Celebrating Our 2025 IGCSE Learners: Rayed

We recently celebrated the outstanding achievements of our Year 12 learners in their 2025 IGCSE Results. Their resilience, determination, and hard work have led to incredible success both in and out of the classroom. Their success reflects the dedication, resilience, and curiosity we strive to nurture at Nexus.

This year, 52% of all Cambridge IGCSE grades were A or A*, and 55% of all Edexcel grades were 9–7, the equivalent of A*–A. Overall, an impressive 54% of all grades achieved were A*–A or 9–7, with the most common grade in English and Mathematics being an A* or 9/8.

One of these learners was Rayed, who achieved 9 A*-A or 9–8 grades in the 2025 IGCSEs. 

Rayed joined Nexus in Year 10 and is now in Year 11. With a strong passion for mathematics and coding, he hopes to study Computer Science at university and pursue a future career in artificial intelligence. Inspired by technological advancements and supported by his teachers, he thrives on challenges, particularly in maths, and values the resilience and problem-solving skills he has developed at Nexus.

We caught up with Rayed to talk about his results, how he prepared for his exams, and his journey at Nexus so far.

Could you introduce yourself (your first name, grade, and how long you have been at Nexus)?

My name is Rayed Ahmed Siddiqui. I’m in Grade 11, and I’ve been studying at Nexus for two years now.

I hope to study Computer Science at university, and in the future, I’d like to pursue a career in artificial intelligence.

Which subjects did you take for your IGCSEs, and why did you choose them?

I took Computer Science, Further Pure Maths, and Business as my optional subjects. 

I chose Computer Science because I enjoy coding, and since I had studied ICT in my previous school, I already had a good foundation in the content. I picked Further Pure Maths because I find maths interesting and I like challenging myself. It also gave me the opportunity to focus on maths in my first year of IGCSE, which helped me achieve a 9 in Higher. Finally, I chose Business because I had already studied some Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Accounting, so I was familiar with the topics and thought it would be useful for the future.

I also chose this combination because I was inspired by the rapid and incredible advancements in technology, especially in AI, over the last few years.

How did you approach preparing for your exams? Do you have any tips or strategies that might help other learners?

I mostly created flashcards for key terms and concepts that I needed to memorise, and I also did a lot of past papers to consolidate my knowledge. Looking through the mark schemes helped me understand what type of answers examiners expect for different questions. For subjects like Literature, I watched a lot of videos on the books and poems we studied to gain more knowledge and deepen my understanding.

In what ways has Nexus supported you in your learning journey and helped you to achieve success?

Nexus has supported me a lot throughout my education, especially through my teachers. My Computer Science teacher, Ms Hemangi, always informs me about coding competitions and unique opportunities. Thanks to her, I have been able to meet amazing people and work on really interesting projects.

What have been some of your favourite lessons or learning experiences at Nexus, and why did they stand out to you?

My favourite lesson at Nexus is Maths because my teacher, Mr Donohue, is friendly and always comes up with fun ways to teach. I also enjoy challenging myself with more difficult topics, and he supports me by giving me more advanced work. One of my favourite experiences is Neutrino Coffee which is a learner led coffee brand managed by Mr Raza. Neutrino has allowed me to become more confident when it comes to leadership and I learn new things about entrepreneurship every day.

Beyond academics, what other skills do you feel you have developed through your IGCSE subjects?

Mathematics has taught me resilience, patience, and the value of hard work. Most importantly, it showed me that it is okay not to get things right the first time. If you put in the time and effort, you can always improve and eventually solve even the hardest problems.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Nexus community? 

I always looked forward to tutor time with Ms. Kim. She is always happy to help and comes up with fun games that we all enjoy together.

Looking back, can you share one of your favourite memories from your IGCSE experience?

One of my favourite memories is from our EOTC trip to Bali. I went on a trek with my friends where we saw animals like monkeys and deer. Later, we went snorkelling and saw a coral reef. At the end of the trek, we ate pizza on an island while watching the sunset. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll never forget.

Are there any teachers you would like to highlight for their support or encouragement during your studies?

It’s hard to choose a favourite teacher because all of them have been so supportive and kind. But I will highlight my English teacher, Ms. Katie. She always encouraged us to do our best and helped a lot with exam preparation. She also came up with creative group activities like making posters. On top of that, all my teachers were willing to help us during the study break and held support sessions to make sure we felt ready for our exams.

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Congratulations once again to Rayed on his fantastic results and for sharing his story with us. His journey reflects the Taylor’s Schools philosophy of nurturing learners who are Relevant, Responsible and Resilient, ready to thrive in an ever-changing world.

At Nexus, we are proud to celebrate the achievements of all our learners. Their hard work, determination, and passion for learning continue to inspire us every day. You can find out more about our learners’ academic successes on our Academic Excellence page.