Islamia Primary School was founded in October 1983 by Yusuf Islam, the singer/songwriter who was known as
Cat Stevens until his conversion to Islam in 1978. In 1998, the school was the first Muslim school in Britain to be granted public funding by the Government. This funding was secured after a campaign of thirteen years and several rejections of their applications for voluntary state aid.
Prince Charles visited to officially inaugurate the school's voluntary aided status on 10 May 2000. He praised their approach of providing both secular and religious education. The school applied, in September 2010, for permission to construct an £8 million extension including a new two-storey building. It would be funded jointly by Brent Council, the school and the government. The scheme, designed by
Marks Barfield, was granted planning permission in December 2010 but has proved controversial with residents groups threatening to take legal action to stop it. Brent Council announced, in November 2013, that the development had been included in Phase 3 of their Permanent Primary School Expansion project. ==Academic education==