2019 I/GCSEs - UAE students set new records

2019 sees big changes for students sitting GCSE and IGCSE exams.  Almost all results have been graded using the new grading structure of 9-1, introduced last year, instead of A*-G. These include Maths, English languages and sciences.  Not only has the grading format changed, but the way students achieve their results has changed too - resulting in less coursework, and a much stronger focus on written examinations.

In total, over 700,000 students in the UK and overseas will have sat the new tougher examinations. Over 5 million GCSE and IGCSE exams are awarded using the 9–1 grading scale worldwide, including in the UK, making it the most used and recognised grading scale for GCSE and IGCSE globally.

There has been some considerable controversy over the change to the GCSE framework. Some Head teachers have said that lower-attaining students have been demoralised, with 554 respondents to a survey by the Association of School and College Leaders in England saying that the new exams, which cover a wider syllabus, were harder.

According to the UK’s Department of Education, “the new GCSE’s have been reformed to cover more challenging content to ensure students are prepared for the world of work and further study”.

Examination Board Pearson Edexcel has also adopted the 9-1 grading scale to award International GCSE qualifications across the Middle East. Last year, only English and Mathematics International GCSEs were awarded using the new 9-1 grading scale. This year’s Pearson Edexcel International GCSE results have seen the scale being applied to all other subjects as well.

In a statement from Pearson, they commented that “By using this method of grading, it is ensured that the grading meets the same standards as Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) set in the UK for GCSE, so students can successfully progress to qualifications such as GCE A level, International A level and on to university”.

For students who have received their GCSE and IGCSE results this summer, they are the pathway to future studies post-16 and beyond. Many universities and colleges look at GCSE and IGCSE results as an indicator of previous academic achievement, together with predicted grades as A Level or IBDP.

For reference, the proportion of top grades  awarded as 7, 8 or 9 at private schools in the UK was 62.1 per cent, down from 62.6 per cent last year. Nationally, 20.8 per cent achieved these grades, up from 20.5 per cent last year.

In the UAE

Given the new, 'higher' standards the results of UAE students, detailed below, are all the more impressive. We will continue to add to this table as schools provide further data. These should be read, together with our commentary for each school, to ensure that the full picture is understood.

np = not provided; I = Inclusive Admissions Policy; S = Selective Admissions Policy.

WhichSchoolAdvisor.com has requested that schools provide common information so that parents can easily compare results in a fair and reasoned manner. Schools that are academically selective, and those with a relatively small cohort of students, should logically be expected to achieve a higher proportion of the higher grades. We have also requested that results should be presented in a common grade breakdown.

There are still many schools in the UAE who are less open with parents and students, by wrapping outcomes up in Group results, releasing only the favourable data or simply not releasing the data at all.

The first school to provide GCSE results to this year was Sharjah English School who reported that their GCSE cohort of 30 students had all successfully passed their exams. A significant 15% of results were a grade 9 (A* equivalent, compared to 2% of students receiving a grade 9 worldwide), 56% of results were at grades 9, 8, 7/A*- A, 92% of results were grades 9-5/A*- B and 98% were at grades 9-4 (A*- C).  The pass rate at GCSE was 100%.

Commenting on students’ achievements, Principal John Nolan said “Our students' hard work, resilience and determination have paid off handsomely. Students are now deservedly moving on to study A-levels at Sharjah English School in pursuit of their chosen pathways at top universities and colleges worldwide in two year’s time."

Individual students who performed especially well included Rachel Deyis – 9 grade 9s and 1 grade 8, Karthika Babu - 6 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s, 1 grade 7, Arjun Kumar - 2 grade 9s, 5 grade 8s, 1 grade 7, and Fatima Sajid – 2 grade 9’s, 5 grade 8s, 1 grade 7 and 1 grade 6.

Announcing another record-breaking year for its GCSE results, Dubai British School informed us that its 73 students sat a total of 710 examinations. Results included 29% at Grades 9-8/A*, 52% at Grades 9-7/A*-A, 85% at 9-5/A*-B, 95% at 9-4/A*-C and an overall pass rate of 99%.  In addition, 96% of English Literature results were graded 9-5 and 100% achieved 9-4.  Maths grades were 78% 9-5, and 88% 9-4, and Science results were 87% at 9-5 and 94% 9-4 (A-C). 88% of students achieved at least 5 9-4 (A*-C) passes including English and Maths. Two students, Hanna Chenneour and Emir Yilmaz, achieved 10 grade 9s passes – a remarkable result.

Simon Jodrell, Principal of DBS stated “Despite concerns by some global commentators about the new GCSE courses and how their increased difficulty would affect outcomes, we are pleased to announce that we have had our best year ever for these results. These outcomes are a testament to our staff, students and parent’s hard work, support and dedication, I sincerely congratulate them all.”

Alan Williamson, CEO of Taaleem commented “These results are tremendously encouraging as they are the best ever achieved at DBS and on a par with results from the world’s leading schools. It is also heartening to see such results achieved in a community school that has a non-selective and inclusive policy; the value-added factor is incredible. As the students at DBS now commence the next stage of their journey in education, they can rest assured that they have built solid foundations for their future career and life aspirations.”

At highly selective Dubai College,  the school also reported that its students have secured the highest ever GCSE results in the 41-year history of the school, with the 9-7 (A*-A) pass rate up 2% from last year to 89.8%. 247 students, including early entries from Year 10 for Maths and English, sat a total of 1,207 examinations. 76.6% were graded 9-8 (A*) compared with 67% a year ago, 97.8%  were graded 9-6 (A*-B), and 100% achieved 9-4 (A*-C). Every student achieved at least 5 grades at 9-4 including Maths and English. The overall pass rate was 100%.

Head of Middle, Kate Hill remarked that “The results for the new top grade 9 have been truly outstanding. In the UK only around 3.5% of students achieve a grade 9 in their core subjects, whereas an impressive 50.6% of all results were grade 9 at Dubai College. Remarkably, 18 students in Year 11 achieved a complete set of grade 9s (up from 12 last year) and an additional 31 students achieved a complete set of 9/8 grades; the number of grades 9 and 8 has increased by almost 10 percentage points compared to last year."

Dubai College's A*-A result would place it just outside of the top 20 schools in the UK - in 21st position. The United Kingdom's highest rated school, Westminster, achieved 98.61% A*-A grades, albeit with a cohort half the size of Dubai College. 

Commenting on the results, Head teacher Michael Lambert said “It is also important for everyone to remember that GCSEs are only means to an end rather than an end in themselves. More and more employers are crying out for students to come equipped to the world of work with four well developed Cs (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication) rather than a clutch of numbers.

For this reason, we have started to offer the Higher Project Qualification alongside GCSEs. The HPQ allows our middle school students to craft a mini dissertation on a philosophical topic designed to enhance their critical thinking and independent learning. A quarter of the year group opted to pursue the Higher Project Qualification this year, and whilst 94% of students did secure an A* or A, it is the experience of independently researching and compiling a written report on a topical issue where the real value lies.”

At GEMS Jumeirah College, one of the few GEMS schools to release detailed results, 153 students sat 1,457 examinations. 38% of results were graded 9-8 (A*), 64% achieved 9-7 (A*-A), 83% were graded 9-6 (A*-B) and 99% achieved 9-4 (A*-C). 151 (99%) students achieved a minimum 5 passes at 9-4 including English and Maths, with 100% of students having achieved passes across the range of subjects taken. 67 students (44%) achieved 8 or more 9-7 grades and 102 students (67%) achieved 5 or more 9-7 grades. One student, Fariya Umer achieved 9 Grade 9 passes, 1 A*, and 1 Grade 8.

Simon O’Connor, Jumeirah College Principal, commented “These results are incredible. At a time when the GCSE system is responding to the new, and much more difficult, specifications, our students have risen to the challenge and achieved sensational results. Whilst much of the focus reflects on the top grades, so many students have won massive individual battles overcoming huge obstacles to achieve what they have. I am so proud of them”.

Dubai English Speaking College also announced its results, informing WhichSchoolAdvisor.com that its largest ever cohort of 235 students, who are not selected academically, sat a total of 2, 176 exams. 24% of results were graded 9-8 (A*), 43.3% of results were graded 9-7/A*-A; 67,6% were graded 9-6/A*-B, 86.2% were grade 5/B or above and 95.5% of entries were graded A*-C/ 9-4.  94.9% of students gained 5 or more GCSE passes, including English Language and Maths. The highest achieving students gained 12 A*/9s.

Improvements of between 4 and 5.5% were made for grades rated 9-8 (A*), 9-7 (A*-A) and 9-6 (A*-B) compared with a year ago. On average students have made progress by more than one whole grade compared to what they were expected to achieve across all subjects, based cognitive assessment tests. The vast majority of DESC students will now take up a place in the Sixth Form at DESC to study A level or BTEC pathways.

Principal, Andrew Gibbs, said “Our Class of 2019, 235 students in total, have demonstrated that, across the academic range, students at DESC make significantly more progress than expected, resulting in a set of exam results that every student can be proud of.

These results represent a fabulous tribute to our talented teaching staff who strive to ensure the needs of all learners are met. Congratulations to all our students for their hard work and dedication in achieving this record success. We wish them all the best in the next phase of their education.''

At selective Nord Anglia International School in Dubai, 92 students sat a total of 857 examinations. A remarkable 41% of results were graded 9-8/A* including 24% at Grade 9, 66% were graded 9-7/A*-A, 85% at 9-6/A*-B and 98% 9-4/A*-C. 98% of students achieved a minimum of 5 GCSE passes including English and Maths.

Commenting on the results at Nord Anglia, Head of Secondary, Liam Cullinan said “I am delighted with the achievements of the students this year with 75% of our student performing above predicted grades. A key area to celebrate is our continuous improvement at the top end with 41% of grades at 9 or 8. I am very proud of the students and I would like to thank them as well as staff and parents for their continued support. This is a true reflection of the amazing place that NAS Dubai is and its dedication to everyone succeeding”.

Principal Matthew Farthing also commented “Following on from our distinguished IB results, our Year 11 students have shown what they can do at GCSE. With an overall pass rate of 98% and 66% gaining A* and A, with seven, eight and nine points, we are confident that this is a class to watch. Mixing talent and hard work in roughly equal parts throughout, this is very well done indeed”.

Kings School Al Barsha also reported excellent results, with 60% of exam entries graded 9-7/A*-A and with particularly notable performances in English with 93% at 9-6/A*-B, and 100% at 9-7/A*-A grades in history. Other GCSE results included strong results in English with an 85% at 9-7/A*- A grades and equally strong performance across all Science disciplines, with average results of 89% at 9-6/A*- B.  Just under 90% of students performed above expectations, demonstrating Kings’ ability to add significant value to a child’s starting point.  Kings did not release data about student numbers or examination entries.

Michael Bloy, Secondary Head Teacher, Kings’ School Al Barsha commented, “Following on from the success of our first A-Level cohort last week, we are delighted that our students have again performed beyond expectations. The translation of and improvement on previous successes with a much larger student cohort this past academic year is a testament to the excellent learning community our children and staff are building here at Kings'.”

Rebecca Gray, Principal and Director of Education for Kings’, said “Our holistic approach ensures that our children are very well prepared for exams and wider life. Our practices develop their self-belief and give them the confidence to push their own boundaries. This is why our children have yet again achieved incredible GCSE results. We absolutely hold true to our ethos of doing ‘The Best by Every Child’ and our commitment to ‘Results the Right Way’.”

At Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, Year 11 pupils and some Year 10 students, who took their exams a year early, have achieved a record set of GCSE and IGCSE results. A total of 75 students participated in 341 exams. 73 percent of all grades were 9 – 7/A*-A and 98 percent of students achieved GCSE grades 9 – 4 (equivalent to A*-C).  55% of all entries were graded 9-8/A* with 29% being graded at 9. 97% of students achieved 5 passes at grades 9-4/A*-C including Maths and English. The highest individual achievement was 10 GCSE passes at Grade 9.

Damien Ward, Academic Vice Principal, said “The academic team at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi is incredibly proud of the dedication and achievements of its GCSE cohort. This is our third group of GCSE pupils since Cranleigh Abu Dhabi opened its doors in September 2014 and the results are outstanding. These pupils could not be better set up to take on the challenge of A Levels and subsequently securing places at top universities around the world.”

Students at the British School in Al Khubeirat also achieved record results, following on from last week’s record-breaking A-Level results, concluding an outstanding 50th anniversary year with strong GCSE results. This year BSAK’s cohort of 116 students took part in 1,002 GCSE examinations. The number of students achieving top grades has increased for the third consecutive year. 19% of all of BSAK’s GCSE entries were graded at the highest possible grade 9, an increase from 18% in 2018, and nearly five times the UK average of 3.5%. Results graded at 9 or 8 (equivalent to the old A*) are also the highest ever for the school at 37%, which is 3% higher than last year’s recorded results. 56% of results were graded 9-7/A*-A, 86% were graded 9-6/A*-B and 95% at 9-4/A*-C. 67 students achieved 5 of more grades 9-7/A*-A and 95% of students achieved 5 or more 9-4/A*-C grades, including English and Maths.

As a fully inclusive and academically non -selective school, BSAK also provides information on the top 100 students to allow for a fairer and more accurate comparison with other academically selective schools. The top 100 students achieved 24% Grade 9 results, and 43% Grades 9-8. 4 BSAK students achieved at least 7 Grade 9 results (only 732 students in the world achieved this in 2018).

Particular successes included Solal Afoto who received 8 passes at Grade 9 and 2 at 8, Anika Mehra who received 6 results at Grade 9, Adele Loridon who received 7 passes at Grade 9 and 2 at Grade 8, Katherine Poon who received six Grade 9 passes, Farah Harfoush who received six Grade 9s and 3 Grade 8s, and Zeina Fouad who received three Grade 9s, one Grade 8 and a Grade 7.

Teresa Woulfe, Head of Secondary, commented: “It is impressive for a school to continue to better GCSE results year on year as BSAK has for three consecutive years. This is the combined outcome of sheer determination, hard work and resilience of our amazing students and incredible teachers. I am very proud of all of our students, our staff and would like to also acknowledge the support which we receive from the parents, families and the wider school community.”

Headmaster Mark Leppard MBE commented: ‘This is another set of outstanding results for our brilliant students, with more than a third of them achieving an 8 or 9. The UK National average is at 11%, which just shows how amazing these results are. I am incredibly proud of our students’ achievements as they continue to exceed all expectations.”

In Dubai, Sunmarke School has announced its examination results with 93 students having sat 879 exams. In core GCSE subjects (English, Mathematics and Sciences) over 80% of the grades were awarded at 9-5/A*- B of which, more than half were 9-7/ A*- A. Overall, 47% of all GCSEs were awarded 9-7/ A*- A, 80% were 9-5/A*- B and 90% of all grades were A*- C (9-4).  86% of students achieved 5 or more passes at grades 9-4/A*-C. The highest attaining subject, Business Studies, saw students attain 82% 9-8/A*- A in the popular course studied by over two thirds of students. Top performing students at GCSE included Polina Komar, Laura Bekink, Camilla Marzorati, Luiza Reis, Wen Lin Kwok and Andrej Vrtanoski who all gained 10 or more 9-8/A* grades.

Commenting on this year’s results, Jason King, Head of Secondary said, “We are delighted with the performance of all of our students, and wish our graduating students, many of whom are set to attend their first-choice university next year, all the best in the next step of their educational journey.”

Also in Dubai, Repton School revealed its results. Its 105 students together sat 1,023 exams. 31% of entries received the top grades of 9-8/A*, 51% were graded A*-A, and 82% were graded 9-5, an increase of 6% over last year.  92% of all entries achieved 9-4/A*-C, with the same percentage of students passing a minimum of 5 exams at 9-4 including Maths and English. Repton’s “topper” was Pavani Duggal who achieved 9 passes at Grade 9 and one at Grade 8.

David Cook, Headmaster at Repton School Dubai said “I would like to thank our superb teaching staff for their dedication and expertise, and also thank our parents, for their support and encouragement. We are truly proud of the exceptional IGCSE results that our Year 11 students have achieved and that they can reap the rewards of their conscientiousness and hard work of the past academic year. Top universities around the world look to this qualification as an extra benchmark of performance when considering applications and with the impressive grades, and we are confident that our students will succeed in the next phase of their academic career.”

At Horizon International School, where a small cohort of students sat their exams, (the number was not provided), according to the school, they attained the most impressive set of GCSE results in the school's history. 93% of students have met and exceeded the benchmark standard of 5 Grade 9-4s including English and Maths.

38% of students attained Grade 9-7 across 8 subjects, and almost a third of grades were at Grade 9-8. 45% of results were at Grade 7 and above, and 100% of students met the expected standard for English Language and Literature. The school expects to see a very healthy increase in Post 16 students at the school, with all GCSE students now able to follow their first choice Post 16 courses.

Principal Darren Gale commented “Whilst attainment is important, we are a school that strives to add value and therefore we are immensely proud of our students' 'progress' outcomes across all of their subjects. Across English, Maths and Science, we are delighted with the average valued added progress measure of at least 2 grades; significantly out performing their CAT4 targets”.

In Al Ain, Brighton College also shared their results. Their cohort of 39 students sat 325 exams. 40% of results were graded 9-8/A* (up from 34% last year), 60% of results were graded 9-7/A*-A (6% above those from 2018), 76% were graded 9-6/A*-B, and 94% achieved 9-4/A*-C. 97% of students achieved 5 passes at grades 9-4 including English and Maths.

Brighton College Al Ain students who achieved outstanding GCSE grades this year include Ruba El-Houni who achieved seven 9s, 1 A*, 1 A, Borbala Pal who achieved four 9s and 2 A*, Felix Payne who achieved five 9s, 3 8s, 2 As, Dania Al-Hashmi who achieved four 9s and 2 A*, and Melis Cevik who achieved six 9s, 1 8, 1 A, and 1 B.

Headmaster of Brighton College Al Ain, Dr Ken Greig, said: “This year’s results are the best ever achieved at Brighton College Al Ain for GCSEs. I’m delighted that once again our pupil’s hard work and dedication has confirmed that the College is amongst the very top tier of academic schools in the UAE. Many pupils achieved results beyond our predictions, showing how much hard work that they themselves and their teachers have put in, especially in the last few months before the exams. These results give them a really strong foundation for their A Level studies and beyond that, university. Congratulations to all our achievers!”

Staff at sister school, Brighton College Abu Dhabi, were equally impressed with the results achieved by the GCSE cohort this year. 78 students (so double the number of Al Ain) took a total of 741 exams. 47% of grades were at 9-8/A*, 72% at 9-7/A*-A, 89% at 9-6/A*-B and 99% at 9-4/A*-C. Results were broadly similar to 2018. 99% of all students achieved the minimum expectation of 5 GCSE passes at grades 9-4 including Maths and English.

High achieving students included Ismael Ibrahim Iranzo and Ines Shammah each with 9 Grade 9s, 1 A*, Matilde Fulfaro with 8 Grade 9s, 3 A*, Charlotte Stoll 8 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 8, 3 A*, Sirine Messaikeh with 6 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 8, 1 Grade 7, 1 A*, Cara Easton who achieved 6 Grade 9s, 2 Grade 8s, 1 Grade 7, 1 A* and Sindhuja Renganathan with 5 Grade 9s, 2 Grade 8s, 1 Grade 7,  and 1 A*.

Simon Corns, Head Master of Brighton College Abu Dhabi said, “Once again, I am absolutely delighted with our pupils’ outstanding GCSEs. Year on year they consistently produce spectacular results and we celebrate their success. I am particularly pleased to see that our Value-Added score shows that on average pupils have achieved +1.5, so a grade and a half above expectations (+1.4 last year); +1.72 in STEM subjects alone. The impact of fantastic teaching and learning is clear for all to see.”

The largest school operator in the UAE has again provided a round up for schools offering GCSEs within the group. Only Jumeirah College has shared full results. 2,800 students at GEMS schools around the UAE sat over 17,700 GSCE and IGCSE examinations.

357 students achieved the highest ‘9’ grade with 46 per cent of students achieving at least an 9/A* grade across all schools. Of all grades achieved across the GEMS schools, 20 per cent were at 9-8/A* and 67 per cent were 9-5/A*-B.

Highlights included: GEMS Wellington International School with 89% of grades a 9-5/A*-B, GEMS Wellington Academy Dubai Silicon Oasis with 84% of grades at 9-5/A*-B and 53 per cent of students achieving a grade 9, and GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail with 82% of grades at 9-5/A*-B.  Results at Wesgreen International School, Sharjah were 75% of grades at 9-5/A*-B, whilst at GEMS Metropole one in five students achieved a grade 9 and 64% of grades were at 9-4/A*-C, Students at The Westminster School Dubai achieved 60% of grades at 9-5/A*-B.

Similarly, Aldar Academies in Abu Dhabi provided a set of results across its schools. At Al Yasmina Academy, 88% of students were awarded 9-4/A*-C grades at five or more subjects including English and Maths. The academy recorded an impressive 46% of 9-7 grades among all exams sat by its IGCSE students, while 85 per cent of total entries earned 9-4 grades. The academy also recorded strong achievements in the core subjects of English and Maths with 99% and 96% achieving grades of 9-4 respectively as well as a 100 per cent pass rate overall. 85 per cent of Al Yasmina Academy’s UAE cohort achieved at least one top grade between 9 and 7.

Al Mamoura Academy celebrated the achievements of its first cohort of IGCSE exams with a total pass rate of 97%, with 75% of students achieving five 9-5/A*-B Grades. Among those completing their IGCSE studies, 33% of students achieved 9-7 grades (A*/A), while 52% of students achieved 9-6 grades (A*/B). Overall, the academy’s entire cohort of students performed strongly in the subjects of English, with the vast majority achieving a 9-5 grade,  in History where 100% of students achieved a 9-7 grade, and in Science with 100% of students achieving 9-6.

Several Year 10 students at Al Mamoura Academy were also entered for English early, with 100% students achieving a grade of 4 or higher. The top performing subjects were English, Science, History and Arabic. The highest achieving students were Pakistani Israa Saeed, who achieved seven 9-5 grades, including six 9-6 grades and three 9-7 grades, and Emirati Hassa Al-Nahyan, who achieved three 9-7 grades, four 9-6 and seven 9-5 grades.

At Al Ain Academy, 89% of students achieved five 9-4 grades, and 84% of students achieved five 9-4 grades including English and Maths. Top performing student was Aymen Abada who achieved six grade 9s, one grade 8, one grade 7 and one grade 6. Fellow student Evan Titus was the second highest scorer, achieving four grade 9s, three grade 8s, and two grade 7s. Student Alyssa San Pedro also achieved three grade 9s, one grade 8, three grade 7s and one grade 6.

Al Bateen Academy recorded its best-ever IGCSE exam results, with 90 per cent of its students achieving 9-5 grades in subjects including English and Maths. The results reveal a three-year upward trend, demonstrating a five per cent increase on last year’s pass rate. Al Bateen’s top three achieving pupils were Malaysian student Elisyazaviera Faizul, who achieved twelve 9-8 grades, Egyptian student Sara ElKasabi who achieved eleven 9-8 grades and Faris Khalili with ten 9-8 grades. The top Emirati student was Eisa AlQubaisi with seven 9-7 grades.

This year's top-performing student within Aldar Academies’ network was Georgian Nino Ephremidze, of Al Yasmina Academy, who was awarded an outstanding ten I/GCSEs at Grade 9 (A*).

Commenting on the success of students on 2019 IGCSE Results Day, Sahar Cooper, CEO at Aldar Academies, said: “On behalf of all the academic staff at Aldar Academies I would like to congratulate our students for their excellent individual and collective examination outcomes. Of course, these examination results reflect the combined efforts of our wonderful pupils, the dedication of their dedicated and skilled teachers and the significant support they have received from their families; a real team effort.

The English College Dubai also saw a positive trend across its results, but particularly in the core subjects. 95 students sat a total of 844 exams with a larger cohort of students than last year. 17% of exam entries were graded 9/A*, 27% were awarded 9-8/A*, 44% achieved 9-7/A*-A (compared with 36% a year ago), 78% were at 9-6/A*-B and 89% achieved 9-4/A*-C. The College’s students achieved at 100% pass rate. The highest grades achieved by an individual student were 7 at Grade 9 and 1 at Grade 8.

Speaking on behalf of the college, Dr. Fahd Kahlaoui, Vice Principal, said “The English College is celebrating another successful year, with some of the best GCSE results ever. In particular, we have seen a further increase in our top grades with 44% A*-A (9-7) across all subjects. Students at the college were extremely pleased with their results and almost all students have secured the results needed to pursue their preferred A Level’s”.

Dr. Kahlaoui added "although results are important, we are a fully inclusive school and we do not look at the results alone, but also at the progress of each child, from where they started and where they got to, and that we are very proud of all of our students...."

Students and staff at the International School of Creative Science Muwaileh (ISCS Muwaileh) in Sharjah were also pleased with their IGCSE results. ISCS Muwaileh entered 108 students from year 11 for the IGCSE examinations. Analysis of results showed an overall 78.08% achievement at 9-6/A*- B grades across all subjects including Arabic, English literature, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Psychology.

Mrs. Samar Murad, Principal of ISCS Muwaileh, said: “We congratulate our students and their parents on this great achievement in attaining outstanding results in their iGCSE examinations. This was only possible because of our students’ hard work and commitment, the support of their cooperative families and passionate teachers”.

On the back of an exceptional set of IB results, Jumeirah English Speaking School is celebrating the breaking of all records at GCSE level for the sixth year in a row.

Of the cohort of 118 students who sat their GCSEs this year at JESS Dubai, 41% achieved A*/9-8 grades; 71% 9-7/A*-A; 95% 9-5/A*-B and 99% 9-4/A*-C. As a truly mixed ability school, JESS also takes enormous pride in the 100% pass rate for 5 9-4/A*-C grades including English Language and Mathematics. With this achievement across the broader spectrum in a non-selective school, alongside celebrating the leading students who scored either ten Grade 9-8/A*s (four students) or nine 9-8/A*s (five students) these are a more than satisfying set of outcomes for the school. An additional 28 students achieved nine Grade 9-7/ A*/A grades.

Shane O’Brien, Director of JESS Dubai commented, "It is quite something. Our students keep breaking our school records year after year. The JESS culture of aspiration and nurture creates an environment where all of our students are achieving remarkable outcomes, adding value at every stage of their journey. We see our students positively responding to the care and support that our dedicated teachers give on a daily basis. We are so proud of these young people and rejoice in their successes. I know that all of this Year 11 have developed an approach to learning and life that will see them all become big players in continuing our record of stellar results through our IB and BTEC programmes in Years 12 and 13".

At Deira International School, an Al Futtaim Foundation school, 93 students entered 804 IGCSE exams. 20% of all entries were awarded A* compared with 12% in 2018. 45% of all entries achieved an A*-A grade (compared with 40% a year ago), and 73% were awarded A*-B compared with 69% in 2018. 89% of entries were graded A*-C. 83% of students achieved 5 A*-C grades, including Maths and English.

Mrs Ruth Burke, Director, commented that ‘the increase of 13% of students achieving the highest grades, including Naz Karadede – 9A* and 1A, Krishna Mashruwala – 9A* and 1AS and Nil Karadede – 8A* and 1A, has come about through a relentless focus on outstanding pastoral support and ambitious goal- setting.

‘As a highly inclusive school, we are particularly delighted and proud of the extra value added to each student; strong relationships and support systems will continue to be key focus areas; attainment outcomes at DIS will continue to rise in the years ahead’, according to Mrs Wendy Feherty, newly appointed Head of Secondary at DIS (recently relocated from Dulwich College Beijing).

Belvedere British School, which opened its doors in Abu Dhabi in 2012, publicly announced its first set of results this year - although this is not the first year of results for the school. Clearly the school is proud of its 2019 GCSE graduates - and rightly so: An impressive 41% of grades were 9-8/A*, 52% were 9-7/A*-A, 63% were 9-6/A*-B and 76% were 9-4/A*-C. Over three quarters of students (77%) achieved 5A*-C grades including English and Maths. The school's topper achieved an interstellar 5 grade 9s and 3 grade 8s. Belvedere did not disclose the number of students taking exams, although did disclose that all of its students were entered for the exams.

Results will continue to be added as we receive them.

Once again, we, at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, would like to congratulate staff and students on their achievements, and in particular, to commend those schools who have shared their full results with us.