- Do you have a Hifz programme?
- Do you have adult classes?
- Do you have any experience of working with children with special needs?
- Do you take children younger than four?
- How long is your waiting list?
- Do you offer any discounts?
- How do I pay for the classes?
- I’m having trouble paying my fee this term. Who do I talk to?
- I’d like to donate to the Academy. How can do this?
- Why do you ask for Gift Aid?
- What can I do at home to support my child?
- Where can I buy books and book bags?
At TOP Academy, we have advanced recitation classes for students that have a firm understanding and application of the tajweed rules. Initially, our focus is perfecting a student’s reading and recitation with tajweed, so that their foundations are firm. When children are young, they have a brilliant ability to memorise quickly and this is encouraged from a young age – starting with Surah Al-Fatiha and working through the smaller surahs of Juzz Amma, as well as daily duas.
Once a student’s tajweed is sound, we encourage them to memorise at a faster pace, applying the rules of tajweed along the way. This pace of memorisation will depend on each individual’s ability and dedication – students may continue to memorise as they read their full khatm of the Qur’an, or they may prefer to simply read, with the correct pronunciation and application of the tajweed rules. Either way, TOP Academy is committed to supporting students reach their full potential.
TOP Academy is for under 16’s only. For adult classes, please visit The Olton Project’s main website – click here.
Yes, in fact some of our teachers and assistants have extensive experience, working with children with learning difficulties, autism and physical disabilities. The Academy is fully-accessible to wheelchairs, via the side door, and we have a disabled toilet, for children to use. Our classes are fully inclusive, and we take special care of individuals who have particular learning requirements.
We have found, from experience, that after their fourth birthday children are ready to learn about their faith and are able to concentrate for the duration a full Qur’an and Islamic Studies class. Our TOP kids classes are structured so that the children shift from activity to activity, in short bursts – much like at school – but a certain level of independence and focus is required, for the students to fully benefit from their lessons, including being completely toilet trained. For this reason, we only accept students of school nursery age (from the September after their fourth birthday), although you can put your child’s name down over a year in advance, on our waiting list.
If you are interested in a class, please be sure to enquire as soon as possible, to avoid disappointment. Nearly all our classes have a waiting list, and some are filled up a year in advance. We are strict in adhering to our own teacher-to-pupil ratios, to maintain a high quality of teaching. The wait for classes is longer at weekends, but we usually have availability in September each year, for a limited number of students.
Yes, each sibling receives a £5 per term discount off their fee, if they are enrolled at the same time. We also offer an annual of 10% off the total of your fees, if you pay up-front, for the academic year.
We will invoice you via email for a full school term’s fees, in advance (i.e. at the beginning of the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms). You can also pay for the whole year, up-front. All payments need to be made by bank transfer, and are due within 30 days of receipt of your invoice.
Please email payments@theoltonproject.com and we can discuss your individual situation. We are happy to support our parents, in any way we can.
You can donate a sadaqah jariyah (voluntary charity) to The Olton Project, TOP Academy’s parent charity, which will support classroom maintenance, our teachers, learning resources and running the masjid itself, including our community facilities. Your donations will also contribute towards local dawah projects and support new local Muslims. You can donate by selecting the purple button on the screen. Please complete the Gift Aid form, if you are eligible.
TOP Academy is a part of The Olton Project CIO, registered charity no: 1183781. We use Gift Aid donations to support all our activities at TOP – not just within the Academy. This money is important for improving the site, paying bills, etc.
You can turn your course fees into a donation by completing a Gift Aid declaration. By donating your fees to TOP CIO, your Academy courses will be free and we will able to reclaim an additional 25% on top of your donation, from the government. Please click here, to complete the declaration: Gift Aid declaration. Please note, you must pay enough tax each year to cover the amount of your fees, or you will not be eligible for Gift Aid.
Practicing Qur’an daily is our recommendation – listening to Shaykh Husary’s recitation, in particular, as it is slow and easy to follow. Islamic Studies and iSyllabus students have homework each week, that should be completed to secure their knowledge, while TOP kids students should read their qaida, at least once a week and practice memorising their surahs.
You can pick these up from TOP, during your child’s usual class time. Book bags are £10 each, Safar and Qaida Books £5 each and iSyllabus textbooks £15 each. We would prefer payments in cash in a sealed envelope, with your child’s name on.