GCSE Results Updating live…

04:30pm: And that’s a wrap. A very big “well done” to every single school and student – what an amazing year. Do not let anyone ever take from you what you have achieved this year against the most extraordinary odds. What you have achieved is an absolute… inspiration.

Table of results, A-Z

Table of results, Order by %Grade 9-8

Roll on 2022.

The best is always… yet to come.

04:22 pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Final GCSE Results in from the award-winning Dubai English Speaking College:

04:11 pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Results are in from the amazing GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis (WSO)

04:01 pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Video and image in from the outstanding GEMS FirstPoint School in Dubai. Thank you all at GEMS FPS for #Sharing and many congratulations to all your fabulous students. GEMS FirstPoint School we rank as one of the UAE’s Happiest Schools for students.

03:46 pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi results are in!

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi’s GCSE students performed exceptionally well given the numerous challenges faced this year. 37% achieved A* (9), 59% of the cohort achieved the grade 9 and 8, 75% achieved grades 7 – 9.

The cohort of 105 students at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi entering for the I/GCSE qualification achieved the following results:

Outstanding GCSE students at Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi this year include:

Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi has specifically asked us, however, to “congratulate the Year 11 group as a whole for determination and hard work.”

Michael Wilson, Principal, Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi, told SchoolsCompared.com:

“I am delighted with the GCSE and IGCSE results Cranleigh students have achieved. They can now focus on the next stage of their education. As a group, these young men and women will have developed skills that few before them will have learnt. They are resilient and adaptable and can now appreciate so much more in connection to their education and social dynamic that was previously perhaps taken for granted.

In congratulating the students, I would also like to thank their teachers for going the extra mile during a challenging year and for the integrity and thoroughness that they showed during the Teacher Award Grade process.”

 Damien Ward, Vice Principal, Academic, Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi, continued:

“Cranleigh Abu Dhabi are delighted with the efforts of all students completing external qualifications.

The difficulties of these past 18 months are well documented and this cohort of Year 11 students have done extremely well by any comparison.

Whilst the grades are strong they only tell a fraction of the story; while coping with the demands of multiple teaching models and timetable restrictions these students have drawn on an extensive catalogue of skills to maintain consistency and calmness to produce robust evidence to secure the grades needed to move onto the next phase of their education.

My appreciation also goes out to all the staff who contributed countless hours to support the evidence gathering process. Their dedication underpins the success we enjoy as a school.”

A delighted NanaYaw Amfo-Brobbey, Student, Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi, said:

“After receiving my results, I felt that it was all worth it.

I spent a lot of time and hard work to get where I am but I am really happy with the result.

I am thankful for the support from my family and teachers, you have all been helpful in your own ways.

It’s a team effort.”

Mona Faisal Merza Ahmed Al Hindi, a Student who achieved 2 Grade 9s, 4 Grade 8s, 3 Grade 7s at Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi, said:

“Before receiving my results I felt a mixture of anxiousness and excitement and after I received my results I felt a huge sense of pride as I was proud of how far I have come.

I was glad after 2 years of hard work my work was appreciated and paid off. 

My greatest memory during these past 2 years is definitely the sense of collaboration we built with each other as a year group.

If there was a problem I could not solve I knew that I could ask for help from my fellow peers with no judgement.

We were all in it together!

I am most thankful to my maths teacher Ms. McShane. She taught to never compare my results to anyone else because everyone has their different strengths.

I used to struggle with my confidence in many of my lessons, especially maths – but she helped me gain confidence… and now I am planning to take maths for A Level.”

03:30pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: GEMS Wellington International School (WIS) results are in – and they are terrific!

Outstanding students this year include:

Maryssa O’Connor, Principal/CEO, GEMS Wellington International School and Vice President – Education, GEMS Education: said:

“We are all incredibly proud of what our students and teachers have achieved this year.

The determination and resilience shown by our students, coupled with our world-class provision, have ensured our continued upward trend for a four-year period.

As an inclusive school community, we are especially proud of our record headline measures, with 70% of all grades awarded at 9-7 and 52% awarded at 9/8 or A*.

Remarkably, 36% of all grades were awarded the maximum grade 9 or A*, which is an incredible achievement. Integrity and rigour have been at the heart of our processes this year, and we’re confident that our students will transition to their post-16 studies with the very best possible preparation.” 

George Moussa, a student at GEMS Wellington International School said:

“I’m so happy with the results I got today. I took English Language and Literature, Maths, Biology, Physics and Chemistry as triple science, Information Communication Technology and Arabic, and for my 2 BTEC Diplomas, I took Business and Media. I’m really happy with my results and I would like to say a really big thank you to all my teachers who’ve supported me continuously over the past two years and helped me become the person I am today.”

George Moussa’s father, Samir, said:

“I am so happy and proud to be here today. George has proven to me that he is the person he wants to be, he set goals for himself and he was able to achieve them. Two years ago he came from a school in Egypt and was able to catch up in all the subjects and came ahead of his colleagues, achieving an outstanding result. I am really proud and happy, and thank you to GEMS Wellington International School and the staff for helping him achieve his goals.”

03:25pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Dino Varkey, Group CEO, GEMS Education, has shared his public congratulations to every single GCSE student at GEMS for their fantastic achievements this year:

“Congratulations to all our GCSE students, who have yet again performed spectacularly well and above all expectations given the context of their achievements.

Their excellent set of results will stand them in good stead as they move on to the next stage of their exciting education journeys filled with opportunity and promise.

These GCSE results now bring to a close what has been an exceptional school exam season that has seen pupils and schools from across different curricula meet the challenges of the pandemic head on – and then rise above them with distinction.”

03:20pm: Thursday 12th August 2021:  More fabulous achievements from GEMS Education, here from GEMS Al Barsha National School (GNS) 

Outstanding GCSE students this year include:

  Karim Murcia, Principal/CEO, GEMS Al Barsha National School, said:

“We are thrilled for all our GEMS Al Barsha National School students who have achieved excellent GCSE results today.

They have performed brilliantly, overcoming all the challenges they have faced this year to make outstanding progress and provide themselves with the perfect platform for their further studies at A-level and university. It has been an absolutely amazing effort!

We are incredibly proud of our learners and are extremely grateful to their teachers who have worked tirelessly to help them achieve these results, and their parents who have supported them every step of the way.” 

Hajara Sanda, a student at GEMS Al Barsha National School, told SchoolsCompared.com:

“I scored a range of grades from 7 to 9. My inspiration would be my science teacher, because she has been so resilient and really hard working this year. My friends and family have helped me to reach my potential.”

03:20pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: The GEMS Education Results are in! First an update from our earlier post on GEMS Metropole School – Motor City. 

 Outstanding students pictured include:

Nav Iqbal, Principal/CEO, GEMS Metropole School – Motor City said:

“I am pleased to announce and celebrate GEMS Metropole School’s GCSE results for the year 2020-21.

I am delighted for our students and their excellent achievement, but more importantly for their resilience, determination and ability to adapt during such testing times. Students have achieved a fantastic set of results, which is testament to their hard work and the great efforts of our teachers.

Our inclusive cohort of students have shown that 21% achieved grades 9-8, 76% achieved grades 9-5, and 89% gained 9-4 grades.

Impressively, 38 of our students achieved at least one grade 9! Our highest achieving students gained seven 9s and one 8. Stand-out subject performance includes Fine Art, Biology, Maths, and Music.

Our students are now on their way to pursue great things in their Post-16 studies, and we are excited to see how they continue to develop throughout the next stage of their educational journey.

There is a lot to celebrate in our Metropole community and we are proud of our continued success!”

02:56pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: We are delighted to share an absolutely lovely celebration of Ali Kalo, a student at Dubai English Speaking College [DESC] from a rightly very, very proud Mum, Lana Kalo:

“With extreme pride and pleasure, I would like to share with you the results of my son Ali Kalo who attends Dubai English Speaking College.

From the confinement of a hotel room in Antalya, Turkey, we received Ali’s super results.

He received NINE 9s, 8 in English Literature and 7 in English Language (although he is not a native speaker, Ali took English GCSE, not IGCSE).

Ali also received a 9 in GCSE Arabic in 2019 when he was only in Year 9.

Ali worked hard and relentlessly to secure his grades for the past two years.

In Year 10, Ali was attending JESS Jumeirah, and in the middle of term 1, he transferred to DESC.

With the help of his super teachers at DESC, he managed to catch up with his cohorts. Then in term 2, COVID-19 caused another interruption to his studies like all other students.

Ali used every minute of his days to revise and improve making him achieve the results he achieved today.

Ali is an Artist, an American Football player at the Emirates American Football League, a piano player and a wonderful son and brother. More can be found here.

I am a very proud mother today and thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our joy with you. “

02:45pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: English College Dubai results are in!

The cohort of 102 students at The English College, Dubai entering for the GCSE qualification achieved the following results:

Grade 9  = 22%

Grade 9-8 = 39%

Grade 9-7 = 58%

Grade 9-6 = 76%

Grade 9-4 = 95%

Grade 9-1 (Pass rate) = 100%

Stand out students include:

Name	Achievement	Quote	Picture
Mariam Yasser Elshaer	9x Grade 9
Christia Baghdadlian	8x Grade 9 1x Grade 8	I feel that I have been very fortunate to have had the teachers that I had  because of their constant encouragement, help and support. So thank you so much I could not have done it without you.
Tia Eid	7x Grade 9 2x Grade 8	Thank you to all my amazing teachers, I wouldn’t have done it without you.
Eden Diriba	6x Grade 9 3x Grade 8	Thank you to all my teachers and my parents
Diya Praveen	6x Grade 9 3x Grade 8	Don’t stress – it will all be fine; be happy.
Michael Wahib	6x Grade 9 3x Grade 8	Hard work
Mohammad Hamdaan Abbasi	6x Grade 9 3x Grade 8	I would like to thank my teachers, especially my Psychology and all those past teachers. I would like to thank myself for my hard work. To experience the rainbow you must first experience the rain.
Zeina Ahmed Elsertasy	3 x Grade 9 5 x Grade 8 1 x Grade 7
Tashreeq Samodien	4x Grade 9 4x Grade 8 1x Grade 7	I believe success is achieved by ordinary people with extraordinary determination
Mostafa Abdeltawab	6x Grade 9 2x Grade 8 1x Grade 7
Mey Malak Ait Hamlat	5x Grade 9 3x Grade 8 1x Grade 7	Thank you to all my teachers for sticking with me throughout to achieve these grades.
Karma Darwish	3x Gade 9 4x Grade 8 2x Grade 7
Emma Maria Kalnova	3x Grade 9 4x Grade 8 2x Grade 7	At the end of the day hard work pays off as well as perseverance.
Mohammad Hadi Kashif	3x Grade 9 5x Grade 8 1x Grade 7
Honey Boo Kirby	5x Grade 9 2x Grade 8 2x Grade 7	I owe it all to my teachers
Sarah Mariam George	1x Grade 9 2x Grade 8 6x Grade 7	Thank you for all the support to get me to where i am today
Jordan Evan Marriott	5x Grade 9 3x Grade 8 1x Grade 7	Never stress, keep a clear and level head
Rebecca Leigh Naisbitt	2x Grade 9 4x Grade 8 3x Grade 7
Hasan Javaid	5x Grade 9 3x Grade 8 1x Grade 7	Thank you to my teachers for everything and all the resources I have been provided with to achieve these results and thank you to my parents.

Mark Ford, Principal, The English College Dubai, told SchoolsCompared.com:

“We  are delighted with our GCSE results, with a record number of students achieving top grades and an overall pass rate of 100% .

These wonderful results reflect the hard work, and determination of our students and the exceptional support they received from their dedicated and committed teachers.

Despite all of the confusion and anxiety 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.”

Emily Hopkinson, Head of  Secondary, The English College Dubai, said:

“These truly exceptional results represent the hard work, perseverance and commitment of our outstanding year 11 cohort.

We could not be more proud of their individual and collective achievements and their successes are truly deserved.

The support from their parents has been unwavering and the challenge from their teachers has been invaluable. It’s important that we pause to congratulate them for all that they have achieved and celebrate what these results mean for all staff and students at EC – well done to everyone who is part of the EC family.”

02:21pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: A lovely message from Christopher Nourse, Principal of Aldar Academies’ Al Ain Academy for its extraordinary GCSE students this year…

Brighton College Al Ain are celebrating an overall pass rate for GCSE grades 9-4 of 99%

36% of exams taken this year by Brighton College Al Ain pupils resulted in a top grade 9, followed by 56% 9 to 8 grades and 78% 9 to 7 grades.

Very strong results were achieved in sciences and mathematics, with 2 out of every 3 pupils achieving the top grade (7-9) in Mathematics, and 9 out of every 10 pupils achieving top grades (7-9) across the three science subjects; Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Brighton College Al Ain pupils who achieved outstanding GCSE grades this year include the following:

• Myra Shahbazi (German) who achieved 9 Grade 9s
• Grace Clarke (British) who achieved 9 Grade 9s
• Ala’a Alazizi (Jordanian) who achieved 9 Grade 9s
• Abdelrahman Sadawey (Egyptian) who achieved 8 Grade 9s and two Grade 8s including Business Studies which he took in his spare time.

Head Master of Brighton College Al Ain, Dr Kenneth Greig, said:

“This has been another extremely difficult year for out pupils, but I’m pleased that the awarding bodies have placed their trust in Centre Assessed Grades. The hard work carried out by Brighton College Al Ain pupils and their teachers has resulted in yet another superb set of results which gives our pupils an excellent basis for success at A Level and beyond.

It is also important to celebrate the pupils who achieved brilliant GCSE grades which, at the start of the year, no-one would have predicted.

That added-value comes about through a combination of many things, not least a sense of belonging to a community of learners.”

01:52pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Jebel Ali School results in!

These are the first cohort of GCSE results at the school – a milestone in the much-loved school’s 44 year history.

01:40pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Deira International School has asked us to celebrate the achievements of Miss Roxanne Dubash, here pictured opening her results. Miss Dubash achieved 10 A* Grades. Well done Miss Dubash. More results from Deira International School can be found below.

01:26pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Kent College has asked us to congratulate the extraordinary achievement of Kent student Anaik Gill, pictured here receiving news of his 5 Grade 9s, 4x Grade 8s, 1x Grade 7. Well done Mr Gill! More on Kent College results below.

01:15pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Horizon International School results are in!

The British curriculum school announces a pass rate of 100% of 5A-C/9-4 grades including English and Maths, with 53% of the cohort achieving at least 5 A-A/9-7 grades.

Out of all entries, 60% of students achieved A-A/9-7 grades and 76% of students achieved A-B/9-6. Horizon International School has seen 99% of all entries awards A*-C/9-4.

• In English Language, 100% of students attained a grade 9-4. On average students achieved 7 grades higher than their target grades
• In Mathematics, 100%of students attained a grade 9-5. 63% of students achieved a 9-7 On average students achieved nearly 2 grades higher than their target grades
• In Science, 94% of grades achieved were 4 or higher with 67% achieving grade 5 or higher with 61% achieving 6-9 grades.
• 100% of students secured 9-6 grades in French and Psychology
• 100% of students achieved 9-5 grades in ICT, Art & Design, Drama, Geography and Business.
• 100% of students achieved 9-4 grades in PE and English Literature.

Darren Gale, Principal, Horizon International School, told SchoolsCompared.com:

“Following the furore around the examination series, we first and foremost take a moment to acknowledge how hard our students have applied themselves, together with the guidance and dedication of our staff.

It has been another challenging year and a key tenet for us at HIS was to ensure continuity, high quality, personalised learning.

Both as a cohort and as individuals, there is much to celebrate and this should give our students the motivation and confidence they need for the next stages in their learning journey with us at HIS”

Our students always make us proud and they will now access their first choice Post-16 courses. At Horizon International School, we take a personalised approach to teaching and learning, and will continue to do all we can to support them. We know them well; their strengths and their capabilities. Our students and their families have our full support as they begin the next phase in their educational journey.”

Donna Young, Progress Leader for Key Stage 4 & 5, Horizon International School, said:

“This is an exceptional set of results!

Students at HIS have shown great courage and determination in a year like no other.

External exams may not have taken place but students stepped up to the challenge by completing rigorous teacher assessments to build the evidence they needed to secure their grades.

They should be incredibly proud of themselves for never giving up and carving out the start of a very bright future.

01:10pm: Thursday 12th August 2021: Deira International School have landed on the SchoolsCompared.com GCSE Results Day 2021 Desk.

The cohort of 108 students at the not-for-profit Deira International School entering for the GCSE achieved the following results:

A*: 51%

A*A: 77%

A*B: 89%

A*C: 97%

The pass rate was 100%.

The school has asked us to celebrate the absolutely stand-out students following who all achieved 100% A*:

• Daniel Nasri
• Marcelle Shouly
• Meera Hallak
• Muhammad Nadeem
• Murtaza Asghar
• Nabil El Hage Ali
• Nayla Waly
• Pradyumna Saligram
• Roxanne Dubash
• Vaynika Gupta.

Simon O’Connor, Director of Deira International School, said:

“I am thrilled with these outstanding results.

This has been such a challenging year for everyone; for students, staff and parents.

Witnessing our GCSE cohort achieve this level of academic success is absolutely wonderful, with no less than 51% of results at Agrades and 77% achieved A/A.

So many students have won massive individual battles and overcome huge obstacles to achieve what they have today.

I am enormously proud of all our students for working so hard under such difficult circumstances to achieve these results.

I must also acknowledge and thank DIS staff who not only had to prepare the students, but also had the additional task of assessing the students’ portfolios for submission to the boards.

This was an enormous undertaking, and I could not be more grateful. The consequences of their efforts can be seen in today’s superb news.”

12:34 am:  Full results now in from Safa Community School in Dubai. 

Safa Community School has confirmed that this year’s GCSE results have broken all previous school records and benchmarks. The school is fully academically and SEND inclusive.

The 2021 SCS GCSE pass rate was 100% grades 9-4.

• 77% of all GCSE subjects achieved grades 9-6 at SCS.
• 1 out of 5 of Year 11 Cohort achieved ten or more GCSEs at grades 9-6
• In Mathematics, over a third of grades awarded were 9’s
• In English, 89% of grades were  9-6 and 58% of all grades 9-7
• In all Sciences (Chemistry, Physics and Biology), 100% of grades were 9-6.
• In Physics, 54% of all grades were 9’s
• In Arabic, nearly 50% all grades were 9’s, and 88% of grades were 9-6
• In Geography, 75% of all grades were 9-6
• In French, 100% of all grades were 9-6  and 75% of grades were 9’s
• In Psychology, 80% of all grades were 9-6 and nearly half of all grades were 9’s
• In Art, 91% of all grades were 9-6
• In Music, 100% of all grades were 9-7
• In Computer Science, 79% of all grades were 9-6 and 57% of all grades were 9-7
• In Drama, 100% of all grades were 9-6.

BTEC Business Level 2 students:

• Distinction:  25%
• Merit:  63%
• Pass: 100%

Year 9 early entry Mathematics GCSE: 100% 9-7

Year 10 Early Entry Mathematics GCSE: 100% 9’s

BTEC (Level 2)

The cohort of 45 students at Safa Community School entering for the GCSE Level qualification achieved the following results:

Leanne Fridd, Principal, Safa Community School, told SchoolsCompared.com:

“I am exceptionally proud to be sharing these excellent results within the school community.

A credit to both our teaching staff and leadership team, who have worked exceptionally hard to ensure our students were provided with the opportunities to succeed to their true potential despite facing so many challenges throughout the year.

There has been an endless amount of hours put into gathering evidence, leading pupil progress meetings as well as coordinating with our examination boards by our teaching staff.

A personal thank you for your professionalism and commitment towards these students.

To our SCS GCSE students, well done on these incredible results, I know what a challenging last 12 months it has been for you all, but your hard work and dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed, and these results are a reflection of that.

I would like to personally thank Michael Davies, our Head of Secondary who has continued to achieve outstanding results under his leadership. These results solidify the reasons for opening a brand-new extension – Safa Senior School, which we are excited to see the progress developing so quickly and look forward to seeing this open in September 2022.”

Mr. Michael Davies, Head of Secondary, Safa Community School, said:

“I am delighted that the exam boards have agreed with the teacher assessment grades provided by our amazingly skilful staff and leaders at SCS.

Staff worked tirelessly to ensure that our students were not disadvantaged and received grades commensurate with their ability.

Over the last three years, our value-added scores have been nearly two grades higher for individual students, and since 2019 (first set of GCSEs), many of our headline figures have doubled!

In 2021 nearly half of all grades received for this year’s cohort were 9/8s which is simply breathtaking. Once again, English, Mathematics, Arabic and the Sciences have been ranked ‘outstanding’ with many of our MAGT (More Able Gifted and Talented) students in younger year groups attaining top grades despite their age.

As the Head of School, my aim is for every student to leave the school with as many GCSE grades are possible. For the third year in a row, 100% of students have achieved five or more GCSEs, including English and Mathematics. This ensures their progression onto our A level and BTEC courses.

Finally, it would be amiss of me not to mention the exceptional record-breaking performance of our top scholars Eylul Sisman, Esha Amin and Hana Haridy, who between the three of them amassed 32 grade 9s!

Congratulations.”

Ms. Adrianne Deacon, Head of Key Stage 4 and Teacher of GCSE and A-level Biology, said:

“Once again, I am truly overwhelmed with the incredible GCSE and BTEC results obtained by our Key Stage 4 students here at SCS.

The hard work, dedication and determination of all our students and staff has not gone unnoticed and deserves to be celebrated.

I am also delighted that Safa Community School’s third-ever GCSE results reflect how the school demonstrates excellence and continues to raise the bar each year.

The support that the students have received during these unprecedented times from their parents and carers, has ensured that this cohort of students have achieved exceptional GCSE & BTEC results beyond our expectations.

This year has seen a significant increase in results from practical GCSE subjects taken at SCS such as Art with 91% of students achieving grades 9-6, Computer Science with 79% of students achieving grades 9-6, Drama with 100% of students achieving 9-6 and Music achieving 100% 9-7.

The uptake of BTEC’s have also increased at SCS, particularly BTEC Business Level 2 where students achieved 88% Merit and above and 25% of students achieved a Distinction.

Identification of students eligible for early entry GCSE in Mathematics and languages have increased drastically throughout the past couple of years. Results achieved were 100% grade 9-7 in Mathematics for selected students in Year 9, 100% grade 9 in Mathematics for selected students in Year 10 and 100% grade 9 for selected students in Mandarin, Spanish, Turkish and Russian.

Our value added as a school demonstrates that no student is left behind or more important than the other.

We are a school that celebrates everyone and the results clearly exemplify that.

I am honoured to have overseen the students’ GCSE and BTEC journey as Head of Key Stage 4, and I wish them every success for their A-Level and BTEC choices at Key Stage 5”.

12:27 am:  Kent College Dubai results are in…

The cohort of 37 students at Kent College Dubai School entering for the GCSE qualification achieved the following results:

Stand out students include: 

• Femke Soens – 5x Grade 9, 5x Grade 8
• Anaik Gill –  5x Grade 9, 4x Grade 8, 1x Grade 7
• David Vellinga – 4x Grade 9, 5x Grade 8, 1x Grade 7
• Sofia Syed – 5x Grade 9, 1x Grade 8, 3x Grade 7

Anthony Cashin, Principal, Kent College Dubai, said:

“The recent GCSE results are truly indicative of the quality of teaching and learning and learning standards provided here at Kent College.

Our pupils have performed admirably and our teachers have once again provided tremendous support to ensure our pupils are given every opportunity to succeed.”

Timothy Hollis, Head of Senior School, Kent College Dubai said:

“Over the last two years all of our teachers and students have worked incredibly hard to fully complete their GCSE courses.

The results achieved by our students are based upon rigorous assessment and examinations on all GCSE content and shows how well everyone has maintained such high learning standards throughout these challenging times.

The results are certainly testament to the hard work and determination of our Year 11 pupils and teachers.

During these pandemic years I have been amazed by the continued effort and commitment of our whole community as they have given their very best, learning valuable lessons right up until the end of the term.

Our Year 11 students have optimised the opportunities in front of them, and shown their character and commitment to learning that has served them well, and will continue to do so long into the future.

With 30 out of the 37 students staying on at KCD for either A-levels, IB Diploma or BTEC qualifications, they have certainly given themselves every chance of continued success, and established some wonderful learning habits as they embark upon their next educational chapter. They, along with another 30 joining students, will form our largest Year 12 cohort to date and we are excited to see them enjoy the forthcoming challenges over the next two years.

However, today is all about celebrating their achievements and I would like to say well done and congratulations to them all.”

`

12:20 am: Hartland International School Dubai results are in!

This is a very special year for Hartland as it sees the first cohort of GCSE students at the school.

There were 29 students in the cohort and a total of 237 grades were awarded.

35% of all grades were the highest at Grade 9 (A*) with 65% of all grades at 9–7 (A*/A) and 83% of all grades at 9-6 (A*/B). We are delighted that 100% of grades were awarded at 9-4 meaning a 100% pass rate.

Stand out achievements include:

• Joe Hulme with 10 grade 9’s [pictured celebrating his results with his Mother and sister]
• Peter White with 9 grade 9’s and 1 grade 7
• Melina Garaud and Jana Khalifa with 9 grade 9’s
• Nandini Nambiar with 8 grade 9’s and 2 grade 8’s

Fiona Cottam, Principal, Hartland International School in Dubai, told us:

“I am incredibly proud of the achievements of our students in what has been an immensely challenging 18 months for them all.

Hand on heart, I am confident that we took rigorous measures to ensure that there was no question of grade inflation – and these end results are genuinely deserved.

They are a true reflection of the academic achievements of these students, but they also tell us a story of their determination and their focus in turbulent times, life skills that will stand them in good stead for whatever the future may throw at them.

This is our first cohort of GCSE students and I am so grateful to my staff for their professional diligence and commitment in what were unusual and somewhat difficult times for them also.

We are now excited for the next stage of the Hartland story as we open our new Sixth Form this September with this amazing group of young people and staff.”

12:08 am: Thursday 12th August 2021: The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi has released this year’s GCSE results:

The award-winning school offers the largest selection of A Level and BTEC Diploma options in Abu Dhabi.

Of 122 students and 1217 entries, percentages received were as follows:

25% – 9

43% – 9-8

66% – 9-7

92% – 9-5

13 students received 9 or more Grade 9s and 28 students received 9 or more Grades of 9 or 8.

The following 13 students were awarded 9 or more Grade 9s:

• Amruh Tawil (achieved 11 grade 9s)
• Aryaman Rakhecha
• Dimitra Karachaliou (10 9’s 1,8 1,7)
• Vinuth Dasnula Ratnayake (10 9s and 1, 8)
• Alhassan Mehdi
• Libby O’Sullivan
• Elsie Constantinou
• Zoha Khan
• Aleksandra Kostanecka
• Nicole Mensah
• Saswata Mohanta
• Sharadhi Somayaji

The school explains:

“Following the cancellation of exams by the UK government, for the second year running, Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) were awarded. These TAGs are a reflection of consistent work during the 2 year GCSE course; evidence was submitted to the various exam boards to ensure the accuracy of these results.

We are delighted that our students have been rewarded with grades that reflect their ability, hard work and determination in what has been for them a significantly unsettling and challenging period of their education.

GCSE results at BSAK have continued to improve over the last three years and this year is no different, this is a reflection of high quality teaching as well as hard work and resilience on behalf of the students.”

Mark Leppard MBE, Headmaster, The British School Al Khubairat, told SchoolsCompared.com:

‘I am extremely proud of the results that have been achieved by our Year 11 students.

Despite the continued disruption over the last 18 months our wonderful students have persevered and adapted to different forms of learning which has been facilitated by our talented teaching staff.

I am delighted that students have been awarded for their work over the 2 year course.

We must not forget just how focused our students have been through this unprecedented time and I am excited as they move onto the next stage of their academic journey.”

Teresa Woulfe, Head of Secondary, The British School Al Khubairat said:

‘Despite the cancellation of GCSE exams again this year, our Year 11 students have demonstrated their resilience by adapting continually to what was being asked of them.

I am incredibly proud of what they have achieved and they thoroughly deserve their success and more.

Thanks must be given to teaching staff for their hard work and adaptability throughout the GCSE course.

Parents and families also deserve much praise and thanks for how they supported their child and the school through the many periods of change.

12:05 am: Thursday 12th August 2021: results in from Dubai College for Year 11 IGCSE/GCSE results in 2021:

100% of students achieved grades 5-9 with 63.44% of grades awarded at grade 9 and 83.98% awarded at grades 8 or 9. These figures represent slight increases on those achieved by the 2020 cohort.

A full set of grade 9s was achieved by 27 students (up from 22 last year) with an additional 36 Year 11s achieving a full set of grades 8 and 9.

With examinations cancelled for the second year due to the pandemic, Year 11 students were assessed via mock examinations, further assessments and coursework. Dubai College ran both mock examinations and further assessments fully in-person to ensure rigour in their results.

The cohort of 123 Year 11 students at Dubai College, entering for the IGCSE/GCSE qualification achieved the following results:

% 9 – 63.44%

% 9-8 – 83.98%

% 9-7 – 95.66%

% 9-5 – 100.00%

Year 10 students sat their English Language IGCSE one year early, with 138 students (96.50%) gaining a grade 9 or 8.

Dubai College stated:

“However, for some students even these data points were disrupted by the need to self-isolate, a constant backdrop to school life.

All our students deserve congratulation not just for the amazing results that they have achieved, but for the way that they have conducted themselves in this extraordinarily stressful year.

Every member of Year 11 can move forward to the next phase of their education with confidence, safe in the knowledge that the grades they have achieved are a true reflection of their abilities.

We wish those leaving Dubai College this year every success in their future Sixth Form studies and look forward to welcoming back our returning students in a few weeks’ time.”

12:00 am: Thursday 12th August 2021: results in from Repton School Abu Dhabi:

Repton Abu Dhabi’s first GCSE cohort has seen 100% of students in Year 11 awarded 5 or more GCSE grades 9-4’s (A-C) including English and Mathematics. 44% of Repton Abu Dhabi’s exam entries attained the grade 9-8 (A), with 64% attaining the grade 9-7’s (A*-A)

44% of Repton Abu Dhabi’s first GCSE cohort were awarded the maximum grade 9/8’s (A) and 64% of entries achieved the grade 9-7’s (A-A).

David Cook, Chief Education Officer of the Repton Family of Schools in the UAE and Headmaster at Repton Dubai said:

“Academic Excellence is part of the Repton DNA and our students have consistently showcased phenomenal performances in the IGCSE examinations. This year’s results hold special value as we had two cohorts within the Repton community challenging themselves. I would like to thank all the teachers, parents and students from Repton Abu Dhabi and Repton Dubai for their hard work and dedication in attaining the distinguished merits. A special congratulations to Repton Abu Dhabi and its students on the exemplary performance they have achieved in their first GCSE examinations.

The Repton Family of Schools in the UAE consists of dedicated and passionate teaching staff who have the expertise to enhance students’ academic and personal development, which begins from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to Senior School, preparing students for their future endeavours.

In recognition of their outstanding achievement, Repton Abu Dhabi has also offered its Year 11 top-performers academic scholarships at the Sixth Form for the next academic year. Marina Perez Martin and Omar Abu Drya have received academic scholarships for their remarkable performances, with Marina attaining grade 9/8’s (A*) and one grade 7(A) in all subjects and Omar securing grade 9/8’s (A*) in all subjects.”

Gillian Hammond, Principal of Repton School Abu Dhabi said:

“It is truly an outstanding feat by our students, who have coped exceptionally well and triumphed despite the underlying pressures of the pandemic.

I am immensely proud of their achievements and would like to thank our impeccable teaching staff who went the extra mile to ensure our students were able to exceed expectations and attain these remarkable results.

Thank you to all our parents, whose unwavering support has played an integral part in this outstanding accomplishment.

My heartfelt congratulations go out to the students within the Repton community on this stellar achievement.”

Outstanding student achievement at Repton School Abu Dhabi includes:

• Omar Abu Drya achieved 9/8’s, (A*) grades in all subjects (English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Geography and Arabic). His outstanding performance has attained him an academic scholarship at the Sixth Form for the 2021 – 2022 academic year at Repton Abu Dhabi
• Marina Perez Martin’s top-performance has secured her an academic scholarship at the Sixth Form for 2021 – 2022 academic year at Repton Abu Dhabi for accomplishing grade 9/8’s (A*) and one grade 7 (A) across all subjects (English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish and Geography)
• Liyan Al Ramahi attained grade 9/8’s (A*) across all subjects (English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Art and Arabic)
• Sami Youssef attained eight grade 9/8’s (A*) and one grade 7 (A) across all subjects (English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Geography and Arabic)

12:00 am: Thursday 12th August 2021: results in from Repton School Dubai:

Repton School Dubai has reported 39% of exam entries achieving the 9-8 grade (A) and 58% securing the 9-7 grade (A-A)

The average achieved grade by students is grade 7 (this equivalent to an A grade). 39% of Repton School Dubai students were awarded grades 9-8 (A) with 58% entries achieving 9-7(A-A).

David Cook, Chief Education Officer of the Repton Family of Schools in the UAE and Headmaster at Repton Dubai said:

“Academic Excellence is part of the Repton DNA and our students have consistently showcased phenomenal performances in the IGCSE examinations.

This year’s results hold special value as we had two cohorts within the Repton community challenging themselves.

I would like to thank all the teachers, parents and students from Repton Abu Dhabi and Repton Dubai for their hard work and dedication in attaining the distinguished merits. A special congratulations to Repton Abu Dhabi and its students on the exemplary performance they have achieved in their first GCSE examinations.”

The Repton Family of Schools in the UAE consists of dedicated and passionate teaching staff who have the expertise to enhance students’ academic and personal development, which begins from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to Senior School, preparing students for their future endeavours.

Every year, the Repton Family of Schools in the UAE offer the ‘Repton Headstart’ programme to further support the Year 11 cohort following their GCSE final examinations. The month-long programme was designed to prepare students for their academic road ahead, bridging the gap between IGCSE, IB or A-Levels and university life.  It offers a range of courses, including ‘Finance for Teens’, ‘First Aid’, ‘EPQ Preparation’, ‘Study and Metacognition Skills’, ‘University and Career Guidance’ and introductory A-Level or IB sessions.

As an inclusive school, we are delighted that all students of determination achieved 5 or more IGCSE’s at grade 9-4 (A* – C) that included English and Mathematics. This is testament to the outstanding level of support and education for all here at Repton Dubai.”

Outstanding student achievements include:

• Pierre Touma attained grade 9’s (A*) in all subjects. This outstanding performance has secured a place on the IBDP course for Year 12
• Jana El Zahhar attained grade 9’s (A*) in all subjects. This top performance has ensured Jana will continue into Year 12 studying the IBDP  
• Zeren Demerkilic attained grade 9’s (A*) in all subjects. This fantastic achievement means that Zeren will continue her studies on the IBDP course

11:30 am: Thursday 12th August 2021: Dubai British School Emirates Hills results are in:

11:10 am: Thursday 12th August 2021: Dubai British School Jumeirah Park results are in:

The cohort of 44 students at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park entering for the GCSE qualification achieved the following results:

11:10 am: Thursday 12th August 2021: GEMS Metropole School – Motor City (MTS) are in next…

11:00 am: Thursday 12th August 2021: First results are in from GEMS FirstPoint School in Dubai.  

The cohort of 96 students at FirstPoint School entering GCSE, iGCSE and BTEC qualifications across 790 exam entries achieved the following results:

The pass rate was 98%

For BTEC:

The cohort of 3 students at FirstPoint School entering for Level 3 BTEC qualification achieved the following results:

The pass rate for a strong pass is 98% (100% of students achieved a pass)

• 58% of students received an A*grade in at least one GCSE.
• 93% of students achieved a B grade or above in their results.
• 100% of subjects received A or A* grades in their results
• 9 students achieved straight A*s or As in their results.

Top performing students include:

Matt Tompkins, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, GEMS FirstPoint School Dubai said:

“All at FirstPoint School are so proud of the exceptional results our Year 11 students have achieved this year.  For the third year in a row, the school has broken all records.  With over 58% of students achieving an A*, the FirstPoint Family are elated by these results and the progress each and every child has attained.

Congratulations to the class of 2021, we are looking forward to working with you again next year, as you start your Sixth Form study at FirstPoint School.”

Dr. Daniel Doyle. Head of School, GEMS FirstPoint School Dubai said: 

“Across our wide range of qualifications and exams, FPS students have excelled and we could not be prouder of them.

This goes to show how crucial it is to provide students with the personalised pathways they need to achieve greatness.

I hope each and every student opening their results today recognises the greatness in their achievements and the potential in their future.

FPS students will begin their A Levels, BTECs and internships with an incredible foundation, and they can look forward to the new academic year and enter it with confidence.

We are also very proud of our outstanding teaching team here at FPS and are very grateful for the hard work they have put in to support our students and create an inclusive environment where all students can thrive, excel and fulfil their full potential.”

Thant Myint, Year 11, GEMS FirstPoint School Dubai said:

“My GCSE years were full of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was quite a lot of pressure to evidence our grades across all the subjects. My teachers deserve a lot of credit for their support and guidance in helping me not only understand the subjects thoroughly but also to obtain secure evidence. For my A levels, I will be taking Art, Product Design, Maths and Computer Science as I am considering a future career in architecture/design.”

Amy Downes, Year 11, GEMS FirstPoint School Dubai said:

“Completing the majority of my GCSE course during the pandemic has been tumultuous but this experience has prepared me for the challenges I will face in the future. Next year I’m excited for the more focused and detailed learning associated with A-Levels, especially within the sciences as they cultivate my mind and fuel my passion for eventually studying medicine as a career.”

10:53 am: Thursday 12th August 2021: We are not quite literally, but close, to swimming in results, so please bear with us as we seek to publish them as soon as possible after 11:00am this morning. What we can say already as we review them, is that UAE students (and schools) should feel so proud of their achievements. 

10:34am: Thursday 12th August 2021: UK Schools Minister Nick Gibb is now responding to questions on the BBC: Key points:

• “Grade awarded are valid this year and backed up by significant evidence.” [emphasis added]
• “Exams will definitely go ahead next year.”
• “We have not yet announced the grading standard for 2022.”
• “Year on year we did not see significant changes in the grades awarded before the pandemic.”
• “Young people are achieving top grades this year across the board regardless of the schools they attend. “
• The pandemic has amplified inequalities.
• “100 million hours of one-to-one tuition will be provided for students in the UK to help them catch up over the next three years through six million courses.”
• Ventilation and air purification in schools is important to keep schools safe.
• Schools can enter an appeal to Exam Boards in cases where it is believed errors have been made in GCSE results.”

[We take responsibility for inaccuracies as this is being transcribed at speed.]

10:01am: Thursday 12th August 2021: UK Schools Minister Nick Gibb is handling interviews today on GCSE Results Day. Points being made on Sky TV:

• “Gavin Williams is a very effective Education Secretary.”
• The message to students who do not get the grades to go on to study for A Levels, or T Levels, is that “examinations can be sat again in the Autumn and that there is an Appeals Process for students who do not believe they achieved the right grade.” Worth noting that the UK government is pushing T Levels – BTECs seem to be (deliberately?) being referenced less. We wrote about this yesterday in our live reporting on A’ Levels.
• “Today we should be paying tribute to young people who have achieved so much in very trying and difficult circumstances over the last 18 months. We should be paying tribute to all young people not just the culmination of two years of their GCSE courses, but 11 years of education. So congratulations to everyone who is receiving their grades today to enable them to go on to the next phase of their education whether T Levels or A Levels.”
• “Thank you to the teachers who have done a magnificent job in administering the Teacher-assessed Grades system with all the advice that they have had from Exam Boards and the evidence they have compiled in awarding the grades they have today.”
• “This is an exceptional year designed to ensure that despite the pandemic, and despite the fact that we had to cancel exams because it would not have been fair for children to sit exams when they have had such different experiences of Covid….so the Teacher-assessed system is the best way to ensure that they can go on to the next phase of their education.”
• “We expect all young people to be taking exams in 2022 – but we will be making adjustments to those exams to reflect the fact that this cohort will also have had their education disrupted disrupted by Covid.
• The education regulator OFQUAL will shortly be making a statement on the grading standard that will be used for the 2022 exams. We will be looking back to how we get back to the previous system in which we had no grade inflation each year. Fairness will lie at the heart of any decision.
• Independent schools in the UK are by and large academically selective. [It is arguable that this is true in practice- but is interesting in the context in the context of the UAE’s majoritively inclusive private school system].

[We take responsibility for inaccuracies as this is being transcribed at speed.]

10:01am: Thursday 12th August 2021: The UK’s Daily Mail is focused on the mooted move to a new Grade 10 award at GCSE and worth reading on that basis. It is predicting that more than a third of students will achieve above a Grade 7. Worth remembering that the Daily Mail has an agenda and is focused on rousing debate. The spiteful comments are typically awful.

More from the Daily Mail on the mooted new Grade 10 qualification can be found here.

10:00am: Thursday 12th August 2021: The one hour countdown to the first results from schools begins now. We expect the first sets of results to be published at 11:00am. Thank you to the many schools that have sent us their results under embargo. A reminder that we welcome results, photographs and comments throughout the day, and these can be sent to [email protected].

9:56am: Thursday 12th August 2021: Worth pulling out this quote from OFQUAL explaining the purpose of this year’s examination:

“The priority for summer 2021 [is] to make sure that students could get grades that would help them move on to the next stage of their education or training, despite the disruption they have experienced. The grades next week will do just that.” [emphasis added]

The full explanation can be found here.

9:44am: Thursday 12th August 2021: To repeat a point we made earlier, the amount of assessment inflicted on UAE students this year has been relentless. The pressure on schools and teachers to ensure this year’s results are provable, accurate and fair has been overwhelming. Those who claim this year’s GCSE results have been more easily secured need to think again. The pressure on students has been enormous, even without taking into account the major impacts of Covid 19.

Today’s results and achievement by UAE students should be celebrated – not because it is woke to do so – but because they have been hard-won and are, factually, richly deserved.

9:39am: Thursday 12th August 2021:  Worth reporting the comments of Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, published in advance of the publication of GCSE results today:

9:28am: Thursday 12th August 2021: The UK’s Institute for Government has released an interesting discussion document on the issues raised this year – and potential transformation of education and qualifications moving forward.

It picks up on the GCSE issue as follows:

“Pressure had already been growing to look at GCSEs in particular. There is an increasingly widespread view – taken by figures including numerous former education secretaries, John Major and the Education Select Committee chair, Robert Halfon – that with education now mandatory until 18 there is no need for an additional high-stakes assessment at 16, and the costs that come with this.

There is certainly some validity to this. GCSEs take a huge amount of time – near enough a full term and a half is lost to revision and taking the tests; they are expensive – schools spent £200m on GCSE entry fees last year alone. Perhaps most seriously they dominate schools’ thinking about curriculum all the way back to Year 7.

This is known as ‘backwash’ and the most visible manifestations are schools dropping subjects during Key Stage 3 (ages 11–14) to focus on GCSE topics, and even starting the GCSE programme of study a year early. This undoubtedly impoverishes the curriculum offer.

Nevertheless, scrapping GCSEs without a replacement is not a viable option…”

The full report follows:

9:11am: Thursday 12th August 2021: With thousands of children across UAE schools receiving their results today, it is worth remembering that many will be disappointed. In all the talk of grade inflation it is far too easy to forget what is important – the reality of what today’s results mean for children individually. The role of schools and parents in supporting children, and contextualising results, cannot be underestimated and should be celebrated.

9:00am: Thursday 12th August 2021: A brief reminder on the way that GCSE awards are now recorded. In 2017 the grading system was overhauled so that instead of using letters, students receive a number between 1 and 9. In 2020 all students received their grades with the new system.

The numerical system matches up against the old letter based system broadly as follows:

• 9, 8 and 7 are equivalent to A* or A
• 6, 5 and 4 are equivalent to B or C
• 3, 2 and 1 are equivalent to D, E, F or G
• A U is equivalent to ungraded

As we reported earlier, today’s media is focused on

• the call to repeat this move to numerical grades with A’ Levels;
• to create a new “Grade 10” at GCSE to combat grade inflation;
• questioning of whether GCSE’s are still needed at all; and,
• the significantly better performance of girls at GCSE compared with boys.

8:57am: Thursday 12th August 2021: Sky News is leading its GCSE coverage with a different angle. It claims that the move to teacher-assessed grades has strengthened the view of many parents that GCSE examinations should be scrapped. As students are now required to remain in education until age 18, and with increasing numbers moving on to higher education, the purpose of the GCSE qualification becomes hard to justify.

The full Sky News leader can be read here. 

8:50am: Thursday 12th August 2021: The final statistics on yesterday’s A Levels results have been confirmed. 44.8 per cent of students achieved an A* or A Grade, this heading towards double the proportion of top marks awarded in 2019. Private schools saw a larger percentage point increase in top grades in comparison to state schools in the UK, with 70.1 percent of all A-levels awarded an A or A* compared to 39.3 per cent – up from 44 per cent and 20 per cent in 2019. The big story in the UK is the now baked-in inequality between state and private school students.

8:37am: Thursday 12th August 2021: On the issue of girl outperforming boys, the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper carries an excellent leader on the issue by Camilla Turner, Education Editor:

“Girls set to increase GCSE lead over boys – and we should ‘accept they are cleverer’

Education expert says female students have outperformed male counterparts since GCSEs set up nearly 40 years ago.”

The article is paywalled, but in broad outline points to the strengthening of girls results following the move away from exams-only based O’ Levels. Coursework, it has been suggested suggested, favours girls. Gove’s reforms, which have re-prioritised exams, however, seem to have made little difference – girls continue to outperform boys. The result has been a new  explanation that “teachers prefer girls” and that there is endemic favouritism in schools.

Professor Alan Smithers of Buckingham University’s Centre for Education and Employment, plays short shrift with such explanations:

“Girls have long been ahead in school work, but the tendency has been to explain away their superior performance.

[…]

When they did better in the 11+, it was said that they matured earlier, when they leapt ahead in GCSEs it was said that it was because they worked harder, and now with teacher assessment the impression is that they are favoured by the teachers. Why can’t we accept it is just that they are cleverer?”

Read the full article here. 

8:30am: Thursday 12th August 2021: As we look to determine the level of grade inflation later, the BBC pulls out the following metric to keep an eye on:

Last year’s GCSE results:

8:21am: Thursday 12th August 2021: The BBC News is leading on GCSE Results day. It’s focus is on the expected spike in grades following yesterday’s A’ Level results and the increasing divergence between state and private schools in awarding of grades following the move to teacher-assessed, rather than exam-assessed grading. Of course, the debate is something of a misnomer because students across schools, as UAE students will attest, have arguably faced more exams this year, rather than less. This has been the result of huge pressure on schools and teachers to ensure that awarded grades at GCSE and A’ Level are accurate and provable. Anyone that claims that students (families and schools) have had an easy year are living in cloud cuckoo land.

You can read the BBC’s lead GCSE story here.

8:15am: Thursday 12th August 2021:  Some really good letters have been sent into the the UK’s The Guardian newspaper by readers on the issue of examinations moving forward. The following is particularly inciteful and worth quoting in full as part of the debate:

“It’s that time of year for a moral panic over examinations, assessments and claims of grade inflation (A-level data shows record grades and biggest gender gap in a decade, 10 August). Underlying this annual soul-searching is a fact that few of us involved in education, let alone politicians, are prepared to acknowledge. We need to recognise, not shamefacedly but honestly, the extent of our limited understanding of school learning. Despite a century or more of research and “measurement”, we still have no firm, reliable or systematic way of assessing young people’s understanding. Our examination technology is crude, partial, inadequate and discriminatory. The mental health of many former students bears witness to that.

The most we can reasonably claim is a largely intuitive and inevitably subjective form of assessment of learning borne out of working closely with our students over a period of time – talking with and observing them on a day-to-day basis. Hence the importance of teacher criteria-referenced assessment and the priority to make it even more effective. This may be uncomfortable to acknowledge, both for some teachers and for most politicians, but it is the reality. This year’s teacher assessed grades should be the start of a much-needed process of development, not an unwelcome interruption of a faulty measurement system which has passed its sell-by date.”

Prof Colin Richards
Former HM inspector of schools

It is worth spending the time to read The Guardian’s choice of top letters here.

8:10am: Thursday 12th August 2021: The big GCSE story this morning in the world’s press, as we build up the release of results, is the future way that GCSE results may will now be graded in the face of so called hard-baked grade inflation. Amid the predictable annual “moral” panic over exam grades and the self righteous ressentiment of higher results, the focus is on the potential introduction of a Grade 10 result next year. Apparently this is the solution to grade inflation and keeping results meaningful. Similar debates are raging over A Levels today, after yesterday’s increase in the number of A and A* results awarded, here this taking the form of calls to move from the current letter system to the numerical system now used in the grading of GCSEs. There are issues to be teased out here, but it’s also very much a case of plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

8:02am: Thursday 12th August 2021: Thank you to the many schools that have sent us their results under embargo. A reminder that we welcome results, photographs and comments throughout the day, and these can be sent to [email protected].

8:00am: Thursday 12th August 2021: it’s GCSE results day and we are here reporting live throughout the day on the extraordinary achievements of students across schools in the UAE. This is an historic year for students sitting GCSEs in so many way, and the results achieved by every single students (whatever they are) deserve to be celebrated by us all. This is a year in which all of us have been operating with few certainties;  Covid has impacted on almost every area of our lives. As results are opened today, families, teachers, Principals and above all students, should, and deserve to, feel very proud. Results are expected to come flooding in from around 11:00am today and it’s worth remembering that results are expected not only from all-through British curriculum schools, but also from International Baccalaureate schools which offer IGCSE to students as a preparatory qualification for the IB Diploma or IB Career-related Programme.

COMING 8:00AM Tomorrow – ONLY on SchoolsCompared.com.

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