Learning
The Qur'an Pathway That Lives Inside the School Day
Hifdh, sometimes written hifz, is the memorisation of the whole Qur'an. It is one of the most meaningful undertakings a Muslim family can set before a child. In most of London, it means a second shift: school until mid-afternoon, then a madrasah run, then homework squeezed into what's left of the evening.
At Daffodil, there is no second shift. Qur'an memorisation, tajweed (the rules of correct Qur'anic recitation) and Islamic Studies are timetabled subjects, taught during school hours, alongside the full National Curriculum. Your child does both in one place, in one coherent day, with one set of teachers who talk to each other. No separate evening madrasah needed.
Three Levels, Set by Ability, Never by Age
Children don't all start from the same place, so we don't teach them as if they do. Every child joins one of three Qur'an levels, placed by what they can currently do rather than by how old they are.
Beginner
For children starting their Qur'an journey. The focus is on secure foundations: recognising and sounding the Arabic letters correctly, building towards fluent, confident reading of the Qur'anic text.
Pre-Hifdh
For confident readers preparing to memorise seriously. Children work on fluency, tajweed accuracy and the short surahs of Juz 'Amma (the final thirtieth of the Qur'an), building the independent recitation confidence that memorisation depends on.
Hifdh
For children memorising at length: longer surahs, entire ajza' (thirtieth-parts of the Qur'an) and advanced tajweed. Just as important are the consolidation and revision techniques that turn short-term memorisation into long-term retention. A hafidh is made in the revision, not the first pass.
How Your Child Is Placed, and How Progress Is Checked
When your child joins, an initial assessment establishes exactly where they are: which letters, which fluency, which surahs are secure. That sets their level and their starting point; nothing is assumed.
From there, the rhythm is steady and visible:
- Weekly memorisation assignments, so progress is continuous rather than crammed.
- Termly assessments, checking that what was memorised is retained and that tajweed is accurate.
- Half-termly parent-teacher meetings, where Qur'an progress is discussed alongside academic progress. Here they are parts of one report, not two separate worlds.
Qur'an competitions through the year give children moments to recite before others, and something real to aim for.
Tajweed: reciting correctly, from the start
Tajweed is the science of reciting the Qur'an exactly as it was revealed: every letter from its correct point of articulation, every rule of lengthening and merging observed. We teach it from the beginning rather than correcting habits later, and it deepens level by level, from accurate letter sounds at Beginner to advanced rules at Hifdh.
A Day Where Faith Is Practised, Not Appended
The Qur'an programme sits inside a school day shaped by Islam:
- Mornings begin with adhkar and du'as, the daily remembrances and supplications.
- Every salah (obligatory prayer) that falls during school hours is prayed in congregation (jama'ah) in our on-premise mosque. Children learn the discipline and brotherhood of praying together, every day.
- Islamic Studies lessons cover fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), hadith (the recorded words and actions of the Prophet ﷺ), sirah (his life) and akhlaq and adab (character and manners), taught and expected.
- Food served at school is halal.
- The timetable adjusts for Ramadan, and the school closes for the last ten days, so families can give those nights what they deserve. School day and term dates
And the Academics Don't Move over to Make Room
This is the point families most want reassurance on, so here it is plainly: the Qur'an programme runs alongside the full National Curriculum for England, not instead of any part of it. Pupils sit all standardised national assessments, including Key Stage 2 SATs (the national tests taken in Year 6). Our most recent SATs results are published, in plain terms, on our Assessment & Results page. Classes of no more than 15 are what make the double commitment workable: teachers have the time to hold both standards at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my child is a complete beginner?
Then they start at Beginner. That is exactly what the level is for. The initial assessment finds your child's true starting point, and they progress from there at their own pace. Levels are set by ability, not age, so a Year 4 child new to Qur'an reading is placed appropriately, without embarrassment.
Do girls and boys both join the Qur'an programme?
Yes. Daffodil is a co-educational school, and the Qur'an programme (Beginner, Pre-Hifdh and Hifdh) is for every pupil. Girls and boys alike are placed by the initial assessment, receive weekly memorisation assignments and sit termly assessments, and take part in Qur'an competitions.
How will I know how my child is progressing?
Two ways, on a fixed rhythm. Termly assessments check memorisation, retention and tajweed at each level. Every half term you meet your child's teachers to discuss progress: Qur'an and academic together, in one conversation, so you always have the whole picture.
Does hifdh crowd out academic learning?
No. The Qur'an programme is timetabled alongside the full National Curriculum, not carved out of it. Pupils sit every standardised national assessment, from the phonics screening check to Key Stage 2 SATs, and our most recent SATs results are published on our Assessment & Results page. Judge the balance by the record.
What is tajweed?
Tajweed is the set of rules for reciting the Qur'an correctly: pronouncing each Arabic letter from its proper point of articulation and observing the rules of lengthening, merging and stopping. We teach it from a child's first lessons, so correct recitation becomes habit rather than correction.
My child already reads Qur'an fluently. Where would they start?
The initial assessment tells us. A fluent reader typically joins Pre-Hifdh to consolidate tajweed and Juz 'Amma, and a child already memorising seriously joins Hifdh. Nothing is decided by age or year group, only by what your child can securely do.
Come and Hear It for Yourself
The surest way to judge a Qur'an programme is to stand in the building while it runs, to hear the recitation and watch a class at work. Visits are individual, bookable by slot, and hosted by the headteacher.
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