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The Aquila School to Offer GCSE Curriculum and Examinations

by Eddie Rayner

Following the successful accreditation from Pearson Education, a leading examination board in the UK, The Aquila School will be opening Year 10 in September 2022.* The approval to deliver IGCSE and A levels is the latest acknowledgement of the school’s high-quality education and commitment to preparing students to attend the top universities around the world. Consultation is underway with the regulator to open Year 12 admissions for September 2022. 

Wayne Howsen, Principal, The Aquila School said: “We are delighted that Pearson Education has recognised The Aquila School’s objective to offer the GCSE curriculum, as well as be a certified GCSE examination centre for students. We want to be able to offer our pupils a rigorous and meaningful education experience, and this new accreditation will allow our school team to further support pupils in making informed choices through their school years and beyond.” 


Letter of accreditation to be a Pearson Edexcel approved centre, granted after inspection


The Aquila School is part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP), a growing group of schools globally. The school provides a supportive and engaging international environment, delivering an exciting and creative curriculum, combining science, technology, engineering, maths, and the arts, as part of a broader curriculum. They focus on design and technology and learning through enquiry – children make things, take things apart, and discover how things work.

The recent assessment by Pearson Education and subsequent approval is an essential part of a due process to enable the school to open Year 10, for which the approval process has already been initiated with Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA); and for examinations to be held at the school in Year 11 (GCSE and IGCSE). The accreditation provides more stability in the upper years of secondary, ensuring that pupils know the exam boards and courses on offer for GCSE and IGCSE. It is also an indicator for families to assess and understand that the school has gone through a procedure of due diligence to conduct examinations and put into place plans for growth next year. 


The Aquila School can now offer admissions to Year 10 and be a recognised examination centre


The acknowledgement granted by Pearson Education to The Aquila School carries great merit. Pearson Education is the world’s leading learning company. Their products and services are delivered in nearly 200 countries and are engineered towards a common purpose – to help everyone achieve their potential through learning. 

“At The Aquila School, we inspire and support children to discover and pursue their passion in learning through maximum choice and authentic learning linked to real life. We hope to be able to offer a wide range of curriculum options to our secondary pupils in the future,” concluded Howsen. 


Approval is part of a due process to enable the school to open Year 10, and for examinations to be held in year 11


The Aquila School is an exciting international British school in Dubai, located in Dubailand. Pupils engage in lessons that promote enquiry, innovative thinking, making decisions, and problem-solving so that they can be independent, creative, and resilient learners. The experienced and committed teachers at the school are empowered to teach pupils what they need to learn right now, enabling them to make as much progress as possible. The school, currently open to pupils from FS1 to Year 9, will eventually grow to become a through school. The Aquila School is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the British Schools Overseas (BSO) and received the highest rating of Developed in the recent Distance Learning Evaluation conducted by the KHDA. The school was also recently presented with the SEND Inclusion Award by Optimus Education The Aquila School aims to be a community school, where collaboration with families and school connectedness ensures pupils, love coming to school and have a love for learning. For more information about The Aquila School visit www.theaquilaschool.com

*subject to KHDA approval