• Top performers Aya Abu Ahmad, Dana Abu Alfailat and Jana El Khatib all scored 41 points each

• 40% of the Class of 2020 attained 36 points or higher

 

 

DUBAI, UAE; July 6, 2020: Raffles World Academy (RWA) staff and students were thrilled with the graduating Class of 2020’s performance at this year’s IB Diploma Programme. The top performing students are Aya Abu Ahmad, Dana Abu Alfailat and Jana El Khatib, with 41 points each. Ninety one candidates were registered for the DP in the May 2020 examinations session, RWA’s largest cohort taking DP examinations to date. Seven scored more than 40; with 40% of RWA’s students attaining 36 points or higher in the DP – an increase of 9% since the May 2019 session.  In addition, 87% of the class of 2020 attained total scores of 30 points or higher.  This is up 8% from last year.

 

Despite the uncertainty surrounding their last semester of high school, these young students took it all in their stride and their results are testament to their resilience and determination. 

 

The school has maintained its successful record with Emirati students. The school also has a 100% Emirati pass rate in the DP with Laila Kabital achieving a score of 38 points.  Laila will be moving on to the University of Edinburgh to study sustainable development.

 

 “We are incredibly proud of these young women and men who have performed so well under trying circumstances.  They are well on their way to achieving great success in the future,” said RWA’s Principal, Timothy Roberts, who was justifiably very pleased with these results.

 

RWA students achieved a 34-point average total score with an average subject grade of 5.41, their best performance in five years.

 

RWA’s top graduates from the class of 2020 are now moving on to universities in the UK, Canada, Europe, India, South Africa and the USA, to commence undergraduate studies in medicine, computer science, neuroscience, finance and PPE, among others.  60% of RWA students moving on to the UK will be studying at Russell Group universities.

 

These results are also testament to the hard work and commitment shown by the DP teachers at RWA, who worked online with the class of 2020, without missing a beat, despite lockdown conditions.  Their measured approach kept these young graduates calm and focused.  

 

Top ranker Aya Abu Ahmad will be moving on to study medicine at Mohammed bin Rashid University in the UAE.  She says, “Studying such an advanced and rigorous programme was very demanding; but with the exceptional support provided by my teachers I was able to efficiently meet all the requirements of the programme. All the hard work that I invested in my subjects was definitely worth it, as I feel prepared and ready for my next journey!”

Dana Abu Alfailat, who also scored 41, will study finance at the University of Toronto, Canada.  “These last two years were challenging and stressful, but my friends and teachers at RWA always supported and motivated me and helped me persevere,” she says.

“Completing the IBDP at RWA taught me many fundamental skills, both in terms of academics and in life. It was challenging, but not impossible. This was due to hard work and the guidance and support I received from my teachers and the RWA DP team, for which I am grateful,” says Jana El Khatib, who shares top scoring honours with Aya and Dana.  Jana will attend university at King’s College, London, to study history and international relations.

The IB has worked in close collaboration with its schools to ensure that the final grades earned by students are representative of the rigorous academic achievement standards it has come to be associated with.  As in previous years, Raffles World Academy congratulates its senior graduating class of 2020 and proudly celebrates the success of its students.