Doha, Qatar: 2 February 2014

ACS Doha International School has been officially awarded full accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States. It has also been granted full authorization from the International Baccalaureate (IB) for the prestigious Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (IBDP) after a year-long stringent and dedicated application and development process.

The entire ACS Doha school faculty, staff and students participated in the process to develop their school offering, to align it with the values of WASC and the IB. Eight major areas of the school's system and programmes required thorough review before approval could be considered including the curriculum flexibility, the language of instruction, the appointment of an MYP coordinator and mandatory teacher professional development.

"We are so proud of this achievement, especially that we completed the phases prior to the final application for the MYP authorization in two and a half years, which is very rare. We are so grateful for the support of the families of ACS Doha who have recognized the incredible amount of work that has gone into achieving these milestones and have supported us all the way." commented Dale Taylor, High School and Middle School Principal.

"The WASC accreditation and IB authorisations signify the standard of excellence we are able to offer our students, from our Early Childhood through our High School; ACS Doha provides a highly comprehensive education and a great framework for them to thrive from." commented Diane Hren, Head of School.

WASC's primary goal is to encourage quality improvement and excellence throughout the entire school. The WASC accreditation recognizes schools that demonstrate an acceptable level of quality in meeting the WASC criteria, including a challenging, coherent and relevant curriculum, and a professional staff body that implements a variety of learning experiences to actively engage students at a high level of learning as well as supporting students personal and academic growth by ensuring student connectedness and parent/community involvement.  The accreditation confirms a standard of excellence from Early Childhood division through to High School.

The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) provides a framework for learning that encourages students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers, focusing on intellectual challenges for the students, encouraging them to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and of the real world. The MYP aims to foster the development of skills for communication, intercultural understanding and global interaction; qualities that are essential for our students to develop holistically with an international mindset.

The IB Diploma Programme will be taught at ACS Doha from September 2014, when Grade 11 opens for students aged 16-17; Grade 12 will open the following academic year. The Programme prepares students for success in higher education and life in today's global society and places emphasis on addressing the intellectual, social, emotional and physical wellbeing of the students. The programme has gained recognition and respect from the world's leading universities.

The ACS Doha Admissions team is currently accepting applications for High School and some Middle School grades where limited space is available in-year, prior to the end of January.

The school continues to hold full approval status from the Qatar Supreme Education Council (SEC) and is a member of the European Council for International Schools (ECIS).

-Ends- 

About ACS
ACS International Schools is a privately owned organisation founded in 1967 to serve the educational needs of global and local families in the London area. Over the years it has grown into the largest international school in Europe with over 2,500 students aged 2 - 18 from more than 70 countries at our three London campuses in

Cobham, Egham, and Hillingdon, and nearly 900 students at our first overseas campus in Doha, Qatar. All our schools are non-sectarian, and co-educational. Our world-renowned curriculum includes all three International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes, and an American curriculum including Advanced Placement (AP) courses, enabling ACS graduates to attend many of the world's finest universities.

ACS Doha International School is part of ACS International Schools and serves international and local communities in Qatar. ACS Doha is co-educational, enrolling students aged 3 to 15 years, including Grade 10 High School which opened in September 2013.  Subsequent High School grades will be added in successive years. The school is located in the Gharrafa district of Doha.

The school offers a globally recognised American and international curriculum. It has state-of-the-art facilities and an on-going programme of building investment.  The strong core academic programme and extensive arts, sports and cultural activities support a student-centred philosophy and a strong ACS ethos.

ACS International Schools has over 30 years' experience of teaching the International Baccalaureate at its campuses in the UK.

For media enquiries related to ACS Doha International School, please contact Ghada Korayem at Qanect on ghada.korayem@qanect.com or mobile +974 3335 6940.

© Press Release 2014