Wow! Safa Community School students achieve the extraordinary in GCSE and BTEC Results. Teachers and Parents celebrate.

Safa Community School (SCS)is the first school to share its results with us this year – and the school, students, teachers and parents should feel so proud. Safa Community school is one of the most loved in Dubai – and our experience over many years is of a school absolutely bursting with inspiration and some of the happiest children of any school we have visited. This is a school in which the owners passionately care about every child and play an instrumental role every day in caring for the school.

SCS was the creditable winner of the Top Schools Award for Value Add and Leaving No Child Behind in the 2021-22 Awards.

This year sees the opening of Safa College, the landmark Sixth Form Centre, at Safa Community School. The new centre showcases an extraordinarily rich breadth of facilities including Art and Photography studios, Science Labs, multiple lecture theatres – and music and performing arts facilities, all under one roof. A two-tiered strength and conditioning suite alongside an array of sports facilities, including 2 x 25-metre pools, 2 x Sports Halls and extensive basketball and netball courts. build further on the school’s significant investment in Sport with a strong focus on creating an inspirational sporting environment for all children, not just those who are gifted and talented in the discipline.

Further investment in breadth of A Level and BTEC is a stand-out feature that comes with the opening of the new College.

Leanne Fridd, Principal, Safa Community School, conveyed her pride in all her students:

 

“We are so proud to see a large group of our homegrown students, many of who have been with us since primary school, achieve such fabulous results. As a cohort of students, we have seen how hard they have worked over the last two years, growing into mature students who have now created many opportunities for themselves as they enter the sixth form.

A special mention must go to Katie Meldrum and Ramla Yusuf for achieving straight 9s across every subject.

I would like to thank our very dedicated teaching staff, who have gone above and beyond for their students.

A special thanks to our Heads of Department, Miss Adrianne Deacon, our Head of KS4, Mr Emmet Glackin, Deputy Head and Mr Mike Davies, our Head of Secondary, for driving consistency throughout this GCSE Cohort.

This is an exciting time for this particular group of students who receive the GCSE results; the following day they will be entering into our new, purpose-built Safa College.

We can’t wait!”

Value-add the real measure of an outstanding school

Deeply committed to being academically inclusive, SCS uses value-added to track the progress of its examination cohorts. Value Added takes account of expected and actual attainment data, using baselines from where each student started and their progress against mapped flight paths of what would be expected:

Michael Davies, Head of Secondary, Safa Community School explained to SchoolsCompared:

“An Individualised approach ensures students are placed on the correct pathways with personalised support to ensure they achieve grades commensurate with their abilities. Student data and performance are closely tracked by senior leaders, data managers and academic mentors to ensure the ‘whole child’ is catered for.

Students work closely with our university and careers guidance officer to tailor their course selections from over 40 GCSE and BTEC courses.

Growth over time is a true reflection of a school. Over the past 4 years, SCS grades have continued to rise. Data shows that in 2021 the overall value added score was 1.79 grades per student. Through the dedication and expertise of staff and systems, our VA has risen to +2.0 grades in 2022

‘Inclusive of academic interventions, mentoring, and high-quality learning and teaching, as a cohort, we have seen a staggering 30% rise in the number of 9-7 grades over the past 4 years.

We are overwhelmed with the success of our students in 2022. As a school, we have surpassed the grades attained in previous years. As a fully inclusive school, we celebrate success across the full spectrum of grades. Our level 3 students have exceeded their aspirational targets demonstrating ‘outstanding progress’. In addition, a number of our MAGT (more able, gifted and talented) students have achieved all grade 9’s across all subjects.’

Outstanding student achievement – BTEC and GCSE

BTEC student achievement at SCS

GCSE student achievement at SCS

• Katie Meldrum and Ramla Yusuf achieved a full suite of GCSEs at Grade 9 and both secured A* A grades in Further Mathematics
• Faaliha Mandvia, a student educated under the Safa School umbrella since the foundation stage, achieved 9 GCSEs, at grade 7-9. The school told us:

“As a community school, it is fantastic to see incredible results again from the Mandvia family.

Warda Mandvia, ex-pupil of the Safa school, achieved fantastic results in both her GCSE and A-levels and has recently finished her first year in Medicine at MBRU (Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Services). Warda continues to visit frequently, updating her Safa family on her success and educational journey beyond SCS.”

Adrianne Deacon Assistant Headteacher and Head of Key Stage 4 at Safa Community School, summarised:

“This cohort of Year 11 students are very special as they are the first set of students to have received all of their secondary education at Safa Community School.

I am very proud to have been working alongside these students since Year 7.

This year, our students were finally given the opportunity to showcase their abilities in official written examinations, and their outstanding achievements in the GCSEs and BTECs deserve to be celebrated today. The hard work, dedication and determination of all our students and staff has not gone unnoticed and should be acknowledged, driving standards, progress and attainment beyond our expectations as a school.

I am delighted that SCS’s fourth-ever GCSE results reflect how the school continues to demonstrate excellence and continues to raise the bar each year.

I would like to thank our Head of Year 11, Mr Michael Brady, for his continued support, overseeing the well-being and emotional support of our students, which has ensured that students have achieved exceptional GCSE & BTEC results beyond our expectations.

BTEC delivery and attainment have continued to increase across Key Stage 4 over the past few years.

BTEC Sport delivered outstanding results whereby 100% of students achieved a distinction, and 71% of students achieved a distinction star which exemplifies the high quality of teaching and learning across the vocational courses taught at SCS.

The performing arts students entered the limelight this year with GCSE Drama and GCSE Music students achieving an outstanding 100% of results, Grade 7-9. This year has seen a significant increase in results from practical GCSE subjects taken at SCS under the Art & Design curriculum. 100% of all GCSE Art students achieved grades 6-9, an increase of 9% on last year, which was already an exceptional achievement.

Our first year of GCSE Contemporary Design results demonstrated that 75% of students achieved a grade 6 and above, and in GCSE photography where 100% of students achieved grade 8-9. The Artwork, photography and design work featured across the Challenger building and the Global Learning Centre at SCS exemplifies this furthermore.”

GCSE Results 2022 – Breadth of subject choices

Ms Eleanor Nolan Careers and University Guidance Officer, Safa Community School, told SchoolsCompared:

“We are delighted to celebrate our GCSE students as they receive the outcomes of this examination cycle. This marks an important milestone in their academic journey and ensures they are ready for the next challenge. As students enter the 6th Form at Safa College, they have an amazing experience to look forward to.

The 6th Form experience will continue to develop, and the change of pace due to the move into a purpose-built learning space will no doubt facilitate this. The REACH programme will evolve with an increased focus on both internships within the local community and the introduction of even more opportunities to engage in community service. The Hub on the ground floor will become home to guest speakers and university visits, allowing our students to further develop their skills as lifelong learners who will be able to navigate the world of work with ease and ensure they continue to value a work-life balance.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our GCSE students well with their next educational chapter!”

GCSE and BTEC – Sport, Business Drama and Music

GCSE – Geography, Arabic, English Language and Biology

GCSE results – Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and History

GCSE Summary

Emmet Glackin, Deputy Headteacher Academics, Safa Community School, placed this year’s examination results in context for SchoolsCompared:

“I am delighted that the hard work and effort of our SCS students during a very difficult two years has resulted in a phenomenal set of results for our school community. With various political agendas related to perceived grade inflation in previous years; we know that examination boards have done their very best to close the gap.

For our students to achieve these grades, under these circumstances, is a testament to their resilience and hard work, as well as the work of our teaching staff, who have continued to go above and beyond for our SCS students.

But today is not about percentages and figures, it is about sharing in the success of each individual with their families.

This is, above all, a real ‘Proud to be Purple’ day.“

And that is exactly how it should be…

Further information

Read our review of Safa Community School here

Learn about the extraordinary new Sixth Form Centre opening at Safa Community School this year

Visit the official Safa Community School web site here

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