The Essex Islamic Academy (EIA) is a non-profit charity organization and mosque, also known locally as the Ripple Road Mosque, based in Barking, East London. Established over ten years ago, its mission is to serve the spiritual, religious, and communal needs of the local Muslim community through worship, charity, education, outreach, and civic engagement.
The Academy offers a range of educational programs for children and adults, though some of its programs have been suspended as of the available data. The educational provision, primarily through its Maktab/Madressa, caters to boys (from age 5) and girls (from age 4.5). The structured curriculum is designed to provide Islamic education and typically includes:
Arabic (Recitation of the Holy Qur'aan): Starting with the basic alphabet and progressing to Qur'an recitation with an emphasis on Tajweed (correct pronunciation).
Memorization: Students are encouraged to memorize Kalimas, daily supplications (Masnoon Duas), and Surahs from the 30th chapter (Juzz).
Kitaabs (Islamic Subjects): Structured teaching of subjects such as Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), Aqaid (Islamic Theology/Creed), Akhlaq (Morals/Ethics), and Tareekh (Islamic History).
In addition to education, the Academy provides several community services, including:
Religious Services: Offering a mosque for prayers.
Life Events: Services for Nikah (Islamic marriage) and Funeral Arrangements.
Support: Family Counselling for individuals, couples, and families.
Outreach: Organising School Visits for non-Muslim schools to learn about the working of a mosque and the Islamic faith.
The organization is a registered charity (Number: 1131755) and is committed to providing social and cultural services to preserve community identity and promote social and cultural awareness among Muslims and the wider society.
Regulatory Intervention and Reforms
Public records from a withdrawn Charity Commission inquiry into the Essex Islamic Academy detail significant historical misconduct and/or mismanagement. The investigation, which began in 2017, was prompted by the arrest of an administrative support worker ("Individual A") who was found to have exposed children in the Madrassah to graphic terrorist videos and extremist narratives, including role-playing the murder of a police officer.
The Charity Commission took regulatory action, which involved appointing an Interim Manager (IM) to take over the management of the charity. Actions taken by the IM and the charity to address the issues and reform the organization included:
Replacing Leadership: Concluding that the former trustees were unfit and appointing 5 new trustees after a recruitment exercise.
Implementing New Policies: Creating and implementing a comprehensive suite of new policies and procedures, including a safeguarding policy, a safer recruitment policy, a complaints policy, and a risk management policy.
Enhanced Checks: Ensuring that all relevant trustees and staff obtained enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
Financial and Governance Reform: Reviewing and changing the charity's financial controls and policies and amending the governing document.
This significant intervention aimed to restore sound governance and ensure the safety of children and young people at the Academy.
