Cities / Doha / The Hamilton International School
The Hamilton International School
A purpose-built ISP school in Mesaimeer, open since August 2019, that has moved quickly into the conversation about Doha's premier campuses.
In brief
A purpose-built ISP school in Mesaimeer, open since August 2019, that has moved quickly into the conversation about Doha's premier campuses.
Hamilton is operated by International Schools Partnership, the same UK group behind Park House English School in Doha. It runs Pre-KG to Grade 12 with the International Early Years and International Primary Curriculum lower down, and a choice of IB Diploma or American Diploma at the top end. NEASC and QNSA accreditations are both in place. Terry Senior heads the school. Around 90 nationalities are represented.
The campus is the headline. An 850-seat theatre, two pools, FIFA-rated football pitch, full athletics track. Parents talk warmly about teachers and communication, and about a strong sports and arts programme. The few critical voices focus on behaviour management in upper secondary as the school grows into its older year groups, which is common for new-build schools still filling out.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-KG to KG1 | 3 | QAR 55,000 |
| KG2 | 5 | QAR 60,000 |
| Grades 1-4 | 6 | QAR 60,000 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | QAR 70,000 |
| Grades 6-8 | 11 | QAR 70,000 |
| Grades 9-12 | 13 | QAR 75,000 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | QAR 300 | |
| Re-enrollment fee | QAR 2,000 | |
| Registration fee | QAR 5,000 |
Reviews
A young ISP-run school in Mesaimeer that opened in 2019 and is still filling out its upper years; IB Diploma authorisation came through in 2024 and the first cohorts are working through it alongside the American high school pathway. Early-years and primary families tend to be the warmest, with consistent praise for teachers, the pool and the wider facilities. The secondary picture is choppier, with recurring complaints about how behaviour and parent communication are handled once children move up.
Positives
- Early years and primary teaching. Younger-year parents talk warmly about classroom teachers and visible academic progress, with vocabulary and writing gains called out specifically.
- Facilities and sport. Purpose-built campus with a full-size pool. Swimming is timetabled into the school day in rotating blocks, with paid after-school squads on top. Tennis, badminton and general sports provision come up as a draw.
- Staff conditions. On the teacher side, Hamilton is named among the better-paying Doha employers for housing and healthcare packages, and is not flagged for the leadership churn that dogs some larger groups in the city.
Considerations
- Secondary behaviour and pastoral. Families with older children describe weak follow-through on bullying and behaviour incidents, and at least one long-running case where repeated escalations did not produce a change.
- Parent communication in secondary. Communication is praised in the early years and described as patchy higher up the school, with parents of secondary pupils reporting they hear too little about what is going on day to day.
- Curriculum pathway still bedding in. IB Diploma was authorised in April 2024 alongside the existing American high school diploma route, and the school is still growing into its full Pre-KG to Grade 12 footprint. Senior results are too new to read.
Leadership
Terry Senior
Terry Senior is Founding Principal of The Hamilton International School in Doha. He holds a Bachelor of Education from Massey University and brings over 28 years of educational experience. He began his career teaching in a small New Zealand country school and progressed through several private schools before moving into leadership roles in 2005. He served as Founding Principal of a private school in New Zealand and then as Principal in Shanghai for four years before taking the helm at Hamilton International School, committed to igniting students' passion, purpose and potential.
Accreditations
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 01
- QATAR_MOEHE 02