s a y s

Blessings

All praises to the Almighty, Lords of the Worlds and the Master of our fortunes Salutations to our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the seal of the Prophets and the guide for all humanity.

As we are in the midst of Ramadhaan I begin by reminding myself:

“Whoever relies on Allaah – then He is sufficient for him ”

Al-Quran (Surah At-Talaq 65:3)

This ayah reminds us that we simply need to put our trust in the Almighty and great things will happen! We have seen this happen multiple times this term, Alhamdullillah. Evident by the number of opportunities our students have seized and gained success in. We have participated in many competitions like CyberFirst where we came 3rd nationally, we also won the award for the most number of teams entered for CyberFirst for the 2nd year running We have had the UKMT – Intermediate Challenge (Year 9 - Year10), where we achieved 3 gold, 6 silver and 10 bronze awards Our Year 7 Netball is currently in a league of its own with its current match record.

However, all these accolades can only come after you “tie your camel” – you have to put the hard work in before you can reap the rewards

Malik (Year 11) won the award for Inspirational Learner of the Year We have also seen the return of international trips, where 24 students along with four staff went on an Islamic heritage tour of Al-Andalus, immersing themselves into Moorish traditions and culture

Most importantly, this term has welcomed Ramadhaan – the month of Mercy A Spirituality Day was organised to prepare for Ramadhaan, students learnt about the art of du’aa (supplication) and had the opportunity to write their perfect du’aa. Prior to Ramadhaan we also saw the devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey and within a fortnight our school community of students, parents and staff raised over £10,000 as part of the emergency relief efforts. This Ramadhaan we are continuing to raise money for Syria to help rebuild their homes and lives in the aftermath of natural disaster We are also supporting our communities around our school by providing food vouchers, food packs and hygiene kits to impoverished families.

With fasting comes the breaking of the fast – Number 10 Downing Street held the first Iftaar gathering in its history and as the Principal of Eden I was invited to this momentous occasion to represent our school We also held our annual Big Iftaar where guests, staff and alumni students spoke of the importance of faith, staying true to your values and serving the community.

The upcoming holidays will allow families to focus on the last 10 days of Ramadhaan, our students will be able to participate in Qiyam ul-Layl and observe Laylatul-Qadr with rigour; and then welcome in the joyous occasion of Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadhaan.

Our Year 11s are gaining a real insight into this as they are studying and revising early in the morning till late in the evening, staying behind in school till late and during the weekends for extra sessions to help them They have had a small taste of success when they had their Mock Results Day in January Insha’Allaah once their hard work is done, they can turn to Allaah and await the results that they have worked hard for.

We pray that you have a blessed Eid, filled with mercy, love and happiness with your nearest and dearest Eid Mubarak!

Ms Aamena Mayet

On Tuesday 28th March/6th Ramadhaan, Ms Mayet was invited to Number 10 Downing Street for Iftar. The Conservative Party Chairman, Rt Hon Greg Hands MP was hosting the event and Naz Legacy Foundation had organised the event. It was an historic moment as this was the first time in the history of our politics such an event had been held at Number 10 Downing Street. It was also possibly the first time a congregational salaah had been prayed in this monumental building. A number of notable Muslim figures from a broad spectrum of the civil service sector had been invited, such as religious leaders, NHS staff, community leaders, councillors, charity workers and educators. Our sister primary school Olive Hackney was also invited, and their choir sang a beautiful nasheed about Ramadhaan for the guests in attendance. The highlight of the evening was when Ms Mayet was also lucky enough to meet one of the longest residents of Number 10 – Larry the Cat!

Iftarevent2023

On Friday 31st March we hosted our annual, The Big Iftar event in school. The event sold out in under 24 hours, with 150 students, staff and guests attending the event. It was great to welcome a variety of guests who shared their experiences of how 'faith' unites communities.

Starawards2023

#IWD2023

This International Women's Day we invited a host of female guests to inspire and motivate our Edonians. Karis from an Asset Management Firm shares her experience of working for Royal London in asset management.

The Star Awards took place in Blackburn in March

The Star Awards is an opportunity to celebrate the best of Star Academies. Students, Staff and Governors are nominated by their peers The shortlisted finalists are invited to a glitz and glamour event where the final winners are announced

Congratulations to Yr 11 pupils Zahra Malik for winning Inspirational Learner of the Year and Ms Dadabhoy for being shortlisted as Support Staff of the Year

Ukraine

Students observe the national minute of silence for the lives lost in Ukraine

Pupils reflect on the meaning of life and pray for the lives lost