30% of entries achieve grades 9-8/A*, with GEMS students continuing to outperform England national averages*
- Over 4,250 students across 23 GEMS schools receivednearly 30,000results
- 30% of entries achieved 9–8/A*, while 48% achieved grades 9–7/A-A* across 23 non-selective schools.
- 4,177 Grade 9’s were awarded across the group.
- Significant year-on-year improvements across all major grade benchmarks
Students across GEMS Education’s British curriculum schools are celebrating another exceptional year of GCSE results, with strong performance at the highest grades and continued progress across the network.
This year, over 4,250students across 23 GEMS schools received results for 30,000 entries, with30% achieving grades 9-8/A*, and nearly half (48%) achieving grades 9-7/A-A*.An exceptional 4,177 Grade 9’s were awarded across the group.
A sustained record of excellence
The 2026 results build on a consistent year-on-year track record of GEMS students outperforming the England national average. GEMS achieved 30% of grades at 9-8/A* compared with 12% nationally (the most recent England average, 2025), and 48% at 9-7/A*-A compared with 22% nationally.
These outcomes are particularly significant because they are achieved within an inclusive, non-selective model, accepting students with a broad range of prior attainments.
Year-on-year progress
The results also demonstrate continued year-on-year improvement, with 30% of entries achieving 9-8/A* compared with 26% in 2025, an increase of four percentage points.
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.”
Outstanding performances across the GEMS network
Exceptional results were recorded across the GEMS network, with several schools achieving record results, significant year-on-year improvements and outstanding levels of top-grade attainment.
Among the year’s strongest-performing schools were:
- Jumeirah College Dubai – 49% grades 9–8/A*, 71% grades 9–7/A*-A
- GEMS Wellington International School– 50% grades 9–8/A*, 70% grades 9–7/A*-A
- GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis– 42% grades 9–8/A*, 59% grades 9–7/A*-A
- GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail– 38% grades 9–8/A*, 51% grades 9–7/A*-A
- GEMS FirstPoint School– 38% grades 9–8/A*, 53% grades 9–7/A*-A
Behind the group-level results are numerous individual stories of achievement, perseverance and exceptional performance, from students achieving outstanding grades to those making significant progress from their individual starting points.
The results reflect GEMS Education’s commitment to high academic standards within an inclusive, non-selective education model, ensuring students are supported to achieve their individual potential.
Across the network, students will now progress to Sixth Form, A-levels, BTEC and other post-16 pathways, taking with them the academic foundations and experience to make informed choices about the opportunities and ambitions they pursue next.
ENDS
About GEMS Education
GEMS Education is one of the world’s leading, oldest and largest private K-12 education providers, with a legacy spanning more than 65 years. Founded in the UAE with roots dating back to 1959, and beginning with a single school in a private home in Dubai in 1968, GEMS remains a family-founded and family-led organisation, guided by its visionary Founder and Chairman, Sunny Varkey, and his sons Dino Varkey, Group Chief Executive Officer, and Jay Varkey, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer.
Today, GEMS educates more than 200,000 students from over 176 nationalities through its global network of owned and managed schools, supported by more than 17,700 employees, including over 10,000 educators and school leaders representing 112 nationalities. Having educated more than 500,000 students over the decades, GEMS continues to provide world-class education through four curricula, preparing young people with the knowledge, character and confidence to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Guided by its enduring mission to put a quality education within the reach of every learner, everywhere, GEMS combines academic rigour with character development, wellbeing, innovation and strong partnerships with families and communities. Its graduates progress to the world’s leading universities, with students accepted into more than 2,000 universities across 71 countries over the past five years, including all eight Ivy League universities in the US and all 24 Russell Group universities and colleges in the UK. In the last four years alone, more than 3,500 GEMS graduates have attended the world’s top 100 universities, over 2,200 have progressed to Russell Group universities, almost 2,000 have enrolled at the world’s top 50 universities, and more than 60 have gone on to Ivy League institutions.
Through its expanding network and philanthropic initiatives, GEMS continues to create opportunities for young people to become leaders, innovators and positive changemakers in their communities and beyond.