Keep IPS open!

I have absolutely no desire for the school to be closed down from 2024.

The school became a VA school almost 20yrs ago now and when Islamia helped Brent Council out by taking in pupils from another local muslim school that closed down, this meant that the site that Islamia occupied was no longer fit for purpose as they were suddenly housing more students.

As a VA school it has been the responsibility of BRENT and not the YI Foundation to find an adequate site for the school that has been bursting at the seams for over a decade now and so I find it ludicrous that Brent say that they did not know about Islamia’s need for a new site until recently. That a brand new school is being given to two undersubscribed schools literally down the road in South Kilburn is absolutely ludicrous. Brent have known of IPS’s need for new premises for a long time - 16yrs to be precise. South Kilburn would have been a perfect solution as it is 5mins down the road from the current site and would have caused little to no disruption to parents and students.

Instead, (1) Parents and students are being threatened into accepting the Strathcona site or to face the school closing (2) local residents DO NOT want us there. They have cited good reason for this too ; the current infrastructure is insufficient and inappropriate, the traffic and air pollution is already intolerable and as a parent, I have no desire to be a nuisance to residents. By pushing this through in such a way, Brent will be forcing new parents into a hostile environment of rightly angered residents and this cannot be good for anyone. The Yusuf Islam foundation were clear at the first consultation meeting that if there was another site available that wouldn’t be ready for 2024, they would be willing to extend their eviction deadline. Brent Council were in attendance at that first meeting at Islamia - do not let them frame the narrative as the Yusuf Islam foundation’s undoing. This mess has been caused by BRENT. The excuse that South Kilburn won’t be ready in time for the eviction deadline is a false one - the foundation themselves said at the first meeting at IPS that they would extend the deadline.

Brent have made up their mind that the South Kilburn site wouldn’t be given to Islamia without ever offering it to the Yusuf Islam foundation. Islamia Primary school has contributed positively to the queens park area for decades and to be leaving them in the lurch like this is disgusting. Brent have only their best interests at heart - finally wash their hands of islamia by fobbing parents and students off with a literal industrial site in Wembley - and absolutely no consideration given to parents or locals. They need to do better. These two options cannot be accepted. We all deserve better. Brent cannot bulldoze ahead and ignore what people are saying.