ABQ Sohar International School

ABQ Sohar International School provides social and emotional learning through its dedicated Shamil Learning Support Programme, which addresses academic, social and emotional growth with individualised support delivered by trained professionals and integrated in classroom settings. The Discovering You Programme (DYP) is a two-part, mentorship-based initiative that develops 21st-century skills, including collaboration, communication and social skills, reinforcing well-being and personal development. The school highlights pastoral care as a core element of its offering, with a focus on life skills and wellbeing through DYP and structured student support. The House System in ABQ Sohar also contributes to SEL by creating a sense of belonging and fostering responsibility among students. This approach aligns with ABQ's emphasis on holistic, values-led education and student welfare.

Shamil – Learning Support Programme provides individualised academic, social and emotional support and uses a dedicated Learning Support Department in each school. However, ABQ explicitly states that none of its schools is a special education school, nor do they have resources to provide for students with severe learning disabilities. Support within Learning Support includes subject-focused interventions (e.g., English, Arabic and Mathematics) and study skills, delivered in a student-centred, inclusive framework. As a result, SEN provision is designed for mild-to-moderate needs and general inclusion rather than as a standalone specialist SEN service. The school emphasises inclusion and differentiated teaching rather than operating as a specialist SEN institution.

The school teaches English as a language of instruction and also offers Arabic, Urdu and French; explicit English as an Additional Language (EAL) provision is not described as a distinct programme. Learning Support includes academic support for English as part of its subject-specific interventions, but there is no published, separate EAL service. English is listed among the languages taught at ABQ Sohar, indicating English language use across the curriculum. No dedicated EAL department or programme is publicly described on the school pages.

Mental wellbeing is supported through the Shamil Learning Support Programme, which focuses on social and emotional growth and provides spaces designed to aid wellbeing (e.g., calming areas and environments that support self-organisation and sensory integration). The Discovering You Programme (DYP) also contributes to wellbeing by teaching life skills and supporting holistic development. Pastoral care is explicitly emphasised, with a focus on wellbeing as part of the school's caring ethos and its broader student support framework. The combination of targeted learning support, pastoral care and wellbeing-focused programmes underpins a holistic approach to students' mental health.

Parent Care Officers provide dedicated, ongoing communication and support for each ABQ family, strengthening safeguarding and pastoral welfare through direct updates and a shared We Care ethos. ABQ's international accreditation (CIS) affirms a commitment to student well-being and safeguarding standards, with CIS noting that safeguarding and student well-being are core evaluation criteria. COBIS accreditation, which ABQ has attained for its international schools, similarly signals high safeguarding and welfare expectations. In short, safeguarding is supported through structured family engagement, external accreditation, and inclusive student support, though formal, published safeguarding policies are not publicly described on the school pages.