UAE school pupils look to the future with strong GCSE results

The National

17 hours ago

Pupils across the UAE received their GCSE grades on Thursday morning, with many schools reporting record-breaking results.
Young people across the country anxiously logged into the results portal to receive their grades at 11am.
About a third of the UAE's roughly 600 private schools follow the British curriculum. This makes it one of the largest private school markets in the world, and a major outpost of British education.
At Jebel Ali School, one of the country's oldest, secondary head Eleanor Wade said 40 per cent of grades were awarded at levels 9 and 8, formerly A and A*.
She called it 'a truly outstanding accomplishment.' The school now looks ahead to the expansion of its Sixth Form, aiming to build on this year's success.
It saw 107 pupils sit 927 exams this year, up from 80 children and 681 exams in 2024. Most schools in the city have grown on the back of a population boom.
Brighton College Dubai said it celebrated its best-ever GCSE results. This year, 25 per cent of all results were Grade 9, while 45 per cent were at Grades 9–8.
Among the top achievers was Ibrahim Chatha, who earned 11 Grade 9s. He also scored A* in A-Level Further Mathematics. Rudayna Yassin secured 10 Grade 9s, alongside excelling as an international volleyball player and gifted musician.
Headmaster Simon Crane described the results as 'a wonderful tribute to the brilliance of our pupils and the dedication of their teachers".
Gems Education, the largest private school operator, announced its largest-ever GCSE cohort, with over 4,000 pupils sitting 28,227 exams across 23 schools.
There were 26 per cent of entries who achieved Grades 9–8 or A*, while 45 per cent secured Grades 9–7 (A*-A). It said this significantly outperformed the UK national average for the 12th consecutive year.
Group chief education officer Lisa Crausby credited the results to 'high expectations combined with genuine care and personalised support,'. Jumeirah College and Wellington International were among its top-performing schools.