Welcome to Andalusia Academy Bristol
‘Andalusia Academy Bristol continues to provide a good quality of education and meets its aims. Pupils behaviour is outstanding and they make good progress because of the good teaching and assessment, supported by the good curriculum.’ OFSTED MAY 2010
We are the only full time independent school with an Islamic ethos in the southwest. We opened our doors in 2005 and currently have over 215 pupils. Andalusia Academy Bristol caters for primary girls and boys, and secondary girls. It is run by Bristol Islamic Schools Trust (BIST), which was established in 1997 to create a school that teaches the National Curriculum in an Islamic environment. Located in the heart of the city the school reflects the broad mix of social backgrounds within the surrounding community. We value every child in our school and want to help them realise their full potential through our well-designed curriculum and dedicated staff.
As a school with an Islamic ethos, the education we provide helps to prepare and equip our children with the necessary tools to make a positive contribution to the wider society. We want them to be successful in this world and the hereafter. Our vision is to create a centre of excellence where the children are nurtured both spiritually and intellectually and go forward to become proud, aspiring, and confident Muslims who are respectful and tolerant of others. We are confident that our friendly and caring Islamic environment delivers a sound education for your child. This sets us apart from any other school in Bristol.
Andalusia Academy Bristol is an alliance of teachers and parents who are working towards a common goal.
APPOINTMENT OF NEW HEADTEACHER
We are extremely delighted to announce the appointment of our new Headteacher for AAB, Mrs Margaret Bainbridge. Mrs Bainbridge has served the interests of young people in Gloucestershire during the 14 years of headship at the High School for Girls in Gloucester between 1992 to 2006. During that period, her school grew from 500 to 850 students and thus became an over-subscribed four-form entry grammar school. Great changes took place during her years of headship, and she gained a great deal of experience of managing available resources. Mrs Bainbridge is passionately committed to achieving the best outcomes for her students. and understands that a good school is one which goes beyond expected levels of achievement, not just in terms of overall achievements, but in terms of the outcomes for every student. Since leaving the High School for Girls in Gloucester, much of the past 4 years has been spent going into schools all over the country, and asking questions of the school leaders. Many Heads who have been happy to describe their school as outstanding are well aware that they have some way to go before they can say that all their students are performing to the best of their ability. Margaret has been privileged to work in some of the best grammar schools in the country; and has also worked in selective schools which fall far short of providing a grammar school education to their students, and where standards were unacceptably low. Since working as a consultant at AAB this past year, Margaret has offered leadership group support, conducted subject reviews and contributed towards the school improvement plan. Her work with a variety of schools has enabled her to maintain up-to-date knowledge of the issues affecting schools nationally, while at the same time enhancing her skills at leadership level. She is well-informed about all the key issues affecting schools and school leaders and we have every confidence that as the Head of AAB she will be able to bring her breadth of knowledge and make our school just as successful as her former. Margaret is also the Chair of an outstanding state school in Gloucester called Coney Hill and is a qualified Magistrate.
" I am looking forward to the challenges of this exciting new post. I hope all my previous experiences in education will prove valuable, and enable me to take the school forward and raise the already high standards. Having spent time at AAB this year, I have been impressed by the dedication and commitment of all the staff, and the motivation and work ethic of the pupils. This is a sure recipe for success, and I relish the prospect of being part if it. " Mrs Margaret Bainbridge
MESSAGE FROM BRISTOL ISLAMIC
SCHOOLS TRUST (BIST) CHAIRMAN
A very important event in the history of Bristol took place on 12 September 2005 when Andalusia Academy Bristol was born. Since then two OFSTED inspections have been carried out. These OFSTED reports confirmed that the vision the Trustees of BIST had to create a ‘centre of excellence’ in Bristol is coming true at Andalusia Academy Bristol.
This success resulted in having waiting lists of pupil recruitment which puts continuous pressure on Andalusia Academy Bristol to expand every year. Praise be to Almighty Allah who enabled us to achieve these successes in a relatively short time and with limited resources. These successes are not only a credit to the Trustees, but also to the committed staff and the supportive community.
We proudly present this institution to the people of Bristol at large. Our doors are widely open to recruit pupils and staff; both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Come and join the success in motion.
Dr Ghassan Nounu