The Weekend Madrasah (Saturday Islamic School – SIS) commenced from September 2018. The vision of the Weekend Madrasah has always been to continue with the learning foundations established by students from the extensive curriculum of the Weekday madrasah. However, in recognition that older students will have different priorities in secondary school, the Weekend curriculum is purposefully designed to study subjects in depth rather than in breadth and as such the focus is on three main areas; Arabic language, Islamic Studies and Quran.

The aspiration of SIS is that students will not only be able to recite the Quran with Tajweed, memorise various chapters of the Quran over time and understand, contemplate and embed into their lives, the meaning of the message conveyed in the glorious Quran.

 Assembly

Each day starts with a short, uplifting school assembly which is integral to develop a sense of unity, share valuable lessons and develop core values. Assemblies are designed to be interactive so that real life dilemmas that students experience can be understood and explored in a safe environment. It is acknowledged and expected that students with curious minds may have many unanswered questions, and the assembly is one platform to offer a growth mindset in an Islamic environment.

Arabic Language Syllabus

Saturday Madrasah has a comprehensive Arabic language programme, studying the prestigious Al ‘Arabiŷah Bayna Yadayk syllabus. This programme designed by scholars, linguists and educators is aimed at equipping the student with the fundamental skills of understanding the Arabic Language.

Attainment Levels

Year 1: Book 1 (Chapters 1-8 – Level 6)

Year 2: Book 1 (Chapters 9-16 – Level 7)

Year 3: Book 2 (Chapters 1-8) – GCSE B

Islamic Studies Syllabus 

The Islamic Studies curriculum is based on the Weekend Learning Series textbooks, which are designed for students living in the West.

The textbooks feature a variety of activities, including word matching and scrambles, fill-in-the-blanks, and more. There are lesson objectives at the beginning of each chapter, built-in homework sections, and vocabulary words at the end of each chapter.

Attainment Levels

Year 1: 

Level 6 Weekend Learning Series book is for 10-13 year old children.

Topics covered include:

• Objective of the Quran and the Compilation of the Quran
• Morals and activities from the lives of Nuh (A), Dawud (A), Sulaiman (A). The life and activities of Musa (A)
• Life and works of Khadijah, Aishah and Fatimah (RA)

Year 2

Level 7 Weekend Learning Series book is for 11-14 year old children.

Topics covered include:

• The names of the Qur’an, seeking forgiveness and protection, physical and spiritual purification, guarding your tongue
• Summarised biography of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) with an understanding of events that shaped his early life and Islam

Year 3

Level 8 Weekend Learning Series book is for 12-15 year old children.

Topics covered include:

• Trials in Life, Importance of Hope, Friends and Friendship, Duties Toward Parents
• Key events from Rasulullah’s (SAW) life in Makkah
• Several other topics on Islamic values and morals

Quran Syllabus

The Quran syllabus at Saturday Madrasah focuses on refining recitation with Tajweed and the memorisation of Juz ‘Amma (30th Juz of the Qur’an).

Pupils who have already memorised Juz ‘Amma can consolidate and strengthen their memorisation of it and then move on to memorising other selected Surahs and Ayaat. Often pupils choose to move on to Juz Tabaarak (29th Juz).

Age Range:

The Weekend curriculum is designed for Secondary age children. There is a pre-requisite that all students will have basic recognition of the Arabic letters and an ability to recite with fluency. An entrance test will be taken to determine, which level a student will be placed on or whether a student can be enrolled, prior to admission. In exceptional circumstances younger students can be considered at the discretion of the class teachers.      

 Dress Code

 Saturday Islamic School does not have a mandatory uniform policy. However, all students are strongly reminded to wear appropriate Islamic attire that is in keeping with attending a Masjid first and foremost. This is to ensure that students are permitted into the masjid and secondly students get into the mindset that they are entering a place of learning.