2020 UAE I/GCSE Results Revealed

First came the cancellation of all public exams as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then followed a summer of controversy around the calculation and award of results for four major public examinations - International Baccalaureate, A Level (including International A Level), BTEC, and finally GCSE (including IGCSE).  

The use of a controversial algorithm resulted in mayhem, with students protesting and creating petitions demanding that a fairer method, based solely on teacher predictions, should be used to determine their grades. A last minute decision by the UK Government to do away with the algorithm, following the uproar over A Level results last Thursday, followed on Monday by an announcement that IB results that had been subject to appeal would also no longer include their algorithm, means that I/GCSE students can at least be assured that their teachers, who should know them best, have been responsible for these outcomes.

Results (in order of being received)

• Horizon International School
• Dubai British School Jumeirah Park
• Dubai British School Emirates Hills
• Aldar Academies
• GEMS Education
• GEMS Metropole
• GEMS Wellington International
• GEMS Jumeirah College
• GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail
• GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis
• GEMS Winchester School Jebel Ali
• GEMS FirstPoint, The Villas
• GEMS Founders School Dubai
• GEMS Our Own English High School Al Ain
• Wesgreen International School Sharjah
• Brighton College Al Ain
• Brighton College Abu Dhabi
• Safa Community School, Dubai
• Kent College Dubai
• Cranleigh Abu Dhabi
• Repton School Dubai
• Deira International School
• The English College
• JESS Arabian Ranches
• British School Al Khubeirat
• Kings' School Al Barsha
• Star International School
• Sunmarke School Dubai
• Dubai College
• Nord Anglia International School
• Belvedere British School
• British International School Abu Dhabi
• Table of Results, 2020
• Table of Results, 2019

Horizon International School

The first school in the UAE to notify WhichSchoolAdvisor.com of its students' results was Horizon International School (HIS), which announced 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. In total 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.

The school also highlighted its success in core subjects. In English Language, 93% of students attained a grade 9-6, in English Literature, 57% attained a grade 9-6, in Mathematics, 80% of students attained a grade 9-6. In Science, 100% of grades achieved were 4 or higher.  

Speaking to WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, Principal Darren Gale had this to say about the results and this "very special cohort of students":

“This has certainly been a year like no other. Following the furore around the current examination series, we first and foremost take a moment to acknowledge that this is the first time our 16-year olds have had their learning and outcomes judged so publicly; it's their first external milestone. We acknowledge how hard our students have applied themselves, together with the guidance and dedication of our staff. Both as a cohort and as individuals, there is much to celebrate and this should give our students the motivation and confidence boost they need for the next stages in their learning journey".

Dubai British School Jumeirah Park

Dubai British School Jumeirah Park is celebrating GCSE results for the first time. Some 32 students sat a total of 275 examinations across 25 different subjects.  In total, 37% of entries were awarded a Grade 9 (A*-A grade), 58% achieved Grades 9-7, 82% were awarded Grades 9-6 (A*-B) and 98% of entries achieved Grades 9-4 (A*-C).  The highest achieving student was Youssef Saad who achieved a remarkable 9 Grade 9 passes.

Commenting on the first cohort of GCSE student from DBS JP, Executive Principal Brendon Fulton said “We couldn’t be happier with our first ever set of GCSE results. They have certainly set the bar high for the years to come. Despite all of the confusion and angst over the allocation of grades, we are very confident that our students have received the grades that they deserve and that they have worked so hard for over the last 2-years.”

DBS Emirates Hills

At sister school Dubai British School Emirates Hills, celebrations are taking place with another hugely successful set of GSCE results. A total of 69 students took 668 examinations.  Some 41% of results were at A* - A (9-8) grades, with 83% of all grades being inclusive of A* - B (9-6) and a 100% pass rate overall. The school says it now "looks forward to welcoming the students onto the comprehensive range of both A-Level and BTEC courses offered in late August".

Simon Jodrell, Principal at DBS Emirates Hills said "we are delighted to celebrate the hard work, effort and achievement of our GCSE Class 2020, and we are incredibly proud of each and every student. The unprecedented and uncertain circumstances faced in the past weeks have demonstrated their strength of resolve, character and resilience. We look forward to further success as the students continue their educational journey onto Year 12 at DBS EH."

Aldar Academies

Aldar Academies, whose Al Ain Academy, Al Bateen Academy, Al Mamoura Academy and Al Yasmina Academy, enter students for I/GCSE announced that over 95 per cent of GCSE grades awarded were between 9 - 4, marking a new record for the education provider, with a 7% overall improvement in results compared with a year ago.  Over 56 per cent of exam entries achieved grades above 7, with 21 per cent achieving a level 9, over five times the 2019 national average.  95.4 per cent of entries achieved a grade 4, known as a “standard pass” or higher, overall.

At Al Bateen Academy, 20% of exam entries were graded the top Grade 9 (A**), 57% of entries were graded 9-7 (A**-A), and 93% of grades were at 9-4 (A**-C). 

Sahar Cooper, CEO of Aldar Academies, commented,“I am elated with the results across our schools; they have shown what can be achieved through hard work and resilience. This has been an unprecedented academic year and thanks to the future-focused education we apply at Aldar Academies, as well as the consistent dedication shown by our students and staff, supported by our amazing families, we have once again enjoyed record results.“

GEMS Education

GEMS Education provided a round up of a number of its UK curriculum schools, though did not provide full details for all school or of all results.

Students from 21 GEMS Education schools celebrated GCSE results on Thursday, with 2,700 students taking over 19,600 IGCSE/GCSEs.

Across the GEMS network, more than 500 students achieved the highest grade 9. Of all grades across GEMS schools, 49 per cent attained grade 9 - 7 (A* - A) and 76 per cent were grade 9 - 5 (A* - B).

GEMS Wellington International School

GEMS Wellington International School achieved 26 per cent of entries at grade 9, and 94 per cent at 9 - 5. 69% of all results (of 16,11 exam entries in total) were graded at 9-7 (A*-A), highlighting a 20% increase since 2017. Additionally, 53% of all grades were 9-8 or A*/A, with 84% of all grades awarded at 9-6 or A*-B. Over a quarter of all grades awarded (26%) were a grade 9, the highest grade possible.

68% of students achieved 5 or more 9-7 (A*-A) grades, a further 54% achieved 5 or more 9-8 (A*) grades and 24% of students (40 students) achieved 5 or more Grade 9 passes.

Maryssa O’Connor, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, GEMS Wellington International School said “In the most challenging of years, I am so proud of the WIS community; who have supported our students to achieve this outstanding set of results. Once again, we have outperformed previous year’s GCSE results, firmly placing GEMS Wellington International School as one of the top performing schools here in the UAE, and indeed, in comparison to British Curriculum schools globally for both progress and attainment, as 53 per cent of our results are at grade 8 or 9. Our pledge is now to ensure that these wonderful students continue to IB success here at GEMS Wellington International School.”

GEMS Jumeirah College

Top performing GEMS Jumeirah College provided full details of its results,  with 158 students entered for 1,448 exams. A significant 21% of entries were graded at 9 (A**), 47.5% of grades were graded at 9-8 (A*),  73.3% at 9-7 (A*-A), 90.6 at 9-6 (A*-B), and 99.9 at 9-4 (A*-C). 99.9% of students achieved 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths.

Commenting on the results achieved by Jumeirah College students, Vice Principal, Mr Robert Kesterton said ‘This year, students are less likely to have missed their required grades, because the lottery of exam performance has been removed.

Reliance on Centre Assessment Grades will have provided a more positive situation for the majority. Certainly the majority of our students will have made entry requirements for their first choice A Levels, and those who haven’t will be supported in making the most appropriate alternative choices.

Our students were all placed in their first choice A Level options, for those subjects they were anticipated to meet entry requirements for. They will now have the opportunity to change their courses via the Vice Principal for curriculum. This guidance will be sent out alongside results.'

GEMS Wellington Academy, Al Khail

GEMS Wellington Academy, Al Khail achieved 48 per cent of grades at 9-7 with 13% of their students achieving a grade 9.  70% of entries were awarded Grade 9-6, whilst 97% of entries were awarded Grade 9-4. More than half of students (53%) achieved 5 or more Grade 7 or higher.  On average, students achieved two grades higher than their CATIV predicted scores - a value add of +2.0. 

GEMS Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis

GEMS Wellington Academy, Silicon Oasis scored 55 per cent of grades at 9 - 7 (A*-A) and 89 per cent of grades at 9 – 5 (A*-B). 45% of students achieved 5 or more GCSEs at Grades 9-7 (A*-A) and 93% of them achieved 5 or more GCSE at grades 9-4 (including English and Mathematics). Other highlights included 00% of all entries for Triple Science were graded 7 or above, 100% of Dance grades were graded 7 or above, 90% of all students met or exceeded their personal targets in English, Maths or Science, 51% of all results within English and Mathematics were at grades 9-7, 100% of students achieved a 6 (B) or above in World Literature and Music. 

Principal Kevin Loft commented “We would like to congratulate all of our GCSE students and their families on their record-breaking achievements in the 2020 GCSE Examinations. We expected the hard work and talent of this group of young people to be recognised by improved results on previous years, but they have achieved something truly phenomenal. We’re so proud of the results from this year’s Year 11 students. They’ve worked incredibly hard under very difficult circumstances, and these results celebrate their dedication, talent and adaptability. We know that this group of young people have a bright future ahead of them, and they have demonstrated that they have the skills and attitude to really excel in such a changeable world."

“In addition to congratulating the students for their achievement we would like to thank the parents and families of our students for their support, and the teachers of Year 11 for their continued hard work in pushing the students to work hard and achieve under such unpredictable circumstances.”

GEMS Winchester School Jebel Ali

Results at GEMS Winchester School, Jebel Ali showed that 72 per cent of grades were awarded at 9 – 5.

GEMS Winchester School Dubai did not issue a breakdown of results.

However, commenting on students' achievements, Principal Matthew Lecuyer said, “What an amazing day for all of our GCSE students. Our Winchester family is immensely proud of the achievements gained from our Year 11 students. The results speak for themselves.

They have given so much effort to their studies; set challenging targets and engaged with their learning that culminated in this celebration of results. Through the entire journey, they have shown true rigour in character, with kindness and humility always present.

My team and I are beyond proud of what they and the school have achieved. Well done to the students, but also thank you to the parents and teachers for guiding them on their way to success.”

GEMS FirstPoint School - The Villa

At GEMS FirstPoint School – The Villa, results showed 80 per cent of grades at 9 – 5.

Matthew Tompkins Principal/CEO, said, ‘World class!’ These are the only words we can use to describe the incredible results achieved by the students of GEMS FirstPoint School today.

Our GCSE results set new records for the school and further enhance its reputation for high-quality provision and academic excellence.

More than a third of all grades were the equivalent of an A grade or A*, and two thirds of students achieved the equivalent of grade B and above across all subjects.

We are incredibly proud of all of our students and we are looking forward to continuing to work with them in our Sixth Form next year. 

GEMS Founders School

GEMS Founders School, Dubai announced that 44 per cent of students achieved a grade 9 and 77 per cent of entries at 9 - 5.

Matthew Burfield, Vice President, Education & Principal and Chief Executive Officer, GEMS Founders School, Dubai, in a statement said: “GEMS Founders School, Dubai, celebrated its first full set of IGCSE/GCSE results this year and we are so pleased to announce an outstanding set of results.

“We are so proud of our students and even more so because our top 10 achievers all were founding students when we opened in 2016. These children took a risk to come to GFS in 2016 with no prior results and have proven that it w

as indeed the right choice, for us and them.

Well done to all of our students, their teachers and their families.”

GEMS Metropole

GEMS Metropole released very limited information, but informed parents that 34% of exam entries were graded 9-7 (A*-A), 53% of entries were awarded Grade 9-6 (A*-B), and 88% of entries were grade 9-4 (A*-C).  No details of student numbers were provided.

GEMS Our Own English High School, Al Ain

GEMS Our Own English High School, Al Ain achieved 56 per cent of grades at 9 – 7.

The last GEMS school to report its results was GEMS Cambridge International School, Abu Dhabi where 46 per cent of grades attained were at 9 – 7.

Jodh Singh Dhesi, Deputy Chief Education Officer, GEMS Education, said: “I congratulate all of our students for their outstanding results at IGCSE and GCSE. We are proud of the performance of all our GCSE students in what has been a challenging year. These results reflect not only the hard work and determination of our students but, also showcases the support of their parents and the dedication of our teachers. We wish all our young people every continued success in their future endeavours.”

Wesgreen International School Sharjah

Another member of the GEMS group, though not carrying the brand as yet, Wesgreen also published its IGCSE results in part on Social Media. Although no details of student numbers or exam entries were included, the school revealed that 31% of entries had been graded A*, 54% were graded A*-A, 91% achieved A*-C grades and 48% of students achieved 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths.

Brighton College, Al Ain

Following Brighton College Al Ain's strong 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%. A total of 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.

Brighton College Al Ain students who achieved outstanding GCSE grades include Sara Kidher (British) who achieved 8 Grade 9’s, and 1 Grade 7; Isaac White (Australian) with 7 Grade 9’s, and 1 Grade 8; Laila Dawelbeit (British) who scored 7 Grade 9’s,  and 2 Grade 8’s; Jana Abdel Aty (British) with 6 Grade 9’s, 1 Grade 8, and 2 Grade 7’s; Shaikha Aisha AlDhaheri (Emirati) who achieved 2 Grade 9’s, 4 Grade 8’s, 1 Grade 7, and 1 Grade 5, and Fadel Alshamsi (Emirati) with 3 Grade 9’s, 2 Grade 8’s , 1 Grade 7, and 3 Grade 6’s.

Headmaster of Brighton College Al Ain, Dr Ken Greig said: “This has been an extremely difficult year for our exam groups, but I’m pleased that the awarding bodies have finally placed their trust in Centre Assessed Grades. The hard work done by pupils and their teachers has resulted in yet another superb set of results which give our pupils an excellent basis for success at A Level, and beyond at University.

"I am particularly pleased for our Emirati pupils, who overall achieved 96% at grades 9-4 and 64% 9-7 which is a record for us. We are proud to have some of the highest achieving Emirati pupils in the country at the College and I look forward to watching their continued progress. It’s an exciting time for young Emiratis, who are growing up in one of the most dynamic and innovative countries in the world. With a Brighton education they have the best possible start.’

Brighton College Abu Dhabi

Brighton College Abu Dhabi is also celebrating its best ever GCSE results. According to the College, this year’s group has shown immense resilience over the last few months and laid some very strong foundations for the future.

In total, 30% of exam entries achieved Grade 9, 52% Grade 9 - 8 (A*), 77% Grade 9 - 7 (A*-A), 93% Grade 9-6 (A* - B), and 100% Grade 9 - 4 (A*-C).

Success was achieved across the full, and varied range of subjects taken at GCSE, including Maths, where 40% achieved grade 9, and in Further Pure Mathematics, where all students achieved Grade 9. In the Sciences and Mathematics departments, more than 50% attained a grade 9 or 8. In addition, this year 80% of pupils studying Mandarin achieved Grade 9 and 100% achieved Grade 9 – 8. 

High achieving pupils celebrating top level grades this year include Gyubo Kong (Korean) 11 Grade 9s; Harriet McCreanor (Australian)10 Grade 9s, Ella Menane (British) 10 Grade 9s; Gyeongeun Noh (Korean) 10 Grade 9s, and 1 Grade 6; Ashna Chaturvedi (Indian) 9 Grade 9s, and 1 Grade 8, Gustavs Cerps (Swedish) 9 Grade 9s, and 1 Grade 8, and Amala Ayyar (Australian) with 9 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 8.

Simon Corns, Head Master of Brighton College Abu Dhabi commented, “I am delighted to announce another outstanding year of GCSE results, which accurately reflect the abilities of this able and hard-working group.

"The results tell us so much more about these young people this year than their academic achievement: they have shown exemplary character in adversity and have proved their resilience at every point over the last few gruelling months. It is a mark of the Brighton education that the emphasis on curiosity, confidence and kindness and the extensive opportunities we offer beyond the classroom prepare young people so well for whatever life might throw at them. As always, they have risen to the challenge and their thoroughly deserved success is a source of great pride for all of us.

"I offer them, their parents and my extremely talented and hard-working colleagues my warmest congratulations and thanks.”

Safa Community School

Safa Community School students outperformed all expectations for its second ever GCSE cohort, which recorded exceptional results with its fully inclusive intake. Nearly half (47%) of all the grades achieved in all subjects were graded at level 9-7 (A*/A) whilst nearly a third of all grades 29%) were at  9-8. Of the 29 GCSE examination courses taken, 27 of these achieved a 100% 9-4 pass rate (UK equivalent pass rate).

The results of the top set students were equally strong as they achieved the following grades in their core subjects: 100% grades 9-7 (A*-A) in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and  97% grades 9-7 (A*-A) in English. In optional subjects, results included 100% 9-7(A*-A) in Drama and in Music, 100% 9-6 (A*- B) in English Literature, Art and Design, Geography and in Spanish, French, German and Mandarin, 84% 9-6 (A*- B) in English Language, 77% 9-6 (A*- B) in Mathematics and 100% Merit in BTEC Sport.

The school's continued expansion of subjects at GCSE and at A-Level has been supported by an equally impressive jump in outcomes in their second-ever set of GCSE results.

Stephen Duckitt, Principal, showed his delight as he commented: ‘’I am thrilled all our students and staff, and the support that they received during these difficult times from their parents and carers, has ensured that our fully inclusive cohort has achieved such exceptionally impressive results. I am also delighted that Safa Community Schools second-ever GCSE results reflect how we raise the bar each year, and the statistics shout out that we will enable all of our students to outperform. At Safa no student is less important than the other; we are truly a school for everyone. These results epitomise that so clearly.’’

Kent College Dubai

Kent College Dubai is celebrating what it describes as 'exceptional' GCSE examination results. 98 per cent of all GCSE examinations entries resulted in grades 9-4 (A*-C).  Additionally 47% of all examinations were graded 9-7 (A*-A), an increase of 7% over last year.

Timothy Hollis, Head of Senior School at KCD comments, “These results demonstrate the efforts and commitment of our pupils and teachers. Pupils in this year group have endured an anxious time but, as KCD pupils they have always been encouraged to step outside their comfort zone and meet any challenges head on, they have thrived and performed at their very best. Our outstanding teachers have once again superbly supported our pupils enabling them to achieve top results”

Among the top performing students were Rebecca Fayad, who achieved 9 x Grade 9 results and 1 Grade 8 (in Further Mathematics).

Principal, Anthony Cashin echoed his congratulations “Our pupils' GCSE results this year are truly very special given the current circumstances. I have to acknowledge our keen and dedicated teachers for their hard work in supporting our pupils, and our pupils themselves who have shown real grit and determination throughout the year.”

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi is also celebrating exceptional GCSE success with 34% of results obtained at grade 9, 57% of grades receiving a grade 9-8 (A*) 79% receiving a grade 7 or above and 99% of results being at grade 4 or above in a cohort of 64.

Principal of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, Michael Wilson, is delighted. He commented: “This is an excellent outcome for this year group, we are very proud. When we sat down after the mock exams prior to the COVID-19 lockdown we predicted grades for this cohort that are similar to what they have achieved. After so much uncertainty, this is very reassuring for a group of students who have grown enormously from their experiences. We are excited that many of them will continue their journey at Cranleigh. They have built quite considerably on the results of the 2019 cohort.”

Repton School Dubai

At Repton School Dubai there was also considerable celebration as the cohort of 105 students, who were entered for over 1,000 exams, were awarded 39% of exam entries graded A*/9-8, 58% of exam entries graded A*-A /9-7, 89% of exam entries graded A*-B /9-6, 97% of exam entries graded A*-C /9-4 with 97.1% of students achieving 5 A*-C/ 9-4 including English and Maths. The overall student pass rate A*-C was 100%. The highest achieving student obtained 11 Grade 9 passes.

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 delighted that they can now reap the rewards of their conscientiousness and hard work. Top universities around the world look to this qualification as an important benchmark of performance when considering applications and by securing these impressive grades, we are confident that our students will succeed in the next phase of their academic career."

Deira International School

Al Futtaim Education's Deira International School also had plenty to be pleased with. The 114 students in I/GCSE level cohort together were entered for a total of 970 GCSE exams. 27% of exam entries were graded A*/9-8, 54% of exam entries achieved grades at A*-A /9-7, 80% of exam entries were graded A*-B /9-6, and 95% of exam entries achieved grades A*-C /9-4. 95% of students also achieved 5 A*-C/ 9-4 including English and Maths.

Director Simon O'Connor commented 'We are so pleased with these results which mark another year of improvement for the school. The last year has been incredibly challenging for all students and to perform as they have is a mark of their hard work and resilience. I think we are all pleased that the chaos of recent days in the examination systems has been resolved to enable our students’ achievements to receive the credit they deserve. It is also crucial to thank the staff at DIS who have worked so hard in such challenging circumstances over recent months. These results go to show what can be achieved and we are all very proud.’

The English College

The next school to reveal their results to WhichSchoolAdvisor.com was The English College. The 89 students in this year's I/GCSE level cohort were together entered for 655 exams. 26% of results were graded A*/9-8, 46% were graded A*-A /9-7, 70% of exam entries achieved grades A*-B /9-6, 97% of exam entries were graded A*-C /9-4. 97% of all students achieved 5 grades from A*-C including English and Maths and 97% was the overall pass rate. The highest achieving student was awarded 9 subjects at Grade 9.

Speaking on behalf of the College, Dr. Fahd Kahloui commented, "The English College would like to celebrate another successful year of GCSE results. We have seen an overall increase in the majority of subjects which is a testament of all the hard work and efforts our students have put in over the past two years.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our parents for their support and the acknowledge the hard work of our teachers. We wish all our students the very best and look forward to teaching them again in September for their A level courses.

Well done EC!"

JESS Arabian Ranches

In a statement from Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS), at Arabian Ranches, WhichSchoolAdvisor.com was advised "As a school community, today we are able to celebrate with our (I)GCSE students as they open the envelope and receive grades that recognise their ability."

With a cohort of 117 students who were entered for a grand total of 1,135 GCSE qualifications, these students attained outstanding results, with 100% of grades across all subjects being 9-4 (A*-C equivalent). Within these results, 54% of results are graded 9-8 (A*) and 79% are graded 9-7 (A*-A). These results indicate a great deal of individual success with 9 students achieving 9 grades of 9/8 (A*) and 17 students achieving 10 or more grades of 9/8 (A*). Three JESS students attained 11 grades of 9, the highest possible grade.

Mr Mike Waller, Head of Secondary explained, “As a school community, we are so proud of all that has been attained by these GCSE students. It is important to also recognize the commitment shown by our entire school staff throughout this period. Their hard work and dedication ensured that all students were given the opportunity to progress and excel in their learning under conditions we could never imagine. The willingness of our staff and students to go the extra mile under any circumstance is one factor that certainly makes the JESS a very special school.“

British School Al Khubeirat

Announcing its results on Social Media, The British School of Al Khubeirat, informed us that its cohort of 121 students, received results for 1118 exam entries. 26% of entries were at Grade 9, 48% achieved Grades 9-8 (A*), 69% were awarded at Grades 9-7 (A*-A) and 94% at Grades 9-5.

Kings' School Al Barsha

Michael Bloy, Head of Secondary, at Kings’ School Al Barsha announced headline figures for GCSE of 43% at Grades 9-8 (A*), 67% at grades 9-7 (A*-A), 80% at grades 9-6 (A*-B) and 97% at grades 9-4 (A*-C).

Commenting on the results, Mr. Bloy said, “Fresh of the back of the A-level successes last week, Kings’ Al School Al Barsha continued its impressive upwards trend at GCSE with another year of improved results.

"While social distancing has meant this year’s results day has been a much more subdued affair for the whole community, I am so proud of our students today. So many of them have achieved great things and have received the grades they deserve for their hard work and dedication over the past two years. As a non-selective school, I am so thrilled all of our students received the grades they required for their next steps.

"We are all looking forward to welcoming our children back into the Sixth Form in just over a week’s time. All of their teachers cannot wait to see them and congratulate them in person.”

Star International Al Twar

The next school to release its results was Star International School in Al Twar. Although no student numbers or exam entries were provided, Kyle Knott. Head of Secondary commented on this year's results where SIS students secured 100% of entries at Grades 9-4, 93% of entries achieved Grades 9-5, 82%  were graded at Grades 9-6, and 63% of all entries were graded 9-7.

“Well done to all our students and teachers on their tremendous efforts!” 

Sunmarke School

With a cohort of 92 students who were entered for a total of 911 exams, Sunmarke School Dubai has shared its excellent results. 27% of exam entries were graded 9-8/A*, 49% of exam entries achieved grades 9-7/A*-A, 76% of exam entries were graded 9-6/A*-B, and 96% of exam entries achieved grades of 9-4/A*-C. In addition, 92% of students achieving 5 9-4/A*-C grades including English and Maths.

Dr Neil Hopkin, Executive Principal, Sunmarke School Dubai, said, “We are particularly delighted to see such outstanding results from Sunmarke students this year. Despite the difficulties of the exam period, our teachers’ judgements were entirely approved, showing that the route to the best education is founded on the strength and depth of a school’s teachers, a feature for which we are renowned."

Dubai College

Dubai College, usually among the top performing schools in the UAE due to its selective intake, issued limited - but highly impressive - results. With a usual cohort of around 250 students who are entered for approximately 1,200 examinations, DC's results are usually well ahead of other UAE schools, and this year appears to be no different.

An impressive 57.5% of all results were graded 9 (the equivalent of A**), 82% achieved Grades  9-8 (A*), 94% of all grades were issued at Grades 9-7 (A*-A) and 98% achieved Grades 9-6 (A*-B). 

Next year's students will certainly be challenged trying to achieve a similar set of results.

Dubai English Speaking College

And Dubai English Speaking College (DESC) has also announced a bumper crop of results. The headline figures of its GCSE cohort of 212 students with 1957 entries showed that the results awarded included 12.77% at Grade 9, 27,8% at Grades 9-8, 49.2% of grades at 9-7 (A*-A), 9-6 grades (A*-B) were allocated to 72.5% of entries, whilst results of entries achieving grades of 9-5 (A*-high C) were 90.1%. The overall pass rate for entries across grades 9-4 (A*-C) was 98.2%. The results equate to a value-added grade based on students' benchmark tests of + 1.28. At GCSE, 7 students received 8 or more grade 9 results and 23 students received 8 or more grade 8-9 results.

Speaking on the behalf of the school's management, DESC said, "We are delighted for all students who have received their results at A level, BTEC and GCSE following the turmoil of the last week and the issues surrounding the grading of results for this year's cohort of students. Now that the students have their grades we are working closely with them to ensure they are able to be supported in their choices moving forward, whether that be on to university or on to sixth form. We would like to acknowledge the hard work and effort by all students, particularly during the challenging last six months of their education and to thank all staff who have supported the students since the start of these courses."

Nord Anglia International School

The latest school to provide its GCSE results on Exam Result Day was NAIS. With a cohort of 89 students and a total of 786 exam entries, 46% of exam entries were graded 9-8 (A*), 71% of exam entries were awarded grades 9-7 (A*-A), 89% of exam entries were graded  9-6 (A*-B), and 100% of exam entries were graded  9-4 (A*-C). 100% of students achieved 5 A*-C/ 9-4 including English and Maths.

Belvedere British School

Among the last schools to provide their GCSE results to us, and these were the Centre Assessed Grades, was Belvedere British School in Abu Dhabi. This year, there were 28 students entered for GCSEs (more than double last year's cohort) who in total were entered for 219 examinations.  Over a quarter (28%) of entries were graded A* (9-8), 37% A*-A (9-7), 53% A*-B (9-6) and 82% A*-C (9-4).  64% of students achieved 5 A*-C grades including Maths and English and the overall student pass rate was 75%.

Principal, Ciaran Cunningham-Watson welcomed the results, noting. "Under incredibly difficult circumstances, our students have performed amazingly well. We celebrate their results together as a school community and look forward to getting started on A levels in earnest. "

British International School Abu Dhabi (BISAD)

BISAD was also among the later providers of results. With a cohort of 80 students this year (up from 65 in 2019), who entered 725 exams in total, results were graded at 38% A* (9-8), 58% A*-A (9-7), 74% A*-B (9-6), and 95% A*-C (9-4). 80% of students achieved 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths.  The overall pass rate at A*-C was 96% (up significantly from 81.5% last year.  Four of  students scored ‘perfect’ 9’s / A*s - these were Safa Al-Dulaimi, Enora Le Moal, Sydney Rice and Hamda Alfalasi.

UAE 2020 I/GCSE Results Table

2019 Results for Comparison

Further details of results will be added to this article as they are received. If you would like your school's results to be added, please email them to us at [email protected].