UAE students get top GCSE results despite pandemic
- 20 Aug 2020
Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent
The UAE students celebrated outstanding results as they performed at a very high level and many of them excelled with the best ever GCSE grades in their schools, despite the unprecedented circumstances and the challenges of remote learning. This year’s group has shown immense resilience over the last few months and laid some very strong foundations for the future.
Students from 21 Gems Education schools celebrated yet another successful year of GCSE results, despite the challenges presented by the global pandemic. Gems schools returned a record 2,700 students who took over 19,600 IGCSE/GCSEs. Across the Gems network, more than 500 students achieved the highest grade 9. Of all grades across the group schools, 49 per cent attained grade 9-7 (A* - A) and 76 per cent were grade 9-5 (A* - B).
Wellington International School, Dubai, achieved an extraordinary 26 per cent of entries at grade 9, and 94 per cent at 9-5. Jumeirah College, Dubai, returned 21 per cent of entries at grade 9 and 98 per cent at 9-5.
Wellington Academy, Al Khail, Dubai, had 48 per cent of grades at 9 - 7 with nearly half of their students achieving a grade 9. Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis, Dubai, scored 57 per cent of grades at 9-7 and 92 per cent of grades at 9-5.
Winchester School, Jebel Ali, Dubai, reached 72 per cent of grades at 9-5 while First Point School - The Villa, Dubai, achieved 80 per cent at 9-5. Founders School, Dubai, performed superbly, with 44 per cent of students achieving a grade 9 and 80 per cent of entries at 9 - 5.
Our Own English High School, Al Ain, achieved 56 per cent of grades at 9-7 while Cambridge International School, Abu Dhabi, attained 46 per cent of grades at 9-7.
Horizon International School Dubai, part of Al Najah Education, celebrated its students’ successful GCSE results, announcing that 100% of students achieved at least five A*-C/9-4 grades with 100% of students attaining grade C/4 or above in English Language, English Literature and Science. 53% of students achieved at least five A*-B/9-6 grades and 40% of students achieved at least five A*-A/9-7 grades. This is significantly higher than the UK National Average.
Both progress and attainment are exceptional across all subjects, particularly in progress measures where 0.02% of students had MLG targets of grades 7-9, yet 40% of all grades were graded 7-9.
Repton School Dubai’s this year’s IGCSE results reflected another year of consistently outstanding performance surpassing last year’s performance.
Out of the total 105 students who took the examinations, 39% of exam entries were awarded the maximum A* (9-8), and 58% of entries who achieved A*-A/9-7 grades. Overall, 89% of the examinations taken were graded B/5 or above, exceeding the KHDA‘s ‘outstanding’ rating, academic benchmark of 75% at B/5 and above.
Aldar Academies’ more than 95 per cent of its students achieved GCSE grades between 9-4, marking a new record for the education provider, boasting overall results more than 7 per cent higher than last year. More than 56 per cent achieved grades above a 7, with over 21 per cent achieving a grade 9, over five times the 2019 national average.
Brighton College Abu Dhabi also celebrated its best ever GCSE results as 30% students got Grade 9, 52% got Grade 9-8 (A*), 77% achieved Grade 9-7 (A*-A), 93% secured Grade 9-6 (A*-B) and 100% of them got Grade 9-4 (A*-C).
Brighton College Al Ain students also celebrated another year of excellent GCSE results, with the school’s Emirati students excelling with their best ever GCSE grades. Following the school’s outstanding A Level results which were announced last week, the overall pass rate for GCSE exams this year for grades 9-4 was an impressive 98%. Consistently included in the UAE’s best performing schools, 42% of exams taken this year by Brighton College Al Ain students resulted in top grades 9-8, and 61% of exams taken resulted in grades 9-7.
