The proposed site for Islamia Primary School, Brentfield Road, Neasden
On October 11th 2023 Wembley Matters speculated that the Leopold Primary School building in Brentfield Road (Gwnneth Rickus site), that had been earmarked for closure, could be a possible location for Islamia Primary School. LINK. Islamia had been given notice of eviction by the Yusuf Islam Foundation (YIF) that owned the Salusbury Road, Queens Park, site. The YIF wants to expand the nearby private Muslim secondary schools.
Now Sophia Moussaui, Chair of Islamia Governors, has written to parents to say that the Governors and Brent Council have agreed that the site could offer a positive solution for the future of the Islamia Primary School.
The proposal goes to Brent Cabinet on May 19th and if planned progress goes well Islamia could open on the new site in September 2027. The YIF has extended the eviction notice until August 2027 but states that if the school does not move the eviction will go ahead.
An informal consultation, managed by the Governing Body, will go ahead at the end of this month if the Cabinet agrees the proposal followed by public meetings at Islamia in the first two weeks of June.
Ms Moussaui writes:
We understand that any change brings questions and we are committed to keep you fully informed as the process develops.
The Cabinet Paper (available HERE) includes the following points (my emphasis):
Islamia Primary School (IPS) is one of Brent’s most popular schools as the only state Muslim school in the borough. The school has 418 pupils on roll (School Census January 2025) and each year the 60 Reception places are usually offered to families who applied for the school as their first preference. The school has a high sibling factor with 43% of Reception places in both September 2025 and September 2024 offered to siblings. The majority of pupils on roll are from Brent. The numbers of out-of-borough children offered was historically low. However, this has changed since the school removed a local catchment area from its admission arrangements in 2020. 21.5% of current students live outside Brent.
This is an increase on the figures from January 2024 (17.2%) and January 2023 (14.4%). 36.7% of offers made for Reception in September 2025 are for children who live outside Brent.
It is recognised that relocating Islamia Primary School to the Gwenneth Rickus site could give concern to parents and staff who are impacted by and objected to the closure of the Leopold Primary School provision on the site. Other local schools may also be concerned that the location of the IPS on the Gwenneth Rickus site could impact on their pupil numbers. It is the case that Islamia Primary School may attract local pupils in the future. However, as the only Muslim faith school in Brent, IPS draws from a wide area across the borough and for some pupils attending the school the site will be closer to where they live. The school also recruits pupils from other boroughs. Furthermore, the high sibling factor in the school’s intakes (over 40%) means that many families currently attending the school will continue to access places in the future. Given the wide geographic area that the school serves, the school would be expected to develop a sustainable travel plan that includes public transport
£2.8m of Targeted Capital Fund was transferred from IPS to Brent by the DfE in 2012 in order to manage and deliver the planned IPS new build following the school’s unsuccessful attempt at delivering the project. The design of the Salusbury Road site expansion referred to in paragraph 3.2.3 was funded using £200K of the TCF and therefore £2.6m remains. The DfE has agreed on an annual basis for this funding to be rolled forward until such time as a permanent solution for IPS has been identified. They have been asked to consider if this funding could be made available for investment in the Gwenneth Rickus site, recognizing that it is not required to provide basic need accommodation. As this would not meet the criteria for the targeted capital programme under which this funding was provided, the DfE may require it to be returned
The school’s DSG allocation currently includes £63K in split site funding, which is an element in the national funding formula allocated to schools that operate from more than one site. The school would no longer be eligible for this funding if it relocated to the Gwenneth Rickus site, reducing its per pupil funding by £150 per pupil.
The 206 and 224 buses stop near the school and the 18 passes the junction with Brentfield Road. The 260 and 266 stop a little further away in Harlesden. The 206 is already busy with south-north school pupil travel and the service would need to be improved. Double-deckers have already been introduced at some periods.
An Islamia Primary parent commented:
Twenty odd years and they come up with a school miles away. I think there are many missed opportunities.
11 comments:
This is an improvement from the ill thought Strathcona site. The Governing Body got lucky as falling numbers in primary schools have made the Brentfield site available.
I agree with the comment. I don't think the management did a stellar job in securing a suitable space. Uprooting a school from its community is not a win.
This is wonderful! The site is bigger and the space allows for more students to be admitted to the school. I’m in the current catchment area but low priority so on a waiting list. This new place will be right behind my house! Can’t wait
Why are we pro segregation and not integration of islamia’s pupils into other schools? Why is it the role of the council to gift islamia a school and instead not reopen leopold generally or as a different type of inclusive school
The only reason Leopold will be well attended is because it will be a Muslim school. It might actually attract kids from neighbouring schools. People want faith schools and in the face of the erosion of family values it is understandable.
“In the erosion of family values”? What does that mean? Some families values relate to inclusion and also reducing their environmental impact. How does segregation and encouraging car miles sit with this?
Inclusion means tolerance as well. If people value their faith why stop them from having faith schools? Are you really for inclusion or people blending in so much that they lose their identity? And in regards to environmental impact and encouraging car miles you will have to take it up to Yusuf Islam who is evicting the school he founded, Brent Council which failed to find an adequate local solution for over 15 years and Islamia's Governing Body which kept missing chance after chance to seize opportunities.
For your information they all seriously pushed for moving the school to South Kenton, which is 6 miles away, not so long ago. So you can see how deeply they care about the environment and the families they serve. So let's not blame families for wanting an environment that promotes their faith but those who are committed to ridiculous decisions.
You say: “Are you really for inclusion or people blending in so much that they lose their identity?”
Your concern of “people losing their identity” is a direct parallel of BNP / white nationalism and the ‘great replacement theory’
Did you hear PM Keir Starmer today, saying that the UK is turning “into an island of strangers”.
What are your thoughts?
Still waiting.
Do you really think that Starmer cares about social cohesion, inclusion and people being united?
And your parallel with BNP is nonsense. The vast majority in this country believes in inclusion, tolerance and diversity they don't. They don't like people worshipping anything other than a flag. What about you?
I think it is a nonsense to suggest muslim children in intergrated schools (or workplaces perhaps) lose their identity. Because the majority of Muslim children in brent, go to integrated schools. I was comparing your view that children will ‘lose their identity’ with the BNP.
Post a Comment