Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Secondary School stood out as the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams giant, posting 9.6 mean score, up from the 9.1 of 2024.
Of the 212 candidates, 17 scored A and 50 achieved A-minus, with the rest ranging from B+ to C+.
The improvement, according to school Principal Sheikh Rishard Rajab, followed after a series of changes in teaching methods and student management.
“After the third-term mock exams, students were grouped according to their performance in each subject. “All those who attained C+ and above in mathematics we put in one class, B- in another class, and C- in a separate class,” Principal Sheikh Rishard Rajab explained.
“We designated a subject for those in one class, one class for those who needed sharpening, another upgraded, and the other for those who really needed help so that they move away from the lower grades. Students moved between classes depending on the marks they got.”
Remedial lessons for boarders took place after 4:00 pm and continued after Maghrib (evening) prayers, while science subjects such as chemistry, physics, and biology included extensive practical lessons to strengthen understanding.
“Basically, the entire third term, this is what we used to do. We did a lot of practicals in the sciences, and students were good at them,” Sheikh Rajab said.
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Abdulghafur Issa Timamy, who scored an A with 83 points, described the system as “helpful in focusing on what I needed to improve. Wake up early, manage your time, and listen to your teachers; they really guided us.”
Other top students included Mohamed Hassan Aziz (82 points), Naima Adan Mohamed (84 points), Aisha Muthoni Haneef (84 points), Hussein Fatuma Mohamed (82 points), and Issa Raniya Abdallah (83 points).
Sheikh Rajab said the school set a target mean score of B+ and monitored progress using motivational techniques such as displaying the letter B in classrooms.
“You know, a dream seen is a dream you work on. In every class, there was this B wood plank. So when they enter the class, they see it, and when they leave the class, it reminds them of the target,” he said.
He also credited the commitment of teachers and students. “Teachers really worked, the students never got tired despite the heat, and the system of moving from one class to another removed monotony. We also made sure all boarders never missed the morning prayers. This combination of strategies and support is what made us perform.”
By Juma Ndigo
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