The future of Islamia Primary School on the agenda for Brent Cabinet's May 19th Meeting

 From the school website

 

Readers will remember the controversy over  state-funded Islamia Primary School currently housed in Queens Park. The school was given an eviction notice by the land owner, the Yusuf Islam Foundation, as it wanted to expand the neighbouring private secondary schools.

An informal consultation was held that rejected the school moving to the Strathcona site in Preston ward. Calls for it to be housed on the site in South Kiburn set aside for the merged Carlton Vale Infants and Kilburn Park Junior schools was rejected by Brent Council. Islamia parents cited the very low pupil numbers at those schools compared with the over-subscribed Islamia Primary. Brent Council argued that the numbers at the new South Kilburn Primary would increase as the regeneration progressed and attractive new resources were offered.

My suggestion in a question at Full Council asking if the soon to be closed Brentfield Road site of Leopold Primary School could be allocated to Islamia Primary received this response from Lead Member for Schools, Cllr Gwen Grahl in November last year:

The Yusuf Islam Foundation is still considering whether it wishes to proceed with the relocation to the Strathcona site following consultation in autumn 2022. No timescale for the relocation has been agreed. Should this proposed use of the Strathcona site not proceed, the site will be used to develop additional provision for children with SEND. In this event, the local authority would continue to work with the Yusuf Islam Foundation to identify a suitable alternative site for the school.

 

As set out in the refreshed School Place Planning Strategy 2024-2028, agreed by Cabinet on 12 November 2024, consideration will be given to opportunities to use any spare capacity within the primary school sector to expand provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, given the increasing need across the borough.

 

The Gwenneth Rickus site of Leopold Primary School will continue to be used for mainstream primary provision until September 2027 and the Council has not determined the future use of the site, that could also include provision for SEND.

A new SEND school is to be be opened in London Road, Wembley.

After a long silence the issue has reappeared as 'The Future of Islamia Primary School' on the Brent Cabinet Agenda for the  May 19th meeting 'for determination'.

There is little more information except a note stating 'There could be an exempt appendix as legal guidance.'

I will update readers as soon a I have more information,

 

Islamia Primary parents petition for the school to be allocated the planned 2 form entry South Kilburn school site

Following the unsuccessful but hard fought campaign to keep the Roe Green Strathcona site open LINK, including suggestions for additional educational use, there was speculation about the future use of the site.  Recently Islamia Primary parents were told  it would be offered to Islamia, a voluntary aided school which is due to leave its present Queen's Park site and requires larger accommodation to meet a strong demand for places.

Islamia parents have launched a petition to have the new two form entry primary school planned for South Kilburn to them, citing low pupils numbers at Carlton Vale Infants and Kilburn Park Juniors as not justifying their occupation of the site.   They argue that Strathcona in Kingsbury is too far away from Islamia's present site in Queen's Park and the move and travel involved will impact on less well-off families.

Brent Council will point to an anticipated increase in pupil numbers in the future as the redevelopment of the South Kilburn estate continues. as justifying allocation to Carlton Vale and Kilburn Park. It would be an estate school serving the whole local community and minimise the need to travel, thus addressing climate emergency goals.

This is the petition LINK:

We the undersigned petition the council to Allocate the brand new 2FE school (that will be built as part of South Kilburn's regeneration area) to Islamia Primary School. There is no shortage of mainstream primary school places in the area, most primary schools in the area are operating well below capacity. However, Islamia is oversubscribed and needs a permanent new building to house its 420 children.

Islamia Primary School (established in 1983) is a two form entry faith based voluntary-aided school situated in Queen's Park, North West London.

Islamia Primary school's children have been served with an eviction notice from the Yusuf Islam Foundation. The school is at risk of closing down if a new site is not found soon.

Islamia's parents feel extremely anxious and have already outlined how the current proposal to use the former Roe Green Strathcona school site (which is over 6 miles away from the school's current location) to house Islamia's children is highly unsuitable, unaffordable, unsafe and impractical for current families. It will sadly leave behind the most disadvantaged and vulnerable families.

Brent Council has informed Islamia families that there are no options at the moment due to the shortage of land in the area.

Nevertheless, the council is in the process of delivering a brand new 2 Form Entry school as part of the current regeneration scheme in South Kilburn.

The future school is currently earmarked for Carlton Vale infants school and Kilburn Park school.Government data shows that these split site 2FE schools are currently operating well below their full capacity:

Kilburn Park ( NW6) currently has 110 pupils enrolled although it can accommodate 240 and Carlton Vale (NW6) has a capacity of 230 spaces, currently only 78 of those are filled.

Moreover, most neighbouring Brent schools are also operating well below their full capacity and can easily accommodate children from the demolished schools.

On the other hand, Islamia is a heavily oversubscribed and popular faith school and the hardest primary school to get into in Brent. There are currently 420 pupils enrolled and the school also has to manage a long waiting list.

Islamia is the only state funded Muslim denomination school in the area therefore, if the school closes down, this will have a detrimental impact on the lives of the Muslim children currently attending.

For these reasons, it is utterly incomprehensible why Islamia, an oversubscribed Brent school is not being considered for the new school.

Please secure the future of Islamia

Started by: Jamad Guled

This ePetition runs from 07/07/2022 to 18/08/2022.

395 people have signed this ePetition.