Al-Sadiq & Al-Zahra Schools are among the oldest and most established Shia Muslim faith schools in Europe. Founded in 1991 by Grand Ayatollah Khoei(ra), we have served the British Shia Muslim community for over three decades, nurturing two generations of pupils in faith, academic excellence, character and community service.
We recognise that for some families, the cost of an independent faith education can be a genuine barrier, particularly in the light of recent financial pressures facing many households in our community. The Lady Khadija(sa) Bursary Scheme has been established to ensure that financial circumstances alone do not stand between a deserving child and the education they deserve.
The Scheme is named in honour of Lady Khadija(sa), the first woman to embrace Islam, whose generosity and unwavering support gave strength to the Prophet Muhammad’s(pbuh) mission. It is in that same spirit of purposeful generosity that this Scheme exists.
A bursary is a means-tested financial award that reduces or removes the cost of tuition fees for eligible families. While this is not a loan and there is no obligation to repay, parents are encouraged, where their circumstances permit, to support the continuation of this service to the community through voluntary donations. Awards are assessed based on financial need and family circumstances, and are reviewed annually.
Bursary awards range from a partial reduction to full remission of tuition fees, depending on assessed need.
The Scheme is open to:
There is no restriction by year group. Applications are considered for all stages from Reception through to Year 11.
Applications for a bursary are handled entirely separately and confidentially from the standard admissions process. Submitting a bursary application will have no bearing on your child’s admissions assessment.
Families may apply for a bursary before, during or after registering their child for a place. You may also choose to await the outcome of your bursary application before confirming your admissions registration.
To apply, please complete the confidential online Bursary Application Form.
The form asks about your household circumstances and the child you are applying on behalf of. You are also welcome to upload any supporting documents at the time of submission.
We take the confidentiality of all applications very seriously. Your application and its outcome will be accessible only to the school’s Bursary Committee, relevant administrative staff involved in fee processing and registration, and authorised representatives of our funding partners where required for audit or accountability purposes. In the event of an appeal, the Proprietor Trustee handling the appeal will also have access to the relevant application and decision. All parties are bound by strict confidentiality obligations. Your application will not be disclosed to other pupils, parents, or staff beyond those with a legitimate need to know.
Once your application is received, the school’s Bursary Committee will review it against our assessment framework. We may contact you to request additional information or documentation. You will be notified of the outcome in writing.
For full details of how the Scheme operates, including our assessment criteria, review process and appeals procedure, please read The Lady Khadija(sa) Bursary Scheme — Policy & Procedures.
If you would like to discuss your circumstances informally and in confidence before applying, please do not hesitate to contact us on bursary@asazs.co.uk. We are here to help.