History

We began as one of the first Muslim Schools in the UK.

Before, education was not an equal space for Muslim children in the UK. Yusuf Islam recognised this in the 80s and decided to build a school that could provide a safe and inclusive environment for Muslim students to excel academically. 

In 1983, Islamia Primary School was founded to meet a vital need. As our children progressed, we expanded into secondary education—establishing a a boys' school in 1996 (following the success of our girl's school, established in 1989).

Our enduring legacy has been to build the way where none exists. Almost three decades on, Brondesbury College continues to nurture the British Muslim pioneers of tomorrow. Read Founder’s Message

The first UK Muslim School to gain state funding 

Establishing a Muslim school in the UK was a mission fraught with challenges. 

Funding was always an issue in those early days. Despite tuition fees and private donations, Yusuf Islam remained the school’s primary benefactor through many of the crises we faced.

Gaining Voluntary Aided (VA) status—just as other faith-based schools had—would have solved many of our problems. It would have meant qualifying for 100% of running costs and a substantial portion of capital costs. But the process of securing it proved long and difficult.

Yusuf Islam applied repeatedly for Islamia’s right to receive state funding. Despite meeting all the requirements, our applications were rejected multiple times. Meanwhile, Jewish and Christian schools were granted VA status with ease, even nearby ones during our own application process. Was this institutional discrimination and double standards at work?

Yusuf Islam refused to give up. After almost a decade of ceaseless campaigning, we finally won VA status in 1998, becoming the first Muslim school in Britain to do so.

You can read more about the Islamia’s battle to gain state funding for UK Muslim schools, here in The Conversation article by Helen Carr.

Prince Charles visit to Islamia Primary School in May 2000

Pupils are extremely courteous and respectful to each other and adults. They are highly motivated and have a thirst for learning. Pupils feel very proud of their school. Their attendance is above average.

Ofsted 2018