السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Welcome to Rochdale Islamic Academy for Boys. At RIAB, our Islamic values help us to make decisions from day-to-day that mean we behave and perform better, inspiring us to try harder as individuals, so that collectively we thrive. I would like to emphasise the principles of courage, honour and humility which are key to how we teach, learn and engage with others.
- Courage encourages us to innovate and take risks, inspiring change for the better. It means challenging adversity and complacency, making the most of opportunities, putting fear of failure to one side and staying the course, even when it is difficult.
- Honour is about doing the right thing, having the highest standards and leading by example.
- Humility asks us to recognise that one’s self is a work in progress and that struggling with one’s weaknesses is essential to growth. Humility increases our awareness that talent and achievement alone are insufficient to succeed as a human being and that none of us is at the centre of the universe.
Our Islamic values link closely to our Islamic foundational principles, their meanings are much more than their simple dictionary definitions. Outwardly, they give a sense of the distinctive quality of RIAB and express what we think is important. The willingness and ability to learn, to lead and to serve are what enable a life to be both well-lived and worthwhile. Our Purpose is to develop these qualities in our students during their five years with us:
- Scholarship –Encouraging intellectual curiosity, independent thought and effective learning habits. RIAB’s Islamic Curriculum promotes research and reflection, these intellectual pursuits develop the freedom and confidence to think and speak independently and mature our pupils into young men ready to serve their communities.
- Opportunity –Ensuring boys perform to their potential, thereby increasing their educational and career opportunities.
- Character –Developing and maturing the individual, enabling boys to uncover the talents, skills and values to be of good influence beyond RIAB. To develop a strong character, boys are encouraged to adopt a robust moral code and to embrace wholeheartedly all that RIAB has to offer.
While RIAB is, ostensibly, a traditional place, at its heart is a hunger for innovation. As our pupils’ needs develop, so too does the organisation that surrounds them. These priorities are underpinned by our Islamic values, which inspire all of us to try harder as individuals, so that collectively we thrive. Outwardly, they give a sense of the distinctive quality of RIAB, a wonderful place in which it is a delight to work and which I hope you will wish to learn more about.