Students in the UAE woke up to a promising Thursday morning as A-Level exam results started coming in, and families were eager to know the next steps their children would take in their academic journeys.
First to announce was GEMS Education community, which saw a total of 1,883 students from 22 GEMS schools in the UAE and Qatar completing 5,191 A-level exams – a record in GEMS’ 65-year history.
The education group noted 26 per cent of the exam entries achieved A* to A grades while 52 per cent secured A* to B grades.
Notably, 14 per cent of Jumeirah College’s entries got top A* grade, while 80 per cent achieved A* to B grades. The Winchester School – Jebel Ali reported 33 per cent of its A-level entries achieved A* to A grades, with 60 per cent achieving A* to B.
Both GEMS Founders School – Dubai with over 500 exam entries and GEMS Metropole School – Motor City saw strong performance with 52 per cent of A-level entries achieving A* to B grades.
This year also marks a significant milestone for two GEMS schools, as GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar and GEMS New Millennium School celebrated their first A-level cohorts.
Dr Saima Rana, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, GEMS Education, said: “Today, we wholeheartedly celebrate our students, whose remarkable achievements with these impressive A-level results have left us in awe… We are excited to see now how they will continue to shine and shape a brighter future for all.”
Glen Radojkovich, director of education at Taaleem-Dubai, said: “I extend my heartfelt thanks to our dedicated educators, whose commitment has been key to our students’ success. I also deeply appreciate the unwavering support from families, who have been steadfast throughout their children’s academic journey. The outstanding results we celebrate today are a true reflection of their collective hard work and perseverance.”
He added: “It is a proud moment to see our students secure places at some of the UK’s top universities. As they embark on the next chapter, I am confident they carry with them both exceptional academic foundations and value-based education.”
Jebel Ali School saw 62 students and 201 A-Levels taken this year, a dramatic increase from 15 students and 42 A-Levels taken last year.
Stellar performances were recorded by Azaan Yaqub who got 3A* and 1 A; Ben Massingham, A*, A*, A, A; Lewis Coombes, A*, A, A, B; Mia Storey A*, A, A; and Ayaan Adnan A*, A, A.
Massingham, head boy and one of the school toppers, said: ‘I am incredibly happy with my results; I always aim for the best that I can achieve, and I feel Jebel Ali School put me in the best position I can be in going into my flight training at Skyborne in the UK before ultimately joining British Airways as a First Officer in 2026.”
“Our students should feel very confident as they graduate onto the next stage of their academic careers, and we wish them the very best with their next steps,” said school principal Simon Jodrell.
The three UAE Brighton Colleges have once again achieved outstanding results, with more than 50 per cent of grades across all three colleges being awarded A* to A.
Brighton College Al Ain scored an impressive 50 per cent of pupils being offered places to study medicine at universities across the globe. Specifically, 73 per cent of female students have received offers to study STEM subjects, including 53 per cent for medicine
This year, 25 per cent of all examinations sat by pupils have resulted in the highest grade A*, more than double the number secured in 2023. More than half of all grades awarded were A* to A, and over seven in every ten pupils achieved A* to B grades.
Some of the pupils who have achieved outstanding A Level grades are
Brighton College Abu Dhabi also performed exceptionally well, with pupils holding more than 80 offers from Russell Group Universities such as Imperial, UCL, Leeds, Durham, Bristol, King’s College, London and Manchester. Others are expected to attend Columbia, Stanford, Berklee College of Music, University of Toronto, University of Hong Kong, and RCSI Bahrain.
More than half of all grades awarded were A* to A grades, with 21 per cent being A* grades, 53 per cent at A* to A grades and 72 per cent A* to B. In addition to A-Level results, 66 per cent of Extended Project Qualifications (EPQs) were awarded an A* or A, with all EPQs achieving B or above.
Some high-achieving pupils celebrating top-level grades this year include: Yingchu Zhang with A*A*A*A* & EPQ A*; Sami Hijazi A*A*A; Ixchel Hodgson A*A*A & EPQ A*; Jana Eissa A*AA; Osama El Boraie A*A*A*A; and Jooyon Ko A*AAA*AA.
At Brighton College Dubai, 100 per cent of pupils achieved A*/A in Further Mathematics; 100 per cent got A*/A in Art; and 70 per cent of all pupils achieved at least one grade A* to A. Majority of them will be able to take up their first choice of university, including Imperial College London, University College London, Durham and Edinburgh.
Simon Crane, head master of Brighton College Dubai, said: “Once again, our pupils have distinguished themselves with an outstanding set of A level results and, most tellingly, have exceeded even last year’s excellent results. A stunningly good A*/A performance of 47 per cent will enable our pupils to secure excellent university places.”
High achieving pupils at Brighton College Dubai, who are celebrating top-level grades this year include: Zaina Jadalla with A*A*A, going to study Medicine at Mohammed bin Rashid University, Dubai; Minyu Xia, A*A*A, taking Electronics Engineering at University College London; Nishaat Gani, A*A A (Medicine, Mohammed bin Rashid University, Dubai); and Sahar Haji, A*A B, (Dental Hygiene, Kings’ College London).
Repton Abu Dhabi and Repton Dubai’s Year 13 A-Level students have also exhibited outstanding academic excellence in their 2023/2024 A-Level examinations.
Notably, 39 per cent of Repton Abu Dhabi students’ exam entries achieved A* to A grades, while 77 per cent secured A* to B grades. A total of 17 per cent of exam entries from Repton Dubai students obtained A* to A grades.
Repton Abu Dhabi students received acceptance offers from prestigious universities, including New York University, University of Edinburgh, University of Exeter, and University of Amsterdam. The school recognised Salma Ibrahim, who achieved two A* and one A grades, and will be attending American University of Cairo to study Engineering.
Another notable Reptonian, Harrison Maxwell, achieved A-Level grades which included two A*, and will be pursuing a degree in Economics and Finance at University of Exeter.
Steven Lupton, Principal of Repton Abu Dhabi, said: “As our graduates move forward to new adventures, I am confident they will continue to excel and make us proud.”
Repton Dubai’s A-Level students also demonstrated remarkable academic achievements. The cohort achieved A* to A grades for 17 per cent of exam entries, and A* to C grades were awarded to 68 per cent of exam entries. Outstanding students received acceptance offers from prestigious universities, including University of Durham, University of Bristol, King’s College University London, and University of San Diego.
Youssef Thabet earned A*A*A grades and will be attending The American University of Sharjah to study Computer Science; while Aayush Sen successfully achieved A*AA grades and will be pursuing a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science at San Diego University.
Gillian Hammond, principal of Repton School Dubai, expressed her pride in the students’ achievements.
© Khaleej Times
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