GEMS students deliver another exceptional year of GCSE results, with a third of entries securing top grades
GEMS Education has reported another strong year of GCSE results across its British curriculum schools, with 30% of entries achieving grades 9–8/A and nearly half securing grades 9–7/A–A.**
More than 4,250 students across 23 GEMS Education schools received nearly 30,000 GCSE results in 2026, with the UAE-founded education group reporting continued improvement across major grade benchmarks.
According to GEMS Education, 30% of entries achieved grades 9–8/A*, while 48% achieved grades 9–7/A*–A. Across the group, students were awarded 4,177 Grade 9s.
The results were achieved across 23 non-selective schools, which accept students with a broad range of prior attainment.
GEMS records year-on-year improvement in GCSE results
The proportion of GEMS entries achieving grades 9–8/A* increased by four percentage points, from 26% in 2025 to 30% in 2026.
GEMS said its latest results continue a year-on-year record of students performing above the England national benchmarks cited by the group.
For comparison, GEMS reported that 30% of its 2026 entries achieved grades 9–8/A*, against the most recent England average cited in its release of 12% for 2025. At grades 9–7/A*–A, GEMS recorded 48%, compared with the cited 2025 England average of 22%.
The comparison is particularly relevant to GEMS’ results because the figures cover an inclusive, non-selective group of schools rather than academically selective institutions.
Top-performing GEMS schools in 2026
Several schools across the GEMS network recorded particularly strong levels of top-grade attainment.
GEMS Wellington International School recorded 50% of entries at grades 9–8/A* and 70% at grades 9–7/A*–A.
Jumeirah College Dubai achieved 49% at grades 9–8/A* and 71% at grades 9–7/A*–A.
GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis recorded 42% at grades 9–8/A* and 59% at grades 9–7/A*–A.
GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail reported 38% of entries at grades 9–8/A* and 51% at grades 9–7/A*–A.
GEMS FirstPoint School recorded 38% at grades 9–8/A* and 53% at grades 9–7/A*–A.
The results reflect both high levels of top-grade attainment and improvements across the wider GEMS network.
Dino Varkey: GCSE results open doors to new ambitions
Dino Varkey, Group Chief Executive Officer of GEMS Education, said: “GCSE results are an important milestone, but they are also the beginning of a new chapter. They open the doors to new ambitions and possibilities as young people begin to shape the direction of their future.
“At GEMS, our goal is not simply to prepare students to achieve strong results, but to equip them to navigate change, pursue their ambitions and take ownership of the opportunities ahead. We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2026 and excited to see where their journeys take them.”
Lisa Crausby OBE, Group Chief Education Officer at GEMS Education, said: “These results mean so much because they speak not only to academic achievement, but to character. Our students have shown focus, determination and real resilience, continuing to give their best through a period of uncertainty and challenge. We are immensely proud of each of our students. Behind every outstanding grade is hard work, inspirational teaching and the steady support of families.”
Students move on to post-16 pathways
Following the release of their GCSE results, students across the GEMS network will progress to Sixth Form, A-levels, BTEC and other post-16 pathways.
The results add to a significant examination season for the education group and highlight the scale of British curriculum education within the UAE’s private school sector.
About GEMS Education
GEMS Education is a UAE-founded private K-12 education provider with roots dating back to 1959. The organisation began with a school in a private home in Dubai in 1968 and has since developed an international network of owned and managed schools.
GEMS says it currently educates more than 200,000 students from over 176 nationalities through its global network, supported by more than 17,700 employees, including over 10,000 educators and school leaders representing 112 nationalities.
The group provides education through four curricula and says more than 500,000 students have attended its schools over the decades.
According to GEMS, its students have received acceptances from more than 2,000 universities across 71 countries over the past five years, including all eight Ivy League universities in the United States and all 24 Russell Group universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.
Source: GEMS Education
Image credit: GEMS Education
