Let us guide you through joining our school
Welcome to Oryx International School, you are one of the exclusive parents in Qatar that has the privilege of joining our five-star, purpose-built school solely for the children of the employees of Qatar Airways and their affiliated subsidiaries.
To start the admissions process, please follow the simple steps below and remember, we are committed to supporting you every step of the way.
Step 1: Eligibility
Please ensure you are you a full-time employee of Qatar Airways,or one of the approved subsidiaries prior to initiating this process.
Qatar Airways subsidiaries include:
- Qatar Duty-Free (QDF),
- Qatar Aviation Services (QAS),
- Al Maha Services,
- Qatar Executive,
- Qatar Airways Catering Company (QACC),
- Qatar Distribution Company (QDC),
- Airport Hotel,
- Dhiafatina,
- HIA,
- Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha (formerly Oryx Rotana Hotel),
- Qatar Amiri Flights, and
- Discover Qatar
If you fit into one of these categories, please proceed.
Step 2: Submit an Enquiry & Visit Us
You can register your interest in our school, by completing our online Enquiry Form on the link below.
Upon receiving your enquiry, our admissions team will be in touch to provide further information and can arrange for you to come and visit the school. We will also keep you updated with what's going on in school and we'd love to invite you to our community events.
Step 3: Submit Your Application
When you are ready to apply for a place for your child(ren) at Oryx, you will need to:
- Submit your application via our online admissions portal - You can click to access the admissions portal below
- Make the payment of the 450 QARApplication Fee - you will be guided on how to pay this within the portal.
Once you begin the Application process, our dedicated Admissions Portal will remain open for the duration of your admissions journey. You can log in to the portal to view your progress and submit documents at any time, you will also receive a notification when there is an update. However, please note that once you submit forms and sign documents, you will no longer be able to make edits.
If you have previously enquired to the school, please use the same email address to log in to the portal because this enables us to identify you and avoids duplicate applications for the same family.
Before starting, ensure that you read all the requirements in the application section carefully - please refer to the Attested Report Cards & Attestation Steps information in this regard.
Step 4: Assessment
Once you have submitted the Application Form and paid the 450 QAR Application Fee, your child will be required to undertake an Admissions Assessment.
Completion of an assessment does not guarantee a place at the school for your child and results will be reviewed by our academic team, to ensure that your child is able to access our curriculum. As a school we assess all applications on individual merit, and we always ensure to make the best decision for the individual child, to best set them up for future success.
FS1 to Year 2 Assessments
Our EYFS & Year 1 & Year 2 students are assessed via an observation process which is called a "Soft Assessment". In most cases, these assessments take place at our school. However, where families are relocating to Qatar, we can accommodate this via video submissions, which a member of our Admissions Team will guide you through if required.
These Soft Assessment sessions are an opportunity for us to be able to better understand the individual needs of your child, how he/she interacts with their peers, how their fine / gross motor skills are developing and how their grasp is of the English language. This informal assessment will best allow us to meet your child’s needs in a classroom setting and ensure that we are able to set them up for success in our school.
As part of our Admissions Policy, please note that all students must be toilet ready to start school.
Year 3 to Year 13 Assessments
Children from Year 3 onwards, are required to undertake a more formal online CAT4 assessment. CAT4 is a suite of tests developed to support schools in understanding students’ abilities and potential. It is an assessment of developed abilities in areas known to make a difference to learning and achievement, such as verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning.
Assessment Results are reviewed along with other relevant documentation as part of your child's application, these include:
- School reports
- Assessment Test and
- Any special needs requirements/reports (where applicable)
Step 5: Offer & Acceptance
Upon successful completion of the Application Process, an Offer Letter with the Admissions Enrolment Agreement will be sent to you to accept the registration of your child to the school. You will receive this documentation via the admissions portal.
In order to guarantee your child's place at Oryx, you are required to return a signed copy of both of these documents to the admissions office via email, as well as submit payment of the non-refundable Registration Fee payment of QAR 3,190 by the deadline set out in the offer letter. This deadline is typically within 7 days of the Offer Letter being issued.
By signing this documentation and paying the Registration Fee, your child's space at Oryx International School will then be reserved, for the agreed start date that you have confirmed with the Admissions Team.
Please Note:
- If you miss this deadline without consultation with the Admissions Office, the Offer will be withdrawn due to the high demand for places at the school.
- By signing the documentation but not paying the Registration Fee, your Offer will be considered expired and will be withdrawn.
Step 6: Welcome to Oryx International School
Once the Admissions process is complete, our Academic Administration Team will send you further relevant information that should answer all the questions that you may have before joining our school.
Mandatory Documentation to Start School in Qatar
A student cannot be registered with the MoEHE if the correct documentation is not supplied.
Students can only start school once they are registered with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
- If you are moving to Qatar - attested report cards (students from Year 2 and above) and Qatar National Identity Document (QID) to start school.
- For registrations after mid-October - the MoEHE registration form and copy of stamp of entry into Qatar.
- If you are transferring between schools in Qatar, a parent requires a Vacancy letter from Oryx International School, this must be taken to the school you are transferring from and they will provide a Transfer letter. This letter must be handed to the admissions office and the previous school will then transfer your child on the MOE&HE online system from their school to ours.
- Please note: for students applying for Sixth Form in the British Curriculum (Year 12), must be already studying in the English National Curriculum and have completed their I/GCSEs, (not equivalent) as per the MoEHE guidelines
Information Regarding Fit to Join School Certificate
Health Records are required for all students who fall into one of the below categories
A Health certificate (Fit to attend school) is required from a Qatar LOCAL health centre. The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) have health centres throughout Qatar.
If you are new to the country, you will need to apply for a health card and then book an appointment for your child to receive a health certificate via PHCC. To find out further information with regards to this, please go to the PHCC website: Health Card (phcc.gov.qa)
This is a Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOE&HE) requirement for all new students, as per the list below, to start school.
- All students joining from FS1 to Year 1, who have never been to school,
- Students who are transferring schools within Qatar – FS1 to Year 1, and
- New students who are coming from outside of Qatar - FS1 to Year 12
To book an appointment from the health centre, call 107 or click on the link for more details: Appointments & Referral (phcc.gov.qa)
Please email a copy of the Health certificate to both the admissions team via email admissions@oryxschool.qa and the School Nurse on nurse@oryxschool.qa. Please note, this certificate is not the child's vaccination record, but specifically, a health record that is only provided within Qatar. If you are not in the country yet, this can be done on your arrival.
Key Dates
All students transferring from the Indian CBSE, Filipino, Pakistani and Sri Lankan curriculums must do so before the end of December.
The following is required before mid-October:
- All students joining a school in Qatar must have a physical QID card to start school, if they do not have one by Mid October (this date occasionally varies) then you will need to provide us with a copy of your child's QID when you receive it and the entry stamp into Qatar in your child's passport. This is required to prove to the MOE&HE that your child only arrived after this date into the country.
- It is imperative that your child is registered before mid-November when joining in Term 1. The MOE&HE will require continuation of education and if your child has missed Term 1 of the school year, they will have to repeat their last completed academic school year.
- Attested report cards are required before your child can start school (for students Year 2 and above), please ensure that you have these with you on arrival in Qatar.
The last date to register students that are new to Doha from curriculums outside of the English National Curriculum.
Students must present an attested previously completed full academic year and a Term 1 report card, the entry stamp in their passports and a QID to start school.
Last date to register students transferring from schools within Doha.
With a different curriculum to the ENC.
The last date to transfer and register students from schools with the same curriculum.
