Al Sedra Secondary - Week 15

As we come to the end of our first term at The Gulf English School, it is a pleasure to reflect on what has been a highly successful and positive start to the academic year. This term has been characterised by achievement, engagement and a strong sense of community, and I am incredibly proud of all that our students and staff have accomplished together.

One of the highlights of the term has been the outstanding academic success of our learners in their GCSE and AS examinations. We are delighted to celebrate 14 students who achieved Pearson Awards, recognising exceptional outcomes. Among these achievements are students who secured the highest marks in the world in subjects such as History and Arabic, alongside others who achieved the highest marks in Qatar. In addition, many of our students were recognised for achieving Grade 8 or above in up to five subjects, an exceptional accomplishment that reflects both academic excellence and sustained commitment.

Alongside academic success, we continue to place great importance on student well-being. Our recent Well-being Week was a particular highlight of the term, with students engaging in a wide range of activities across lessons and break times. These experiences encouraged learners to reflect on and develop their physical and mental well-being, reinforcing the importance of balance, resilience and healthy habits.

A significant contribution to this work came from our Student Council, who have been highly active this term in shaping school life and strengthening student voice across the community. Council members played a key role in planning and delivering Well-being Week and supported a range of initiatives including Dress Down Days for Breast Cancer and Diabetes Awareness, breaktime physical challenges and positive community-building events such as cake giveaways. The council has also contributed ideas to the school’s wellbeing survey, helped launch a new student podcast, gathered feedback through the Student Suggestion Box, and begun planning for upcoming events such as International Day. Their leadership, initiative and commitment to improving school culture have been exemplary.

In sports, the School Olympic Programme is also well underway, with students representing the school with pride and enthusiasm. In particular, our football teams have enjoyed a very strong start to their fixtures, with several teams qualifying for the next stages of the competition after the winter break.

Beyond the classroom, our Model United Nations (MUN) programme continues to go from strength to strength. This term, around 30 students attended conferences at Sherborne School and Georgetown University, debating global issues ranging from cybercrime to climate change. These experiences allowed students to develop their understanding of diplomacy and political awareness while applying their transdisciplinary skills in real-world contexts. We are also delighted to congratulate our newly elected MUN student leadership team, who have already taken a hands-on approach to shaping MUN as a student-led club and nurturing the next generation of GES diplomats.

As the term draws to a close, it has been wonderful to celebrate the wider successes of our students. End-of-term assemblies recognised learners for high achievement and most improved, celebrating not only excellence but also effort and progress. Many students also earned places on our rewards trips to Quest and Megapolis, providing a well-deserved and enjoyable way to end a busy and successful term.

I would like to thank our students for their hard work, our staff for their dedication, and our families for their continued support. We look forward to building on this strong start as we move into the next term and continuing to celebrate the successes of our Gulf English School community.

Have a great holiday!

Mr Daniel Langfield

Head of Secondary.