The teachers at Dover Court International School are committed to unlocking their students’ full potential. Jaiveer Somaya’s story is one such, where he managed to score the highest GCSE grade 9 for his Psychology paper, thanks to the extra push from his teacher.
Every parent wants a great start for their children, that includes learning from the best and being motivated to achieve their full potential. Dover Court International School understands that, hand-selecting its teachers based on not just qualifications and expertise, but a shared commitment in wanting to help students become their best.
Jaiveer Somaya experiences this every day at Dover Court. A bright student and academically motivated, his Psychology teacher Miss Kayleigh Joyce saw an opportunity to help him reach his maximum potential.
Through personalised support, which extended to after-school tutoring, Jaiveer managed to jump three grades for his GCSE Psychology paper: from grade 6 in the mock exam to 9 in the finals, the highest grade possible in the GCSE. Read on for his inspiring story.
Jaiveer enjoyed studying Psychology, but the exams were a different matter.
“Psychology was a subject that I enjoyed during my GCSE days,” Jaiveer shared. “Despite finding the subject interesting, I struggled with the exam a lot – especially the nine and 12-mark questions.” This was reflected in his November 2024 mock exams, where he scored a grade 6 in Psychology. Naturally, this came as a blow for Jaiveer as he was committed to scoring a grade 9.
That was when Miss Joyce stepped in. “Jaiveer is a highly capable and motivated student who has the potential to achieve very strong results in Psychology,” Miss Joyce recounted. Understanding his struggles and determination to raise his grades, she promptly set up after-school sessions to help him with exam strategies. She shared, “The focus was on maximising Jaiveer’s performance. I encouraged him to take part in additional exam strategy sessions to refine his approach to the exams as we moved closer to the GCSE finals.”
A school day at Dover Court doesn’t end when the bell rings
This rings true in Jaiveer’s experience, when Miss Joyce started organising after-school sessions to improve his exam strategies. “These sessions are designed to push students further and help them approach their GCSE exams with confidence,” she explained, “We focused on refining exam technique, understanding mark schemes, as well as developing clear and well-structured responses.”
Miss Joyce provided Jaiveer and his peers with topic-specific revision booklets, knowledge organisers, and dedicated question-practice booklets. Whenever students complete a practice question, she would carefully mark them and provide personalised feedback on areas they can improve on. Jaiveer recalled the sessions fondly, “The support was very targeted. Instead of just re-reading the textbook, Miss Joyce helped us deconstruct mark schemes. I found the most helpful part to be getting feedback on my answers and incorporating them into the next response I did.”
Needless to say, Jaiveer’s determination and hard work paid off
Over the next few months, Jaiveer started to feel more confident in tackling the longer questions. Miss Joyce also noticed that he was receptive towards her support and thoughtfully engaged with the feedback provided. “Parent involvement was supportive and collaborative as well, which reinforced the shared goal of helping Jaiveer perform at his best,” she added.
Fast forward to result day in June 2025, Jaiveer was over the moon to see that he scored a grade 9 in Psychology – an impressive three-grade jump! He shared, “I was immensely happy to see that ‘9’ on the grade sheet on results day. It wasn’t only the elation of seeing my grade increase, but also knowing that my hard work paid off.”
The sky’s the limit at Dover Court
As a school with its students’ best interests in mind, Dover Court’s teachers are trained to support their students to be the best they can. Miss Joyce is a great example of such a teacher, who puts in extra hours and offers personalised help to students like Jaiveer. “I want to say a huge thank you to Miss Joyce, for seeing my potential even when I was stuck at a grade 6. The personalised support made the biggest difference to my score,” he said.
Chiming in, Miss Joyce added that she encourages all students to communicate openly with their teachers. “We are here to support you, guide you, and help you reach your full potential. Taking advantage of feedback, asking questions, and engaging with the support offered can make a significant difference not just academically, but in building your confidence and independence as a learner,” she said.
Keen to find out how Dover Court can challenge and stretch your child’s academic potential? Head over to its I/GCSE Open House this February 26 at 5pm, where you’ll learn more about its curriculum offerings, inclusive approach, as well as educational partnerships with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Juilliard School, and UNICEF. This open house is perfect for families with children aged 10 to 13. Register to secure your spot today.
This post is in partnership with Dover Court International School.
