34 | SATURDAY | 30.04.22 | The Guardian
◀ AKACIA
COMPLEMENTARY
SCHOOL, HIGH WYCOMBE
Previous pages, left:
Jayden, 16. ’I’m in a senior
maths class with children of
mixed abilities. There is no
dress code; we are
encouraged to wear
whatever makes us feel
comfortable’
◀ ▶ POLISH SATURDAY
SCHOOL, AYLESBURY
Previous pages, right:
Emilia, 12, who was born
in Kraków.
Opposite: Marcel, six
(main image), and Rosie
(bottom, right), seven,
who was born in London▼ OROT
SUPPLEMENTARY
SCHOOL AT EDGWARE &
HENDON REFORM
SYNAGOGUE, LONDON
Clockwise from below,
left: Rachel, three, wears
a Little Red Riding Hood
Purim cap that once
belonged to her mother;
Sammy, nine, dressed asHarry Potter; Sam, nine,
joined when he was in
reception. ‘I have nice
friends there. The work is
challenging but fun.
Today, I am handling a
Burmese python. They are
constrictors, so it could
squeeze me, and eat
me whole’GROW I NG U P, EV E RY SAT U R DAY morning while my
school friends were out shopping, going to drama school
or learning to dive at the local swimming pool, I would
put on my shalwar kameez and head to my mosque’s
weekend school. There, I would sit cross-legged on
prayer mats with other young girls, our heads covered
with soft chiff on scarves, listening intently to stories
from Islamic history, before catching up on school
gossip and that week’s Top of the Pops.
I was seven when I started going to the school in
Bradford, and 15 when I left. It was the 1980s, and there
were about 20 of us. Our p arents all knew each other,
most of the congregation was of Pakistani heritage, and
most of the children second generation. We learn ed
the basics of the Islamic faith, how to off er prayer in
Arabic with English translation, how to read the Qur’an,
and what being a Muslim required of us. We had sports
days and speech competitions, went swimming and
learn ed to cook. We navigated two cultures, and lan-
guages, weaving together English and Urdu.
It made a change from my Catholic girls’ school,
where the syllabus was gospel, sacraments, and Christ
through the eyes of Christianity. The supplementary
school helped me fi n d a n s w e r s t o s o m e o f t h e q u e s t i o n s
my friends asked about being Muslim. Growing up with
two faiths gave me clarity. While Islam respects all
prophets, little is taught about Jesus in the mosque. My
secondary school gave me insight into the foundations
of British holidays and traditions, in a way that
connected with Islam.During the year, we’d have regional competitions
where girls and young women would come together to
g ive sp e e c hes on topic s suc h a s “c lea n l i ness i s nex t to
godliness” and “Islam and the rights of women” , recite
the Qur’an in Arabic , sing religious songs and take part
in quizzes. We’d pack into a coach and travel down the
M1 to London for a two-day event where we’d compete
against girls from similar backgrounds from other parts
of the country. We all spoke Urdu, but it was our E nglish
accents that revealed where we were really from –
B radford, Glasgow, Gillingham or Manchester. The
women making the announcements were always
Pakistani aunties, and even now place names such as
Walthamstow and Redbridge are converted to a
particular pronunciation in my head.