“Wharf” showcases its educational and rehabilitation achievements

Doha – Abdul Majeed Hamdi:

The Wharf Academy celebrated the end of the academic year 2025-2026, in a ceremony during which it reviewed its most prominent educational and rehabilitation achievements, and honored the partner agencies and institutions that contributed to supporting its progress during the year, stressing the continuation of its efforts in providing a specialized educational environment for students with complex and multiple educational needs.

A number of officials and representatives of supporting agencies attended, led by Mrs. Abeer Al Khalifa, President of Pre-University Education at Qatar Foundation, Sheikha Nouf Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, Vice President of Pre-University Education for Strategic Educational Initiatives and Partnerships at Qatar Foundation, and Mark David Hughes, Executive Director of Private Schools and Special Education Services at Qatar Foundation, along with academy partners, parents and students.

Mr. Matthew Campion, Director General of The Wharf Academy, confirmed that the Academy has succeeded since its opening in January 2025 in translating its vision aimed at providing a safe and nurturing environment for students with complex educational needs, noting that what has been achieved during the past period reflects the Academy’s commitment to enhancing students’ independence, developing their abilities, and improving their quality of life through specialized educational and rehabilitative programs.

He said that when the academy was opened for the first time in January 2025, we did so carrying a lofty message and a clear vision, as the word “Wharf” means lush, calm and prosperous shade, and our vision was to establish a safe and nurturing environment for our children with complex and multiple educational needs, a place where they find safety, dignity and the opportunity to grow and develop. He explained that today, as we look at what has been achieved during this period, I can say with pride that this vision has yielded wonderful and beautiful results.

He added that at Wharf Academy, we do not measure success by traditional standards, but rather by achievements that carry great meaning for us, such as the development of the student’s independence and self-reliance, the student’s response to a new sensory stimulus, and the first time the student is able to express his choice using assistive technology.

He stressed that the academy’s members demonstrated the true meaning of patience, determination, and facing challenges with an inspiring spirit that left a deep impact on the souls of everyone who worked with them. He praised the academy’s team of educational, therapeutic, medical, administrative, and support staff, who were more than just employees, but rather pioneers in the field of comprehensive and specialized education in the State of Qatar.

For his part, Nael Gamal, Deputy Director of the Academy, said that the Academy was the result of a strategic initiative and partnership between Qatar Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, which was launched as a national project stemming from the belief of both parties in the right of all students to obtain education. He explained that this right is represented in their presence in a school that provides them with educational and rehabilitative services similar to the rest of their colleagues, which is what the Wharf Academy provided.

He pointed out that the number of people joining the academy during this year, which is the second year of the academy, is 56 male and female students, and the vast majority of these students have never attended a school or even a specialized center, and most of the time their lives revolve between home and the hospital or clinic due to their various health needs, and their ages range between 3 and 17 years. He explained that the academy’s future plan is to receive students from 3 years old to 21 years old, with graduation from the academy when the student reaches 21 years old. Work is also being done according to a five-year plan to expand the academy and its services, with the aim of reaching a capacity of 150 male and female students by the 2028-2029 academic year.

He continued that The Wharf Academy is one of the first schools in the State of Qatar, and one of the first specialized educational institutions in the region, which provides educational and rehabilitative services to students with severe and multiple disabilities. This enhances Qatar’s leadership position in the field of providing specialized services to people with disabilities and ensuring their right to education, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

He explained that the students affiliated with the academy have not attended schools or educational centers before, and therefore the programs provided to them include educational, academic, rehabilitative, and therapeutic aspects at the same time. The services that are provided exceed in scope what is usually provided in many schools or specialized centers. In addition to speech and language services, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, we have a department fully specialized in assistive technology.

He said: Assistive technology plays a pivotal role in the lives of these students, as it contributes to improving their quality of life and their ability to communicate and interact with others, and even helps some of them in aspects related to nutrition and daily independence. The integration between assistive technology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy contributes significantly to the development of students’ seating and movement systems.

He confirmed that the majority of Wharf Academy students are wheelchair users, as about 80% of the students use wheelchairs, while the remaining 20% ​​represent students who are able to walk, but need different forms of support and assistance due to movement difficulties.

He said that the curriculum was built on the latest and best international practices in the field of education, therapeutic and rehabilitation services, and at the same time it was harmonized and linked to national standards and the curriculum of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in the State of Qatar, so that it combines the best international experiences and national requirements.

He explained that there are specific criteria and procedures for admission, but the transfer process to the academy comes from several parties, as hospitals are the main source of transfer, especially through Hamad General Hospital and Sidra Medicine Hospital. Parents also contact us directly to inquire about registration procedures after the academy has become more famous and widespread nationwide.

He said that when a student applies to join the academy, a comprehensive evaluation process begins by studying his medical and diagnostic reports, in order to determine the compatibility of his condition with the target group of the academy’s services.

For her part, Fatima Al Kuwari, Public Relations Officer at The Wharf Academy, said that the event was dedicated to celebrating partnerships and honoring the entities and institutions that supported the Academy and contributed to achieving its goals during the academic year.

She explained that today comes as a continuation of the Academy’s celebrations at the end of the academic year, where the students were recently honored and their achievements celebrated, while this ceremony was dedicated to honoring the partners who played a prominent role in supporting the students and enhancing their integration into society. Al Kuwari pointed out that the academy is entering its second year, stressing that the accumulated experience gained by the work team during the past period has contributed to developing the services provided to students and enhancing the quality of educational and rehabilitation programs.

She explained that honoring the partners comes in appreciation of their role in supporting the academy’s vision aimed at enhancing the integration of students into society, stressing that this file was one of the academy’s most prominent priorities during the current academic year.