Doha Academy Reviews

unorganized, unequipped, dangerous, negative, miss managed

- No sports facilities; no sports hall, swimming pool, sports pitches or gym only a concrete area (PE teachers beware) - Virtually no CPD training is given to staff. I received very little during 5 years employment at Doha Academy. - The School owner does not invest in the school but expects staff to provide an excellent standard of education. I regularly purchased my own board pens, for my class whiteboard, as this were never provided! - The school is advertised, on their website and social media pages, as a diverse international school but is in fact an Arab school. - Student behaviour is atrocious (particularly Qatari students). There is very little engagement and no behaviour management policy. - Student attendance is not monitored or investigated. Some students are only present for end of term assessments. - The current Secondary Headteacher has a huge professional ego and is incompetent at managing staff. Their management style is adhoc and unstructured causing undue pressure on SLT members and Middle Management. - The school owner fires staff at will. I saw an experienced and competent member of senior management instantly dismissed due to the dislike the Sheikha took to how they spoke to a student. - Qatari organisations usually provide 1 month's gross salary for every year of employment as an end of service benefit. Doha Academy provides 30% of 1 month's salary for every year of service an employee has given. -Shared staff accommodation. "Better" schools will provide an apartment for only one member of staff or give them an accommodation allowance. - Competent and effective staff are not retained or valued. Many leave after one or two years for better terms and conditions at other schools in Qatar or abroad. - Doha Academy prematurely terminated the contracts of over 40 staff during the 2020 Covid Pandemic to save costs. Employees welfare is always an afterthought. - IGCSE and IAL exam fees are 1500 QAR per exam. This is far higher fee, than what is charged by most schools in Qatar. - The HR department are disorganised and ineffective. Urgent staff emails sent to them are often unanswered and not investigated. - This school has a reputation as one of the worst schools in Qatar. If you are tempted to apply here do not stay for more than two years at maximum. There are far better more well paid roles available in Qatar and further afield.