As we reach the end of another busy and exciting term at Iqra, we are delighted to share with you all the wonderful experiences and achievements of our pupils. From engaging competitions and inspiring Ramadan projects to exciting interfaith connections and hands-on learning during Science Week, our school has been buzzing with enthusiasm and creativity. This newsletter highlights some of the fantastic events that have taken place, celebrating our children’s hard work, curiosity, and love for learning. We hope you enjoy reading about their journey as much as we have enjoyed guiding them through it!

Our Monthly Value – The Qur’an

This month, our values focus has been on the Qur’an, and children across the school have been learning about its importance as a source of guidance in our daily lives. They have explored how the Qur’an shapes our character, teaches us right from wrong, and encourages us to seek knowledge. A beautiful hadith reminds us of the special connection we should have with the Qur’an:

“The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” (Bukhari)

Through discussions, activities, and reflections, our pupils have been deepening their love and appreciation for the words of Allah, striving to embody its teachings in their actions.

Ramadan Assemblies

This year, we were delighted to hold our first Ramadan assemblies in the new building, making the occasion even more special. The celebrations began with our Early Years and Nursery children, who treated parents to a heartwarming presentation on Ramadan and fasting, accompanied by beautiful nasheeds. As the assemblies continued, the rest of the school shared inspiring stories of the Prophets, each presented in a unique and creative way. Throughout the performances, the key themes of faith, patience, and reliance shone through, reminding us all of the important lessons Ramadan teaches us. Parents were particularly impressed by the children’s knowledge of the Surahs of the Qur’an. It was a truly uplifting experience for pupils, staff, and parents alike!

St. Andrews Visit – Building Interfaith Connections

As part of our interfaith initiative, we welcomed pupils from St. Andrews to Iqra, where they were greeted with a beautiful Qur’an recitation. Ustadh Kasujja introduced them to the Qur’an and led activities fostering connection and mutual respect. Pupils built a web of shared interests, played bingo in mixed groups, and designed flags promoting religious respect. A student from St. Andrews reflected, “Being patient leads you to the light.” Ustadh Kasujja linked their messages to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), emphasizing kindness to all. The visit ended with a warm exchange of gifts and friendships.

Our mornings at Iqra have been filled with inspiration as pupils eagerly watch two-minute Ramadan reminder videos, sharing beautiful lessons from the Qur’an. These uplifting reflections on patience, reliance on Allah, making du’a, and doing good deeds—drawn from the stories of the Prophets and the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)—have brought a wonderful start and created an atmosphere of blessings to our school community. It has been heartwarming to see the children so engaged and excited to start their day with these meaningful reminders!

Spelling Bee & Mathletics – Learning Through Competition!

At Iqra, we’ve launched exciting whole-school events to make learning even more engaging! In Autumn 2, our Spelling Bee had pupils mastering their year-group spellings, competing through elimination rounds, and facing the final live on stage. The atmosphere was electric, and after a tense competition, our winners were Zara, Musa, and Rahma for KS1, Ikhlaas for LKS2, and Hafsa for UKS2—well done to all!

In Spring 1, our Mathletics competition brought teams together to tackle vocabulary challenges, arithmetic problems, a multiplication speed test, and an intense Countdown round. It was fantastic to see the children’s enthusiasm, teamwork, and love for learning in action!

World Book Day

This year, we celebrated World Book Day early to avoid Ramadan, and the children amazed us with their imaginative costumes! They put their book knowledge to the test in an exciting quiz, showing just how much they love reading. During our Book Week, classes were treated to different teachers coming in to read books to them, and our book fair was a great success, raising £450 worth of books for our library. Later in the week, we had the privilege of welcoming John Rowe, an international storyteller, who captivated the children with fascinating tales from different cultures around the world. It was a fantastic celebration of stories, imagination, and the joy of reading!

Afterschool Clubs – Summer Term

We are excited to introduce our afterschool clubs for the summer term! Due to limited availability, each child may select only one club. Most clubs will run for 6 weeks, except Jiu Jitsu, which will run for 12 weeks.

Each club has a maximum of 15 children, and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline to register is 20th March 2025, and the payment deadline is 1pm on 25th March 2025. If payments are not made by the deadline, spaces will be offered to those next on the waiting list. We look forward to another fantastic term of enrichment activities! For further information please check your school ping.

During Science Week, our pupils immersed themselves in exciting hands-on learning, all focused on the theme of adaptation and change. Year R had an amazing Science Day, exploring the theme of “Let’s Create an Animal” with fun activities. Year 1 practiced ‘Deep Sea Yoga,’ connecting movement with the environment. Year 2 investigated the life cycles of animals and plants, while Year 3 explored how animals adapt to different environments using their surroundings and bodies. Year 4 delved into habitats, learning how animals are specifically adapted to survive in different environments. Year 5 took their learning further by designing their own “super adapted animals,” considering the special features their creatures would need to survive in changing conditions. Year 6 had a blast experimenting with Oobleck—a non-Newtonian fluid made of cornflour and water that behaves like a solid when squeezed but flows like a liquid when left alone. It was a week full of exploration, creativity, and scientific discovery!

Ramadan Projects – The Stories of the Prophets

This year, our Ramadan projects focused on the theme of the Prophets, and we were amazed by the creativity and effort shown by both the children and parents! The projects brought the stories of the Prophets to life, with entries on Prophet Adam, Nuh, Yusuf, Ibrahim, and of course, the first revelation to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and them all). The children had the opportunity to view each other’s projects, showcasing the amazing work and research that had taken place. Well done to everyone involved in making these projects such a meaningful and inspiring part of our Ramadan celebrations!

Qur’an Quest Competition

We ended the term with an exciting Qur’an Quest competition, where children from each class were selected to compete in a thrilling test of their Qur’anic knowledge. The competition featured “Who Am I?” questions, a numbers round, and recitations from the children, all of which kept the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats. Even the parents had their turn, as some questions were thrown their way! The atmosphere was electric, and after a closely contested event, Team Crescent Moon emerged as the winners. Well done to all the participants for their incredible effort and enthusiasm!