Sheikh Khalifa reclaims top spot in Coast KCSE rankings after four years

Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Secondary School has reclaimed its spot as the top school in the Coast region in the just-released Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results, ending a four-year streak of finishing second.

The Mombasa-based school achieved a mean score of 9.13, with an impressive 97% of its students qualifying for university. While the mean score dropped slightly by 0.3 compared to last year, the school’s determination and strategic academic reforms propelled it back to the top of the regional rankings.

“We are thrilled to be back on top despite the minor drop in our mean score. This achievement is a collective effort involving our Board of Trustees, management team, parents, teachers, and students. Their commitment has been unwavering,” said Principal Sheikh Rishard Rajab.

What set Sheikh Khalifa apart?

The success of Sheikh Khalifa lies in its robust leadership framework, which integrates local and international perspectives. The Board of Trustees, led locally by former mayor Rajab Sumba, collaborates with trustees from Abu Dhabi to provide strategic guidance.

The school also boasts a strong Board of Management, with several members being former students who understand the institution's culture.

This multi-layered leadership ensures that challenges are swiftly addressed, providing a stable foundation for academic excellence.

“Our leadership model is unique, and everyone plays a role from trustees and management to non-teaching staff like security and procurement officers,” said Sheikh Rishard.

The school’s subject-specific departments also contribute significantly to its success.

Unlike most institutions, Sheikh Khalifa assigns a Head of Department (HOD) to every subject with at least five teachers, ensuring personalised attention and accountability. Smaller subjects are grouped under Heads of Subjects.

“This system allows us to identify and resolve issues quickly while ensuring every teacher specialises in their area of expertise,” added the principal.

Sheikh Khalifa has also implemented several academic strategies to enhance performance. Students streamline their subjects in Form Two, focusing on eight core areas instead of the standard 13. This approach enables the school to complete the syllabus early, leaving ample time for revision.

The institution also prioritises after-hours learning, with Form Four students attending additional lessons and supervised preps. Teachers focus on revising past years’ work and polishing weaker areas, ensuring students are well-prepared for exams.

For boarding students, the evening prep sessions are intensive, with structured revision classes running until 9:30 pm.

“The 13th lesson is key to our success. We dedicate it to critical areas like English, Kiswahili, Chemistry, and Mathematics, which ensures our students remain competitive,” Sheikh Rishard noted.

The school also sources revision materials from nationwide, distributing them to students for comprehensive preparation.

Beyond academics, Sheikh Khalifa maintains a close relationship with parents through the Parents’ Association, which plays an integral role in decision-making and resource mobilisation.

“Our parents are our biggest cheerleaders. They provide us with the moral and financial support we need to execute our programmes effectively,” said the principal.

The celebrations were marked with emotional scenes as students, teachers, and parents celebrated their collective success.

The school’s top performer, Abdulrahman Said, led with 83 points, followed by Uzer Hussein Ali and Najma Njambi, both getting grade A with 82 points. The school had 4 grade As.

“This is a dream come true,” said Uzer, the firstborn in his family. “I am grateful to God, my teachers, and my parents for their support. I hope to pursue engineering at Jomo Kenyatta University.”

Thirty-two other students attained A-. Fifty-three students scored (B+), Fifty-seven scored (B), Forty had (B-), twenty-one scored (C+), Five (C) and one person had a C-.

Despite the celebratory mood, Sheikh Rishard acknowledged the challenges posed by the new grading system, which has seen schools across the country grappling with stricter thresholds.

“We had nine grade A last year, and while we have seen fewer (4) this year, our students have demonstrated resilience and hard work,” he said.