qualified men from both local and international backgrounds to supervise our students after academic hours. Boarding personnel are able to offer personal and academic support to students in this residential setting.
• While we use military uniforms, drill, ranks, fitness activities and parade to teach leadership and self-discipline, we are not preparing students specifically for military careers, but for the higher education goals sought by each of our families.
• Like most schools we seek to educate the whole person for global citizenship through our academic programs, through ethical and religious studies, through cultural studies and awareness,  through fitness and sports opportunities, though the experience of residential life on campus, and through  civic involvement and community service, all in our unique setting in Qatar.

Thank you again for your interest in QLA. We hope to see you on our campus soon.

Sincerely,

Robert W. Trent
School Director