GEMS students post strong gains in GCSE results

GEMS Education students have delivered another strong set of GCSE and IGCSE results, with 30 per cent of entries securing the highest 9-8/A grades and almost half reaching the 9-7/A-A benchmark across 23 non-selective schools.

More than 4,250 students received results covering nearly 30,000 subject entries, with 48 per cent awarded grades 9-7/A*-A. The group recorded 4,177 Grade 9 awards, the highest grade available under the numerical GCSE grading system.

The results marked a clear improvement from 2025, when 26 per cent of entries achieved grades 9-8/A*. The four-percentage-point rise at this benchmark was accompanied by gains across other major grade categories, extending a pattern of improving performance at the group’s British curriculum schools.

GEMS students also remained well above comparable attainment levels in England. The group’s 48 per cent share of grades at 9-7/A*-A was more than double the proportion of top-grade entries recorded nationally. England’s 2026 results showed 23.1 per cent of GCSE entries among 16-year-olds reaching grades 7-9, while the overall figure across age groups and jurisdictions was about 22 per cent.

The performance carries added significance because the 23 GEMS schools operate on a non-selective basis, enrolling pupils across a broad range of academic abilities rather than admitting students principally on previous examination performance.

Several schools produced particularly high concentrations of top grades. GEMS Wellington International School recorded 50 per cent of entries at grades 9-8/A and 70 per cent at 9-7/A-A. Jumeirah College Dubai achieved 49 per cent at 9-8/A and 71 per cent at 9-7/A-A.

GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis reported 42 per cent of grades at 9-8/A, with 59 per cent reaching 9-7/A-A. GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail recorded corresponding rates of 38 per cent and 51 per cent, while GEMS FirstPoint School achieved 38 per cent at 9-8/A and 53 per cent at 9-7/A-A.

The results emerged from an unusual examination cycle for pupils across the UAE, where regional security disruption affected the normal assessment process during the academic year. Some examination arrangements were altered, with evidence including school assessments, coursework and portfolios playing a greater role where scheduled written papers could not proceed as planned.

GEMS Group Chief Executive Officer Dino Varkey said the qualifications represented both an academic milestone and a gateway to the next stage of students’ education. He said the group’s objective extended beyond examination results to preparing pupils to respond to change, pursue ambitions and take greater responsibility for future opportunities.

Group Chief Education Officer Lisa Crausby OBE highlighted the determination shown by pupils during a challenging academic year, linking the outcomes to sustained teaching support, family involvement and students’ ability to remain focused amid uncertainty.

The 2026 results also extend the group’s upward trajectory from last year. In 2025, more than 4,000 students across 23 schools completed 28,227 entries. At that time, 26 per cent achieved grades 9-8/A, while 45 per cent reached 9-7/A-A, meaning this year’s equivalent figures rose by four and three percentage points respectively.

The improvement comes as GCSE performance in England remained broadly stable at the top end. Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 22 per cent of GCSE entries were awarded grade 7/A or above in 2026, fractionally higher than 21.9 per cent a year earlier. The proportion gaining grade 4/C or above stood at 67.3 per cent.