Cambridge and IGCSE results below average in public schools
Bermuda’s public school exam results fell below international averages in almost all areas, the latest public figures showed.
The Ministry of Education announced this week that it had posted the results for the Cambridge International Education, Cambridge Checkpoint and IGCSE [International General Certificate of Secondary Education] exams at primary, middle and senior school levels online.
The Department of Education said it is addressing low grades with “instructional reform and targeted academic supports”.
No public primary school reached the CIE international average for results, which were listed in three subjects — English, mathematics and science, and dated May 2025.
Cambridge Checkpoint scores are on a new scale of 0 to 50 which means that all scores, including any average scores, are reported as whole numbers in that range, replacing the 0.0 to 6.0 scale.
Scores of 0 to 10 are classified as poor/limited performance, 11 to 20 is determined as below average, 21 to 30 represents average to solid understanding, 31 to 40 reflects very good/above average and 41 to 50 demonstrates excellent/top performance.
Some primary schools on the island recorded results of lower than ten while the highest score among them was 27.
There was an island-wide primary school average of 14 for maths, against an international average of 31.
That figure was 15 in science compared with an international average also of 31.
The CIE results at M3 level, also for May 2025, showed a school average of 29 in English, compared with the international average of 34.
In maths, the average across Bermuda public schools was 16, while the international average was listed as 31 — for science, there was the same international benchmark and the island’s school average was 18.
The highest score achieved in the Cambridge Checkpoint results was Whitney Institute Middle School, with a school average of 39 in English against an international average of 34.
At the senior school level, for which IGCSE results came from June last year, only in accounting was the international average for the number of students achieving A* to C surpassed — that being at The Berkeley Institute, reflecting the results of two students.
The report showed 100 per cent for category, where the international average was 73 per cent.
In all other subjects, international averages were not achieved by either CedarBridge Academy or The Berkeley Institute.
CedarBridge Academy had 0 per cent achieving A* to C in four subjects — chemistry, combined science, information and communication, and marine science.
At that school, 14 of 48 students were ungraded in biology and 26 of 74 in maths.
Meanwhile at The Berkeley Institute, 84 of 144 pupils achieved D to G grades in maths while 11 were ungraded.
Of pupils at The Berkeley Institute, 68 per cent — or 17 pupils — achieved A* to C for co-ordinated sciences, where the international average was 82 per cent; 67 per cent — or two pupils — earned A* to C for English as a second language, where the international average was 71 per cent; 60 per cent — 78 pupils — secured A* to C for first language English, where the international average was 84 per cent.
The Budget Book performance measures for senior schools reflect how many students secured pass marks from A* to G.
They generally show success rates by that standard of above 90 per cent for the Department of Education.
A spokesman for the Bermuda Union of Teachers said the union remains deeply committed to the success and wellbeing of Bermuda’s students and educators, and that the recently published 2025 Cambridge and IGCSE results “raise concerns that deserve thoughtful attention from the entire community”.
He said: “While examination outcomes provide one indicator of student performance, they must be understood within a broader context. Many students experienced significant disruptions to foundational learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in literacy and numeracy during key developmental years. The effects of those disruptions can still be seen in student outcomes today and must be taken into account when interpreting system-wide results.
“Teachers across Bermuda continue to work diligently under challenging and evolving conditions, including staffing shortages, shifting curriculum expectations and increased student needs. Their commitment to supporting students remains strong, and their efforts should be recognised as part of any conversation about outcomes.
“The BUT believes that transparency in education is important. Publishing system-wide results can contribute to informed public discussion when the data is presented with appropriate context and used constructively to support improvement rather than assign blame. We encourage continued collaboration between the Department of Education, school leaders, teachers, parents and the wider community so that the information released helps guide meaningful solutions.
“If the Ministry of Education is to address the challenges highlighted by these results, sustained investment in supports for students and educators will be critical. This includes recruiting and retaining certified and qualified teachers, expanding academic intervention supports, providing additional paraprofessional assistance, ensuring access to adequate classroom resources and creating opportunities for instruction where students need more targeted help.
“The BUT stands ready to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to strengthen the supports available across the system and to ensure that every student in Bermuda has the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential.”
A spokesman for the department said: “The results indicate that, when compared to international averages, there is room for improvement and the continued need to strengthen literacy and numeracy, enhance instructional quality and stabilise school operations — areas that remain central to the ministry’s ongoing education transformation efforts.
“It should be noted that Bermuda’s performance relative to international averages is influenced by several factors, including the non-selective nature of the public school system, small cohort sizes — which can create statistical volatility — and the academic disruption experienced globally during and following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Additionally, the system is emerging from a prolonged period of leadership turnover and structural reform, which has impacted the consistency of instructional delivery.
“The 2025 results reinforce the importance of the system-wide improvements that are under way.”
He noted that the ministry and department remained focused on creating long-term stability, measures that focus on literacy and numeracy, and a multi-tiered system of support.
The spokesman added that each school is implementing a data-driven improvement plan aligned to system priorities.
He said the assessments provide important insight into student performance as the ministry continues its work to strengthen teaching and learning.
The spokesman added: “Checkpoint assessments serve as diagnostic tools that help identify specific learning gaps, while IGCSEs are internationally recognised qualification examinations.
“Only the checkpoint assessments are designed for diagnostic purposes.”
The public school system has been subject to education reform, announced in 2020. Criteria for the closure of some public schools was largely based on the schools’ infrastructure as the remaining schools would be renovated.
The spokesman said that since the introduction of strengthened leadership development, including SMART [specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound] goal-setting training for school leaders, all schools now operate under measurable school improvement plans with defined literacy and numeracy targets.
He added: “Leadership stability has improved with reduced acting appointments and improved continuity in instructional oversight.
“These measures are foundational and are expected to support academic outcomes.
“The 2025 results demonstrate that, although overall certification rates are being sustained, greater progress is required to improve A* to C attainment and align diagnostic performance more closely with international benchmarks.
“The ministry remains committed to transparent reporting, strengthened instruction, stable leadership and structural changes designed to focus on measurable student achievement.
“Education transformation extends beyond facilities, infrastructure adjustments are intended to support coherent instructional delivery and improved learning conditions.
“Student outcomes remain the central measure of success, and all structural and operational improvements are being advanced with that objective in view.”
PRIMARY
The CIE results at primary level show a school average of 20 in English, compared with the international average of 33.
They showed a school average of 14 in mathematics, compared with an international average of 31.
The CIE results at primary level showed a school average of 15 in science, compared with an international average of 31.
MIDDLE
The CIE results at M3 level showed a school average of 29 in English, compared with an international average of 34.
They showed a school average of 16 in mathematics, compared with the international average of 31.
The CIE results at M3 level showed a school average of 18 in science, compared with an international average of 31.
SENIOR
At the higher end:
• The Berkeley Institute achieved 100 per cent A*-C for accounting (two students) (international average 73 per cent)
• The Berkeley Institute achieved 68 per cent A*-C for co-ordinated sciences (international average 82 per cent)
• The Berkeley Institute achieved 67 per cent A*-C for English as a second language (international average 71 per cent)
• The Berkeley Institute achieved 60 per cent A*-C for first language English (international average 84 per cent)
At the lower end:
CedarBridge Academy achieved 0 per cent A*-C for chemistry (international average 83 per cent)
CedarBridge Academy achieved 0 per cent A*-C for combined science (international average 69 per cent)
CedarBridge Academy achieved 0 per cent A*-C for information and communication (international average 74 per cent)
CedarBridge Academy achieved 0 per cent A*-C for marine science (international average 68 per cent)
The ministry does not regularly publish exam results broken down by school.
The last to be released before the 2025 results were for the years 2018 and 2019 for middle schools and publication was as a result of a public access to information request.
The data then, under the previous score bands, showed that none of the island’s then five public middle schools had an average pupils’ score above 3.0 in English in 2019.
Under that scoring system, 5.0 to 6.0 was considered good to excellent, 3.0 to 4.0 was average and 0.0 to 2.0 was poor or basic.
The data also showed that no middle school had an average pupil score above 4.0 in science or above 3.0 in maths that year.
Prior to that, the Cambridge Checkpoint results for 2015 to 2017 showed a third of public primary schools were ranked as poor in maths based on average pupil scores.
At that time, the Bermuda Union of Teachers said the results should be used to guide mathematics teaching in public schools.
Asked last week about the latest below-average results and whether the ministry intended to publish full results online going forward, the spokesman responded on Wednesday in a statement sent to all media: “The ministry does not publish individual school-level CIE and IGCSE results in isolation because cohort sizes in Bermuda are small, and publication of raw results without appropriate statistical context can lead to misleading comparisons and unintended identification of individual students.
“At this time, there are no plans to publish annual league-table style comparisons of individual schools.
“However, the ministry continues to review its reporting framework to ensure that it balances transparency, student privacy and responsible interpretation of data.
“System-wide data and A* to C attainment data are published to ensure public accountability.”
The results can be accessed by way of a PATI request.
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