Our beginnings

In the early 2000s, there was a need for Islamic Schools which not only provided a good grounding in Islamic education and character education/tarbiyya, but also provided a high quality academic education, enabling our community’s next generation to pursue further studies.

Dr Nasrullah was approached by a group in the Mosque and asked to head the project, given his academic background. After repeated discussions, where Dr Nasrullah explained his work was as a University researcher, not in schooling, the final challenge was given as: “We are going to complain on the Day of Judgement to Allah (SWT), that we wanted to open a School but Dr Nasrullah did not help us”. On hearing this, Dr Nasrullah spoke to the mosque teacher of his own children, and his Shaykh, who both gave their full support, encouragement, and dua’s.

This group of like-minded individuals got together to found Al-Burhan, with the intention of developing an Islamic Grammar School to, inshaAllah, give pupils the best possible start in life, and to give them a foundation for success in both deen and dunya.

Al-Burhan opened its door in September 2002 in a small house with 5 rooms at 42 Bertha Road, Spark Hill. There were 8 students, spread across Years 7-9. There was one aim in mind: to make a difference to the upbringing of children, to better their educational prospects and to help them succeed in this life and the hereafter. In so doing, the mothers of the future could be given the tools to make a positive contribution to society.

Move to George Street

The School moved to a new campus at 28a George Street, Balsall Heath, in March 2003. There, the students on roll grew from 15 pupils to 100 by the end of 2012. It was here that facilities could be expanded to include a science laboratory, a library and a fully equipped ICT room, in order to meet students’ educational needs more fully. Al-Burhan remained at this site for over ten years.

The Al-Burhan Foundation purchased the current Spring Road site in December 2012. This site was built by the NHS and used as a day care centre. The School moved to this new site in January 2013.

Currently

The present campus is made up of four inter-connected buildings. Three buildings, West, North and South form a U-shaped layout around a central courtyard. The campus has a much bigger open space to be used as a playground. The West building houses the ICT Room, Science Laboratory, staff room, staff toilets, sick room and subject teaching rooms. The South building houses the main reception, administration offices, Prayer hall, a staff kitchen, library and subject teaching rooms. The North building houses Art room, dining hall, Staff room, disabled toilet and pupil’s toilets.

The fourth building is located on Summer Road and connected to the playground via an open space. Although this building is currently not in use, it is being slowly refurbished into a dedicated prayer hall.

Al-Burhan is currently at another transitional stage where, alhamdulillah, some years are two-form entry. This has meant that there is a further need to expand. Al-Burhan Foundation is a non-profit making organisation with a firm commitment to reinvest any gain in order to add to the educational resources of the school. Current projects are aimed at supporting and enabling the expansion of the School.